TY - JOUR
T1 - Exploring the cognitive features in children with autism spectrum disorder, their co-twins, and typically developing children within a population-based sample
AU - Brunsdon, Victoria E A
AU - Colvert, Emma
AU - Ames, Catherine
AU - Garnett, Tracy
AU - Gillan, Nicola
AU - Hallett, Victoria
AU - Lietz, Stephanie
AU - Woodhouse, Emma
AU - Bolton, Patrick
AU - Happé, Francesca
PY - 2015/8/1
Y1 - 2015/8/1
N2 - Background The behavioural symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are thought to reflect underlying cognitive deficits/differences. The findings in the literature are somewhat mixed regarding the cognitive features of ASD. This study attempted to address this issue by investigating a range of cognitive deficits and the prevalence of multiple cognitive atypicalities in a large population-based sample comprising children with ASD, their unaffected co-twins, and typically developing comparison children. Methods Participants included families from the Twins Early Development Study (TEDS) where one or both children met diagnostic criteria for ASD. Overall, 181 adolescents with a diagnosis of ASD and 73 unaffected co-twins were included, plus an additional 160 comparison control participants. An extensive cognitive battery was administered to measure IQ, central coherence, executive function, and theory of mind ability. Results Differences between groups (ASD, co-twin, control) are reported on tasks assessing theory of mind, executive function, and central coherence. The ASD group performed atypically in significantly more cognitive tasks than the unaffected co-twin and control groups. Nearly a third of the ASD group presented with multiple cognitive atypicalities. Conclusions Multiple cognitive atypicalities appear to be a characteristic, but not universal feature, of ASD. Further work is needed to investigate whether specific cognitive atypicalities, either alone or together, are related to specific behaviours characteristic of ASD.
AB - Background The behavioural symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are thought to reflect underlying cognitive deficits/differences. The findings in the literature are somewhat mixed regarding the cognitive features of ASD. This study attempted to address this issue by investigating a range of cognitive deficits and the prevalence of multiple cognitive atypicalities in a large population-based sample comprising children with ASD, their unaffected co-twins, and typically developing comparison children. Methods Participants included families from the Twins Early Development Study (TEDS) where one or both children met diagnostic criteria for ASD. Overall, 181 adolescents with a diagnosis of ASD and 73 unaffected co-twins were included, plus an additional 160 comparison control participants. An extensive cognitive battery was administered to measure IQ, central coherence, executive function, and theory of mind ability. Results Differences between groups (ASD, co-twin, control) are reported on tasks assessing theory of mind, executive function, and central coherence. The ASD group performed atypically in significantly more cognitive tasks than the unaffected co-twin and control groups. Nearly a third of the ASD group presented with multiple cognitive atypicalities. Conclusions Multiple cognitive atypicalities appear to be a characteristic, but not universal feature, of ASD. Further work is needed to investigate whether specific cognitive atypicalities, either alone or together, are related to specific behaviours characteristic of ASD.
KW - Autism spectrum disorder
KW - cognition
KW - executive function
KW - theory of mind
KW - weak central coherence
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84936882955&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/jcpp.12362
DO - 10.1111/jcpp.12362
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84936882955
SN - 0021-9630
VL - 56
SP - 893
EP - 902
JO - Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry
JF - Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry
IS - 8
ER -
