Familiality of behavioral flexibility and response inhibition deficits in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) / Lauren M. SCHMITT in Molecular Autism, 10 (2019)  

Public ISBD [article]  inMolecular Autism > 10 (2019) . - 47 p. Titre : Familiality of behavioral flexibility and response inhibition deficits in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) Type de document : texte imprimé Auteurs : Lauren M. SCHMITT, Auteur ; Erin K. BOJANEK, Auteur ; Stormi P. WHITE, Auteur ; Michael E. RAGOZZINO, Auteur ; Edwin H. Jr COOK, Auteur ; John A. SWEENEY, Auteur ; Matthew W. MOSCONI, Auteur Article en page(s) : 47 p. Langues : Anglais (eng) Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Background: Diminished cognitive control, including reduced behavioral flexibility and behavioral response inhibition, has been repeatedly documented in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We evaluated behavioral flexibility and response inhibition in probands and their parents using a family trio design to determine the extent to which these cognitive control impairments represent familial traits associated with ASD. Methods: We examined 66 individuals with ASD (probands), 135 unaffected biological parents, and 76 typically developing controls. Participants completed a probabilistic reversal learning task (PRL) and a stop-signal task (SST) to assess behavioral flexibility and response inhibition respectively. Rates of PRL and SST errors were examined across groups, within families, and in relation to clinical and subclinical traits of ASD. Based on prior findings that subclinical broader autism phenotypic (BAP) traits may co-segregate within families and reflect heritable risk factors, we also examined whether cognitive control deficits were more prominent in families in which parents showed BAP features (BAP+). Results: Probands and parents each showed increased rates of PRL and SST errors relative to controls. Error rates across tasks were not related. SST error rates inter-correlated among probands and their parents. PRL errors were more severe in BAP+ parents and their children relative to BAP- parents and their children. For probands of BAP+ parents, PRL and SST error rates were associated with more severe social-communication abnormalities and repetitive behaviors, respectively. Conclusion: Reduced behavioral flexibility and response inhibition are present among probands and their unaffected parents, but represent unique familial deficits associated with ASD that track with separate clinical issues. Specifically, behavioral response inhibition impairments are familial in ASD and manifest independently from parental subclinical features. In contrast, behavioral flexibility deficits are selectively present in families with BAP characteristics, suggesting they co-segregate in families with parental subclinical social, communication, and rigid personality traits. Together, these findings provide evidence that behavioral flexibility and response inhibition impairments track differentially with ASD risk mechanisms and related behavioral traits. En ligne : http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13229-019-0296-y Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=414 [article] Familiality of behavioral flexibility and response inhibition deficits in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) [texte imprimé] / Lauren M. SCHMITT, Auteur ; Erin K. BOJANEK, Auteur ; Stormi P. WHITE, Auteur ; Michael E. RAGOZZINO, Auteur ; Edwin H. Jr COOK, Auteur ; John A. SWEENEY, Auteur ; Matthew W. MOSCONI, Auteur . - 47 p. Langues : Anglais (eng) in Molecular Autism > 10 (2019) . - 47 p. Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Background: Diminished cognitive control, including reduced behavioral flexibility and behavioral response inhibition, has been repeatedly documented in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We evaluated behavioral flexibility and response inhibition in probands and their parents using a family trio design to determine the extent to which these cognitive control impairments represent familial traits associated with ASD. Methods: We examined 66 individuals with ASD (probands), 135 unaffected biological parents, and 76 typically developing controls. Participants completed a probabilistic reversal learning task (PRL) and a stop-signal task (SST) to assess behavioral flexibility and response inhibition respectively. Rates of PRL and SST errors were examined across groups, within families, and in relation to clinical and subclinical traits of ASD. Based on prior findings that subclinical broader autism phenotypic (BAP) traits may co-segregate within families and reflect heritable risk factors, we also examined whether cognitive control deficits were more prominent in families in which parents showed BAP features (BAP+). Results: Probands and parents each showed increased rates of PRL and SST errors relative to controls. Error rates across tasks were not related. SST error rates inter-correlated among probands