TY - JOUR
T1 - Inter-individual cognitive variability in children with Asperger's syndrome
AU - Gonzalez-Gadea, Maria Luz
AU - Tripicchio, Paula
AU - Rattazzi, Alexia
AU - Baez, Sandra
AU - Marino, Julian
AU - Roca, Maria
AU - Manes, Facundo
AU - Ibanez, Agustin
PY - 2014/7/31
Y1 - 2014/7/31
N2 - Multiple studies have tried to establish the distinctive profile of individuals with Asperger's syndrome (AS). However, recent reports suggest that adults with AS feature heterogeneous cognitive profiles. The present study explores inter-individual variability in children with AS through group comparison and multiple case series analysis. All participants completed an extended battery including measures of fluid and crystallized intelligence, executive functions, theory of mind, and classical neuropsychological tests. Significant group differences were found in theory of mind and other domains related to global information processing. However, the AS group showed high inter-individual variability (both sub- and supra-normal performance) on most cognitive tasks. Furthermore, high fluid intelligence correlated with less general cognitive impairment, high cognitive flexibility, and speed of motor processing. In light of these findings, we propose that children with AS are characterized by a distinct, uneven pattern of cognitive strengths and weaknesses.
AB - Multiple studies have tried to establish the distinctive profile of individuals with Asperger's syndrome (AS). However, recent reports suggest that adults with AS feature heterogeneous cognitive profiles. The present study explores inter-individual variability in children with AS through group comparison and multiple case series analysis. All participants completed an extended battery including measures of fluid and crystallized intelligence, executive functions, theory of mind, and classical neuropsychological tests. Significant group differences were found in theory of mind and other domains related to global information processing. However, the AS group showed high inter-individual variability (both sub- and supra-normal performance) on most cognitive tasks. Furthermore, high fluid intelligence correlated with less general cognitive impairment, high cognitive flexibility, and speed of motor processing. In light of these findings, we propose that children with AS are characterized by a distinct, uneven pattern of cognitive strengths and weaknesses.
KW - Asperger's syndrome
KW - Executive functions
KW - Fluid intelligence
KW - Individual variability
KW - Theory of mind
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84905256977&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3389/fnhum.2014.00575
DO - 10.3389/fnhum.2014.00575
M3 - Article
C2 - 25132817
AN - SCOPUS:84905256977
SN - 1662-5161
VL - 8
SP - 1
EP - 11
JO - Frontiers in Human Neuroscience
JF - Frontiers in Human Neuroscience
IS - JULY
M1 - 575
ER -