TY - JOUR
T1 - Neural dynamics of executive function in cognitively able kindergarteners with autism spectrum disorders as predictors of concurrent academic achievement
AU - Kim, So Hyun
AU - Buzzell, George
AU - Faja, Susan
AU - Choi, Yeo Bi
AU - Thomas, Hannah R.
AU - Brito, Natalie Hiromi
AU - Shuffrey, Lauren C.
AU - Fifer, William P.
AU - Morrison, Frederick D.
AU - Lord, Catherine
AU - Fox, Nathan
PY - 2020/4/1
Y1 - 2020/4/1
N2 - Although electrophysiological (electroencephalography) measures of executive functions (e.g. error monitoring) have been used to predict academic achievement in typically developing children, work investigating a link between error monitoring and academic skills in children with autism spectrum disorder is limited. In this study, we employed traditional electrophysiological and advanced time–frequency methods, combined with principal component analyses, to extract neural activity related to error monitoring and tested their relations to academic achievement in cognitively able kindergarteners with autism spectrum disorder. In total, 35 cognitively able kindergarteners with autism spectrum disorder completed academic assessments and the child-friendly “Zoo Game” Go/No-go task at school entry. The Go/No-go task successfully elicited an error-related negativity and error positivity in children with autism spectrum disorder as young as 5 years at fronto-central and posterior electrode sites, respectively. We also observed increased response-related theta power during errors relative to correct trials at fronto-central sites. Both larger error positivity and theta power significantly predicted concurrent academic achievement after controlling for behavioral performance on the Zoo Game and intelligence quotient. These results suggest that the use of time–frequency electroencephalography analyses, combined with traditional event-related potential measures, may provide new opportunities to investigate neurobiological mechanisms of executive function and academic achievement in young children with autism spectrum disorder.
AB - Although electrophysiological (electroencephalography) measures of executive functions (e.g. error monitoring) have been used to predict academic achievement in typically developing children, work investigating a link between error monitoring and academic skills in children with autism spectrum disorder is limited. In this study, we employed traditional electrophysiological and advanced time–frequency methods, combined with principal component analyses, to extract neural activity related to error monitoring and tested their relations to academic achievement in cognitively able kindergarteners with autism spectrum disorder. In total, 35 cognitively able kindergarteners with autism spectrum disorder completed academic assessments and the child-friendly “Zoo Game” Go/No-go task at school entry. The Go/No-go task successfully elicited an error-related negativity and error positivity in children with autism spectrum disorder as young as 5 years at fronto-central and posterior electrode sites, respectively. We also observed increased response-related theta power during errors relative to correct trials at fronto-central sites. Both larger error positivity and theta power significantly predicted concurrent academic achievement after controlling for behavioral performance on the Zoo Game and intelligence quotient. These results suggest that the use of time–frequency electroencephalography analyses, combined with traditional event-related potential measures, may provide new opportunities to investigate neurobiological mechanisms of executive function and academic achievement in young children with autism spectrum disorder.
KW - academic achievement
KW - autism spectrum disorder
KW - executive function
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85077078709&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85077078709&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/1362361319874920
DO - 10.1177/1362361319874920
M3 - Article
C2 - 31793795
AN - SCOPUS:85077078709
VL - 24
SP - 780
EP - 794
JO - Autism
JF - Autism
SN - 1362-3613
IS - 3
ER -