and their parents. PRL errors were more severe in BAP+ parents and their children relative to BAP- parents and their children. For probands of BAP+ parents, PRL and SST error rates were associated with more severe social-communication abnormalities and repetitive behaviors, respectively. Conclusion: Reduced behavioral flexibility and response inhibition are present among probands and their unaffected parents, but represent unique familial deficits associated with ASD that track with separate clinical issues. Specifically, behavioral response inhibition impairments are familial in ASD and manifest independently from parental subclinical features. In contrast, behavioral flexibility deficits are selectively present in families with BAP characteristics, suggesting they co-segregate in families with parental subclinical social, communication, and rigid personality traits. Together, these findings provide evidence that behavioral flexibility and response inhibition impairments track differentially with ASD risk mechanisms and related behavioral traits. En ligne : http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13229-019-0296-y Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=414

Initial action output and feedback-guided motor behaviors in autism spectrum disorder / Kathryn E. UNRUH in Molecular Autism, 12 (2021)  

Public ISBD [article]  inMolecular Autism > 12 (2021) . - 52 p. Titre : Initial action output and feedback-guided motor behaviors in autism spectrum disorder Type de document : texte imprimé Auteurs : Kathryn E. UNRUH, Auteur ; Walker S. MCKINNEY, Auteur ; Erin K. BOJANEK, Auteur ; Kandace K. FLEMING, Auteur ; John A. SWEENEY, Auteur ; Matthew W. MOSCONI, Auteur Article en page(s) : 52 p. Langues : Anglais (eng) Mots-clés : Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)  Eye movement  Lateralization  Precision grip  Sensorimotor Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : BACKGROUND: Sensorimotor issues are common in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), related to core symptoms, and predictive of worse functional outcomes. Deficits in rapid behaviors supported primarily by feedforward mechanisms, and continuous, feedback-guided motor behaviors each have been reported, but the degrees to which they are distinct or co-segregate within individuals and across development are not well understood. METHODS: We characterized behaviors that varied in their involvement of feedforward control relative to feedback control across skeletomotor (precision grip force) and oculomotor (saccades) control systems in 109 individuals with ASD and 101 age-matched typically developing controls (range: 5-29 years) including 58 individuals with ASD and 57 controls who completed both grip and saccade tests. Grip force was examined across multiple force (15, 45, and 85% MVC) and visual gain levels (low, medium, high). Maximum grip force also was examined. During grip force tests, reaction time, initial force output accuracy, variability, and entropy were examined. For the saccade test, latency, accuracy, and trial-wise variability of latency and accuracy were examined. RESULTS: Relative to controls, individuals with ASD showed similar accuracy of initial grip force but reduced accuracy of saccadic eye movements specific to older ages of our sample. Force variability was greater in ASD relative to controls, but saccade gain variability (across trials) was not different between groups. Force entropy was reduced in ASD, especially at older ages. We also find reduced grip strength in ASD that was more severe in dominant compared to non-dominant hands. LIMITATIONS: Our age-related findings rely on cross-sectional data. Longitudinal studies of sensorimotor behaviors and their associations with ASD symptoms are needed. CONCLUSIONS: We identify reduced accuracy of initial motor output in ASD that was specific to the oculomotor system implicating deficient feedforward control that may be mitigated during slower occurring behaviors executed in the periphery. Individuals with ASD showed increased continuous force variability but similar levels of trial-to-trial saccade accuracy variability suggesting that feedback-guided refinement of motor commands is deficient specifically when adjustments occur rapidly during continuous behavior. We also document reduced lateralization of grip strength in ASD implicating atypical hemispheric specialization. En ligne : http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13229-021-00452-8 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=459 [article] Initial action output and feedback-guided motor behaviors in autism spectrum disorder [texte imprimé] / Kathryn E. UNRUH, Auteur ; Walker S. MCKINNEY, Auteur ; Erin K. BOJANEK, Auteur ; Kandace K. FLEMING, Auteur ; John A. SWEENEY, Auteur ; Matthew W. MOSCONI, Auteur . - 52 p. Langues : Anglais (eng) in Molecular Autism > 12 (2021) . - 52 p. Mots-clés : Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)  Eye movement  Lateralization  Precision grip  