TY - JOUR
T1 - Neurophysiological measures and correlates of cognitive load in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and dyslexia
T2 - A scoping review and research recommendations
AU - Le Cunff, Anne-Laure
AU - Dommett, Eleanor
AU - Giampietro, Vincent
PY - 2023/12/18
Y1 - 2023/12/18
N2 - Working memory is integral to a range of critical cognitive functions such as reasoning and decision‐making. Although alterations in working memory have been observed in neurodivergent populations, there has been no review mapping how cognitive load is measured in common neurodevelopmental conditions such as attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and dyslexia. This scoping review explores the neurophysiological measures used to study cognitive load in these specific populations. Our findings highlight that electroencephalography (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) are the most frequently used methods, with a limited number of studies employing functional near‐infrared spectroscopy (fNIRs), magnetoencephalography (MEG) or eye‐tracking. Notably, eye‐related measures are less commonly used, despite their prominence in cognitive load research among neurotypical individuals. The review also highlights potential correlates of cognitive load, such as neural oscillations in the theta and alpha ranges for EEG studies, blood oxygenation level‐dependent (BOLD) responses in lateral and medial frontal brain regions for fMRI and fNIRS studies and eye‐related measures such as pupil dilation and blink rate. Finally, critical issues for future studies are discussed, including the technical challenges associated with multimodal approaches, the possible impact of atypical features on cognitive load measures and balancing data richness with participant well‐being. These insights contribute to a more nuanced understanding of cognitive load measurement in neurodivergent populations and point to important methodological considerations for future neuroscientific research in this area.
AB - Working memory is integral to a range of critical cognitive functions such as reasoning and decision‐making. Although alterations in working memory have been observed in neurodivergent populations, there has been no review mapping how cognitive load is measured in common neurodevelopmental conditions such as attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and dyslexia. This scoping review explores the neurophysiological measures used to study cognitive load in these specific populations. Our findings highlight that electroencephalography (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) are the most frequently used methods, with a limited number of studies employing functional near‐infrared spectroscopy (fNIRs), magnetoencephalography (MEG) or eye‐tracking. Notably, eye‐related measures are less commonly used, despite their prominence in cognitive load research among neurotypical individuals. The review also highlights potential correlates of cognitive load, such as neural oscillations in the theta and alpha ranges for EEG studies, blood oxygenation level‐dependent (BOLD) responses in lateral and medial frontal brain regions for fMRI and fNIRS studies and eye‐related measures such as pupil dilation and blink rate. Finally, critical issues for future studies are discussed, including the technical challenges associated with multimodal approaches, the possible impact of atypical features on cognitive load measures and balancing data richness with participant well‐being. These insights contribute to a more nuanced understanding of cognitive load measurement in neurodivergent populations and point to important methodological considerations for future neuroscientific research in this area.
U2 - 10.1111/ejn.16201
DO - 10.1111/ejn.16201
M3 - Article
SN - 0953-816X
JO - European Journal of Neuroscience
JF - European Journal of Neuroscience
ER -
