Mnesic Imbalance: a Cognitive Theory About Autism Spectrum Disorders

Overview

Journal Ann Gen Psychiatry

Publisher Biomed Central

Specialty Psychiatry

Date 2008 Oct 18

PMID 18925971

Citations 5

Authors

Miguel Angel Romero-Munguia

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Autism is characterized by impairments in social interaction, communicative capacity and behavioral flexibility. Some cognitive theories can be useful for finding a relationship between these irregularities and the biological mechanisms that may give rise to this disorder. Among such theories are mentalizing deficit, weak central coherence and executive dysfunction, but none of them has been able to explain all three diagnostic symptoms of autism. These cognitive disorders may be related among themselves by faulty learning, since several research studies have shown that the brains of autistic individuals have abnormalities in the cerebellum, which plays a role in procedural learning. In keeping with this view, one may postulate the possibility that declarative memory replaces faulty procedural memory in some of its functions, which implies making conscious efforts in order to perform actions that are normally automatic. This may disturb cognitive development, resulting in autism symptoms. Furthermore, this mnesic imbalance is probably involved in all autism spectrum disorders. In the present work, this theory is expounded, including preliminary supporting evidence.

Citing Articles

Genome-wide association study of cognitive flexibility assessed by the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test.

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The Disrupted Connectivity Hypothesis of Autism Spectrum Disorders: Time for the Next Phase in Research.

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Theory of Mind Deficit versus Faulty Procedural Memory in Autism Spectrum Disorders.

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The biopsychosocial processes in autism spectrum disorder.

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