Sensorimotor Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : BACKGROUND: Sensorimotor issues are common in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), related to core symptoms, and predictive of worse functional outcomes. Deficits in rapid behaviors supported primarily by feedforward mechanisms, and continuous, feedback-guided motor behaviors each have been reported, but the degrees to which they are distinct or co-segregate within individuals and across development are not well understood. METHODS: We characterized behaviors that varied in their involvement of feedforward control relative to feedback control across skeletomotor (precision grip force) and oculomotor (saccades) control systems in 109 individuals with ASD and 101 age-matched typically developing controls (range: 5-29 years) including 58 individuals with ASD and 57 controls who completed both grip and saccade tests. Grip force was examined across multiple force (15, 45, and 85% MVC) and visual gain levels (low, medium, high). Maximum grip force also was examined. During grip force tests, reaction time, initial force output accuracy, variability, and entropy were examined. For the saccade test, latency, accuracy, and trial-wise variability of latency and accuracy were examined. RESULTS: Relative to controls, individuals with ASD showed similar accuracy of initial grip force but reduced accuracy of saccadic eye movements specific to older ages of our sample. Force variability was greater in ASD relative to controls, but saccade gain variability (across trials) was not different between groups. Force entropy was reduced in ASD, especially at older ages. We also find reduced grip strength in ASD that was more severe in dominant compared to non-dominant hands. LIMITATIONS: Our age-related findings rely on cross-sectional data. Longitudinal studies of sensorimotor behaviors and their associations with ASD symptoms are needed. CONCLUSIONS: We identify reduced accuracy of initial motor output in ASD that was specific to the oculomotor system implicating deficient feedforward control that may be mitigated during slower occurring behaviors executed in the periphery. Individuals with ASD showed increased continuous force variability but similar levels of trial-to-trial saccade accuracy variability suggesting that feedback-guided refinement of motor commands is deficient specifically when adjustments occur rapidly during continuous behavior. We also document reduced lateralization of grip strength in ASD implicating atypical hemispheric specialization. En ligne : http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13229-021-00452-8 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=459

Postural control processes during standing and step initiation in autism spectrum disorder / Erin K. BOJANEK in Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders, 12 (2020)  

Public ISBD [article]  inJournal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders > 12 (2020) Titre : Postural control processes during standing and step initiation in autism spectrum disorder Type de document : texte imprimé Auteurs : Erin K. BOJANEK, Auteur ; Zheng WANG, Auteur ; Stormi P. WHITE, Auteur ; Matthew W. MOSCONI, Auteur Langues : Anglais (eng) Mots-clés : Adolescent  Autism Spectrum Disorder/physiopathology  Case-Control Studies  Child  Female  Gait/physiology  Humans  Male  Postural Balance/physiology  Standing Position  Young Adult  Anticipatory postural adjustments  Autism Spectrum disorder  Mutual information  Postural control  Stepping Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : BACKGROUND: Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) show a reduced ability to maintain postural stability, though motor control mechanisms contributing to these issues and the extent to which they are associated with other gross motor activities (e.g., stepping) are not yet known. METHODS: Seventeen individuals with ASD and 20 typically developing (TD) controls (ages 6-19 years) completed three tests of postural control during standing. During the neutral stance, individuals stood with their feet shoulder width apart. During the Romberg one stance, they stood with feet close together. During the circular sway, participants stood with feet shoulder width apart and swayed in a circular motion. The standard deviation (SD) of their center of pressure (COP) in the mediolateral (ML) and anteroposterior (AP) directions and the COP trajectory length were examined for each stance. We also assessed mutual information (MI), or the shared dependencies between COP in the ML and AP directions. Participants also completed a stepping task in which they stepped forward from one force platform to an adjacent platform. The amplitude and duration of anticipatory postural adjustments (APAs) were examined, as were the maximum lateral sway, duration, and velocity of COP adjustments following the initial step. We examined stepping variables using separate one-way ANCOVAs with height as a covariate. The relationships between postural control and stepping measures and ASD