Better Working Memory for Non-social Targets in Infant Siblings of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Overview

Journal Dev Sci

Specialty Psychology

Date 2010 Feb 4

PMID 20121880

Citations 26

Authors

Julia S Noland

J Steven Reznick

Wendy L Stone

Tedra Walden

Elisabeth H Sheridan

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

We compared working memory (WM) for the location of social versus non-social targets in infant siblings of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (sibs-ASD, n = 25) and of typically developing children (sibs-TD, n = 30) at 6.5 and 9 months of age. There was a significant interaction of risk group and target type on WM, in which the sibs-ASD had better WM for non-social targets as compared with controls. There was no group by stimulus interaction on two non-memory measures. The results suggest that the increased competency of sibs-ASD in WM (creating, updating and using transient representations) for non-social stimuli distinguishes them from sibs-TD by 9 months of age. This early emerging strength is discussed as a developmental pathway that may have implications for social attention and learning in children at risk for ASD.

Citing Articles

Experimental Studies Indicate That ST-2223, the Antagonist of Histamine H3 and Dopamine D2/D3 Receptors, Restores Social Deficits and Neurotransmission Dysregulation in Mouse Model of Autism.

Eissa N, Venkatachalam K, Jayaprakash P, Yuvaraju P, Falkenstein M, Stark H Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2022; 15(8).

PMID: 36015079 PMC: 9414676. DOI: 10.3390/ph15080929.

Attentive brain states in infants with and without later autism.

Gui A, Bussu G, Tye C, Elsabbagh M, Pasco G, Charman T Transl Psychiatry. 2021; 11(1):196.

PMID: 33785730 PMC: 8009890. DOI: 10.1038/s41398-021-01315-9.

The Dual-Active Histamine H Receptor Antagonist and Acetylcholine Esterase Inhibitor E100 Alleviates Autistic-Like Behaviors and Oxidative Stress in Valproic Acid Induced Autism in Mice.

Eissa N, Azimullah S, Jayaprakash P, Jayaraj R, Reiner D, Ojha S Int J Mol Sci. 2020; 21(11).

PMID: 32503208 PMC: 7312782. DOI: 10.3390/ijms21113996.

Characterization of performance on an automated visual recognition memory task in 7.5-month-old infants.

Dzwilewski K, Merced-Nieves F, Aguiar A, Korrick S, Schantz S Neurotoxicol Teratol. 2020; 81:106904.

PMID: 32485220 PMC: 7483630. DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2020.106904.

Attentional bias to fearful faces in infants at high risk for autism spectrum disorder.

Wagner J, Keehn B, Tager-Flusberg H, Nelson C Emotion. 2019; 20(6):980-992.

PMID: 31355652 PMC: 6986980. DOI: 10.1037/emo0000628.

References

Nadig A, Ozonoff S, Young G, Rozga A, Sigman M, Rogers S . A prospective study of response to name in infants at risk for autism. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2007; 161(4):378-83. DOI: 10.1001/archpedi.161.4.378. View

Constantino J, Lajonchere C, Lutz M, Gray T, Abbacchi A, McKenna K . Autistic social impairment in the siblings of children with pervasive developmental disorders. Am J Psychiatry. 2006; 163(2):294-6. DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.163.2.294. View

Spelke E, Kinzler K . Core knowledge. Dev Sci. 2006; 10(1):89-96. DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-7687.2007.00569.x. View

Mundy P, Block J, Delgado C, Pomares Y, Van Hecke A, Parlade M . Individual differences and the development of joint attention in infancy. Child Dev. 2007; 78(3):938-54. PMC: 2654237. DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-8624.2007.01042.x. View

Mareschal D, Johnson M . The "what" and "where" of object representations in infancy. Cognition. 2003; 88(3):259-76. DOI: 10.1016/s0010-0277(03)00039-8. View

Landa R, Garrett-Mayer E . Development in infants with autism spectrum disorders: a prospective study. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2006; 47(6):629-38. DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-7610.2006.01531.x. View

McCleery J, Allman E, Carver L, Dobkins K . Abnormal magnocellular pathway visual processing in infants at risk for autism. Biol Psychiatry. 2007; 62(9):1007-14. DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2007.02.009. View

Zwaigenbaum L, Thurm A, Stone W, Baranek G, Bryson S, Iverson J . Studying the emergence of autism spectrum disorders in high-risk infants: methodological and practical issues. J Autism Dev Disord. 2006; 37(3):466-80. DOI: 10.1007/s10803-006-0179-x. View

Koczat D, Rogers S, Pennington B, Ross R . Eye movement abnormality suggestive of a spatial working memory deficit is present in parents of autistic probands. J Autism Dev Disord. 2003; 32(6):513-8. DOI: 10.1023/a:1021246712459. View

10.

Zwaigenbaum L, Bryson S, Rogers T, Roberts W, Brian J, Szatmari P . Behavioral manifestations of autism in the first year of life. Int J Dev Neurosci. 2005; 23(2-3):143-52. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2004.05.001. View

11.

Shinskey J, Munakata Y . Familiarity breeds searching: infants reverse their novelty preferences when reaching for hidden objects. Psychol Sci. 2005; 16(8):596-600. DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9280.2005.01581.x. View

12.

Ozonoff S, Strayer D . Further evidence of intact working memory in autism. J Autism Dev Disord. 2001; 31(3):257-63. DOI: 10.1023/a:1010794902139. View

13.

Pelphrey K, Reznick J, Goldman B, Sasson N, Morrow J, Donahoe A . Development of visuospatial short-term memory in the second half of the 1st year. Dev Psychol. 2004; 40(5):836-51. DOI: 10.1037/0012-1649.40.5.836. View

14.

Baron-Cohen S . Two new theories of autism: hyper-systemising and assortative mating. Arch Dis Child. 2005; 91(1):2-5. PMC: 2083102. DOI: 10.1136/adc.2005.075846. View

15.

Baron-Cohen S, Hammer J . Parents of Children with Asperger Syndrome: What is the Cognitive Phenotype?. J Cogn Neurosci. 2013; 9(4):548-54. DOI: 10.1162/jocn.1997.9.4.548. View

16.

Dawson G, Toth K, Abbott R, Osterling J, Munson J, Estes A . Early social attention impairments in autism: social orienting, joint attention, and attention to distress. Dev Psychol. 2004; 40(2):271-83. DOI: 10.1037/0012-1649.40.2.271. View

17.

Ibanez L, Messinger D, Newell L, Lambert B, Sheskin M . Visual disengagement in the infant siblings of children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Autism. 2008; 12(5):473-85. PMC: 2860749. DOI: 10.1177/1362361308094504. View

18.

SCHWARTZ B, Reznick J . Measuring infant spatial working memory using a modified delayed-response procedure. Memory. 2000; 7(1):1-17. DOI: 10.1080/741943714. View

19.

Merin N, Young G, Ozonoff S, Rogers S . Visual Fixation Patterns during Reciprocal Social Interaction Distinguish a Subgroup of 6-Month-Old Infants At-Risk for Autism from Comparison Infants. J Autism Dev Disord. 2006; 37(1):108-21. DOI: 10.1007/s10803-006-0342-4. View

20.

von Hofsten C, Vishton P, Spelke E, Feng Q, Rosander K . Predictive action in infancy: tracking and reaching for moving objects. Cognition. 1998; 67(3):255-85. DOI: 10.1016/s0010-0277(98)00029-8. View