symptom severity were assessed using Spearman correlations with scores on the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-Second Edition (ADOS-2) and the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R). RESULTS: Individuals with ASD showed increased COP trajectory length across stance conditions (p = 0.05) and reduced MI during circular sway relative to TD controls (p = 0.02). During stepping, groups did not differ on APA amplitude (p = 0.97) or duration (p = 0.41), but during their initial step, individuals with ASD showed reduced ML sway (p = 0.06), reduced body transfer duration (p < 0.01), and increased body transfer velocity (p = 0.02) compared to controls. Greater neutral stance COP(ML) variability (r = 0.55, p = 0.02) and decreased lateral sway (r = - 0.55, p = 0.02) when stepping were associated with more severe restricted and repetitive behaviors in participants with ASD. CONCLUSIONS: We found that individuals with ASD showed reduced MI during circular sway suggesting a reduced ability to effectively coordinate joint movements during dynamic postural adjustments. Additionally, individuals with ASD showed reduced lateral sway when stepping indicating that motor rigidity may interfere with balance and gait. Postural control and stepping deficits were related to repetitive behaviors in individuals with ASD indicating that motor rigidity and key clinical issues in ASD may represent overlapping pathological processes. En ligne : https://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s11689-019-9305-x Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=573 [article] Postural control processes during standing and step initiation in autism spectrum disorder [texte imprimé] / Erin K. BOJANEK, Auteur ; Zheng WANG, Auteur ; Stormi P. WHITE, Auteur ; Matthew W. MOSCONI, Auteur. Langues : Anglais (eng) in Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders > 12 (2020) Mots-clés : Adolescent  Autism Spectrum Disorder/physiopathology  Case-Control Studies  Child  Female  Gait/physiology  Humans  Male  Postural Balance/physiology  Standing Position  Young Adult  Anticipatory postural adjustments  Autism Spectrum disorder  Mutual information  Postural control  Stepping Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : BACKGROUND: Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) show a reduced ability to maintain postural stability, though motor control mechanisms contributing to these issues and the extent to which they are associated with other gross motor activities (e.g., stepping) are not yet known. METHODS: Seventeen individuals with ASD and 20 typically developing (TD) controls (ages 6-19 years) completed three tests of postural control during standing. During the neutral stance, individuals stood with their feet shoulder width apart. During the Romberg one stance, they stood with feet close together. During the circular sway, participants stood with feet shoulder width apart and swayed in a circular motion. The standard deviation (SD) of their center of pressure (COP) in the mediolateral (ML) and anteroposterior (AP) directions and the COP trajectory length were examined for each stance. We also assessed mutual information (MI), or the shared dependencies between COP in the ML and AP directions. Participants also completed a stepping task in which they stepped forward from one force platform to an adjacent platform. The amplitude and duration of anticipatory postural adjustments (APAs) were examined, as were the maximum lateral sway, duration, and velocity of COP adjustments following the initial step. We examined stepping variables using separate one-way ANCOVAs with height as a covariate. The relationships between postural control and stepping measures and ASD symptom severity were assessed using Spearman correlations with scores on the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-Second Edition (ADOS-2) and the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R). RESULTS: Individuals with ASD showed increased COP trajectory length across stance conditions (p = 0.05) and reduced MI during circular sway relative to TD controls (p = 0.02). During stepping, groups did not differ on APA amplitude (p = 0.97) or duration (p = 0.41), but during their initial step, individuals with ASD showed reduced ML sway (p = 0.06), reduced body transfer duration (p < 0.01), and increased body transfer velocity (p = 0.02) compared to controls. Greater neutral stance COP(ML) variability (r = 0.55, p = 0.02) and decreased lateral sway (r = - 0.55, p = 0.02) when stepping were associated with more severe restricted and repetitive behaviors in participants with ASD. CONCLUSIONS: We found that individuals with ASD showed reduced MI during circular sway suggesting a reduced ability to effectively coordinate joint movements during dynamic postural adjustments. Additionally, individuals with ASD showed reduced lateral sway when stepping indicating that motor rigidity may interfere with balance and gait. Postural control and stepping deficits were related to repetitive behaviors in individuals with ASD indicating that motor rigidity and key clinical issues in ASD may represent overlapping pathological processes. En ligne : https://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s11689-019-9305-x Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=573

Sensorimotor Behavior in Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder and Their Unaffected Biological Parents / Erin K. BOJANEK in Autism Research, 18-3 (March 2025)  

Public ISBD [article]  inAutism Research > 18-3 (March 2025) . - p.498-514 Titre : Sensorimotor Behavior in Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder and Their Unaffected Biological Parents Type de document : texte imprimé Auteurs : Erin K. BOJANEK, Auteur ; Shannon E. KELLY, Auteur ; Lauren M. SCHMITT, Auteur ; Stormi L. PULVER, Auteur ; John A. SWEENEY, Auteur ; Andreas SPRENGER, Auteur ; Kathryn E. UNRUH, Auteur ; Matthew W. MOSCONI, Auteur Article en page(s) : p.498-514 Langues : Anglais (eng) Mots-clés : autism spectrum disorder  broader autism phenotype  endophenotype  familiality  heritable likelihood   sensorimotor Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : ABSTRACT Sensorimotor impairments are common in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and evident in unaffected first-degree relatives, suggesting that they may serve as endophenotypes associated with inherited autism likelihood. We tested the familiality of sensorimotor impairments in autism across multiple motor behaviors and effector systems and in relation to parental broader autism phenotypic (BAP) characteristics. Fifty-seven autistic individuals (probands), 109 parents, and 89 neurotypical control participants completed tests of manual motor and oculomotor control. Sensorimotor tests varied in their involvement of rapid, feedforward control and sustained, sensory feedback control processes. Subgroup analyses compared families with at least one parent showing BAP traits (BAP+) and those in which neither parent showed BAP traits (BAP?). Results show that probands with BAP? parents (BAP? probands) showed atypical control of rapid oculomotor behaviors, while BAP+ probands showed impairments of sustained manual motor and oculomotor behaviors compared to controls. BAP? parents showed impaired rapid oculomotor and sustained manual motor abilities relative to BAP+ parents and controls. Rapid oculomotor behaviors were highly intercorrelated among probands and their biological parents. These findings indicate that rapid oculomotor behaviors are selectively impacted in BAP? probands and their parents and may reflect a familial likelihood for autism independent of parental autistic traits. In contrast, sustained sensorimotor behaviors were affected in BAP+ probands and BAP? parents, suggesting separate familial pathways associated with autism. Finally, atypical saccade dynamics may serve as strong endophenotypes for autism. These findings provide new evidence that rapid and sustained sensorimotor alterations represent strong but separate familial pathways of inherited likelihood for autism. En ligne : https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.70000 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=550 [article] Sensorimotor Behavior in Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder and Their Unaffected Biological Parents [texte imprimé] / Erin K. BOJANEK, Auteur ; Shannon E. KELLY, Auteur ; Lauren M. SCHMITT, Auteur ; Stormi L. PULVER, Auteur ; John A. SWEENEY, Auteur ; Andreas SPRENGER, Auteur ; Kathryn E. UNRUH, Auteur ; Matthew W. MOSCONI, Auteur . - p.498-514. Langues : Anglais (eng) in Autism Research > 18-3 (March 2025) . - p.498-514 Mots-clés : autism spectrum disorder  broader autism phenotype  endophenotype  familiality  heritable likelihood   sensorimotor Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : ABSTRACT Sensorimotor impairments are common in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and evident in unaffected first-degree relatives, suggesting that they may serve as endophenotypes associated with inherited autism likelihood. We tested the familiality of sensorimotor impairments in autism across multiple motor behaviors and effector systems and in relation to parental broader autism phenotypic (BAP) characteristics. Fifty-seven autistic individuals (probands), 109 parents, and 89 neurotypical control participants completed tests of manual motor and oculomotor control. Sensorimotor tests varied in their involvement of rapid, feedforward control and sustained, sensory feedback control processes. Subgroup analyses compared families with at least one parent showing BAP traits (BAP+) and those in which neither parent showed BAP traits (BAP?). Results show that probands with BAP? parents (BAP? probands) showed atypical control of rapid oculomotor behaviors, while BAP+ probands showed impairments of sustained manual motor and oculomotor behaviors compared to controls. BAP? parents showed impaired rapid oculomotor and sustained manual motor abilities relative to BAP+ parents and controls. Rapid oculomotor behaviors were highly intercorrelated among probands and their biological parents. These findings indicate that rapid oculomotor behaviors are selectively impacted in BAP? probands and their parents and may reflect a familial likelihood for autism independent of parental autistic traits. In contrast, sustained sensorimotor behaviors were affected in BAP+ probands and BAP? parents, suggesting separate familial pathways associated with autism. Finally, atypical saccade dynamics may serve as strong endophenotypes for autism. These findings provide new evidence that rapid and sustained sensorimotor alterations represent strong but separate familial pathways of inherited likelihood for autism. En ligne : https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.70000 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=550

Visual feedback and motor memory contributions to sustained motor control deficits in autism spectrum disorder across childhood and into adulthood / Robin L. SHAFER in Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders, 17 (2025)  

Public ISBD [article]  inJournal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders > 17 (2025) Titre : Visual feedback and motor memory contributions to sustained motor control deficits in autism spectrum disorder across childhood and into adulthood Type de document : texte imprimé Auteurs : Robin L. SHAFER, Auteur ; James BARTOLOTTI, Auteur ; Abigail DRIGGERS, Auteur ; Erin BOJANEK, Auteur ; Zheng WANG, Auteur ; Matthew W. MOSCONI, Auteur Langues : Anglais (eng) Mots-clés : Humans  Adolescent  Child  Autism Spectrum Disorder/physiopathology/complications  Male  Young Adult  Feedback, Sensory/physiology  Adult  Female  Psychomotor Performance/physiology  Memory/physiology  Motor Skills/physiology  Hand Strength/physiology  Autism spectrum disorders  Entropy  Fine motor control  Grip force  Motor memory  Sensorimotor  Sensory integration  Visual feedback  Visuomotor  provided written informed consent after a complete description of the study, in  accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. For participants under the age of 18  and adults who were under legal guardianship, a parent or legal guardian provided  written informed consent on behalf of the participant, and the participant  provided written assent. All study procedures were approved by the University of  Kansas Medical Center Institutional Review Board (IRB#: STUDY00140269). Consent  for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: MWM is PI on an  investigator initiated clinical trial of behavioral inflexibility in autism  funded by Acadia Pharmaceuticals. MWM and ZW received funding from Novartis  Pharmaceuticals Corporation for an investigator-initiated study of Phelan  McDermid Syndrome. The other authors declare that they have no competing  interests. Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : BACKGROUND: Autistic individuals show deficits in sustained fine motor control which are associated with an over-reliance on visual feedback. Motor memory deficits also have been reported during sustained fine motor control in autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The development of motor memory and visuomotor feedback processes contributing to sustained motor control issues in ASD are not known. The present study aimed to characterize age-related changes in visual feedback and motor memory processes contributing to sustained fine motor control issues in ASD. METHODS: Fifty-four autistic participants and 31 neurotypical (NT) controls ages 10-25 years completed visually guided and memory guided sustained precision gripping tests by pressing on force sensors with their dominant hand index finger and thumb. For visually guided trials, participants viewed a stationary target bar and a force bar that moved upwards with increased force for 15s. During memory guided trials, the force bar was visible for 3s, after which participants attempted to maintain their force output without visual feedback for another 12s. To assess visual feedback processing, force accuracy, variability (standard deviation), and regularity (sample entropy) were examined. To assess motor memory, force decay latency, slope, and magnitude were examined during epochs without visual feedback. RESULTS: Relative to NT controls, autistic individuals showed a greater magnitude and a trend for a steeper slope of force decay during memory guided trials. Across conditions, the ASD group showed reduced force accuracy (β = 0.41, R(2) = 0.043, t(79.3)=2.36, p = .021) and greater force variability (β=-2.16, R(2) = 0.143, t(77.1)=-4.04, p = .0001) and regularity (β=-0.52, R(2) = 0.021, t(77.4)=-2.21, p = .030) relative to NT controls at younger ages, but these differences normalized by adolescence (age x group interactions). Lower force accuracy and greater force variability during visually guided trials and steeper decay slope during memory guided trials were associated with overall autism severity. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings that autistic individuals show a greater magnitude and tendency for a greater rate of force decay than NT individuals following the removal of visual feedback indicate that motor memory deficits contribute to fine motor control issues in ASD. Findings that sensorimotor differences in ASD were specific to younger ages suggest delayed development across multiple motor control processes. En ligne : https://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s11689-025-09607-7 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=576 [article] Visual feedback and motor memory contributions to sustained motor control deficits in autism spectrum disorder across childhood and into adulthood [texte imprimé] / Robin L. SHAFER, Auteur ; James BARTOLOTTI, Auteur ; Abigail DRIGGERS, Auteur ; Erin BOJANEK, Auteur ; Zheng WANG, Auteur ; Matthew W. MOSCONI, Auteur. Langues : Anglais (eng) in Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders > 17 (2025) Mots-clés : Humans  Adolescent  Child  Autism Spectrum Disorder/physiopathology/complications  Male  Young Adult  Feedback, Sensory/physiology  Adult  Female  Psychomotor Performance/physiology  Memory/physiology  Motor Skills/physiology  Hand Strength/physiology  Autism spectrum disorders  Entropy  Fine motor control  Grip force  Motor memory  Sensorimotor  Sensory integration  Visual feedback  Visuomotor  provided written informed consent after a complete description of the study, in  accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. For participants under the age of 18  and adults who were under legal guardianship, a parent or legal guardian provided  written informed consent on behalf of the participant, and the participant  provided written assent. All study procedures were approved by the University of  Kansas Medical Center Institutional Review Board (IRB#: STUDY00140269). Consent  for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: MWM is PI on an  investigator initiated clinical trial of behavioral inflexibility in autism  funded by Acadia Pharmaceuticals. MWM and ZW received funding from Novartis  Pharmaceuticals Corporation for an investigator-initiated study of Phelan  McDermid Syndrome. The other authors declare that they have no competing  interests. Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : BACKGROUND: Autistic individuals show deficits in sustained fine motor control which are associated with an over-reliance on visual feedback. Motor memory deficits also have been reported during sustained fine motor control in autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The development of motor memory and visuomotor feedback processes contributing to sustained motor control issues in ASD are not known. The present study aimed to characterize age-related changes in visual feedback and motor memory processes contributing to sustained fine motor control issues in ASD. METHODS: Fifty-four autistic participants and 31 neurotypical (NT) controls ages 10-25 years completed visually guided and memory guided sustained precision gripping tests by pressing on force sensors with their dominant hand index finger and thumb. For visually guided trials, participants viewed a stationary target bar and a force bar that moved upwards with increased force for 15s. During memory guided trials, the force bar was visible for 3s, after which participants attempted to maintain their force output without visual feedback for another 12s. To assess visual feedback processing, force accuracy, variability (standard deviation), and regularity (sample entropy) were examined. To assess motor memory, force decay latency, slope, and magnitude were examined during epochs without visual feedback. RESULTS: Relative to NT controls, autistic individuals showed a greater magnitude and a trend for a steeper slope of force decay during memory guided trials. Across conditions, the ASD group showed reduced force accuracy (β = 0.41, R(2) = 0.043, t(79.3)=2.36, p = .021) and greater force variability (β=-2.16, R(2) = 0.143, t(77.1)=-4.04, p = .0001) and regularity (β=-0.52, R(2) = 0.021, t(77.4)=-2.21, p = .030) relative to NT controls at younger ages, but these differences normalized by adolescence (age x group interactions). Lower force accuracy and greater force variability during visually guided trials and steeper decay slope during memory guided trials were associated with overall autism severity. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings that autistic individuals show a greater magnitude and tendency for a greater rate of force decay than NT individuals following the removal of visual feedback indicate that motor memory deficits contribute to fine motor control issues in ASD. Findings that sensorimotor differences in ASD were specific to younger ages suggest delayed development across multiple motor control processes. En ligne : https://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s11689-025-09607-7 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=576

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