Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-fbnjt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-12T20:22:32.959Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Impaired Response Inhibition in Autism Spectrum Disorders, a Marker of Vulnerability to Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 February 2013

Petra S. Barneveld ,
Leo de Sonneville ,
Sophie van Rijn ,
Herman van Engeland  and
Hanna Swaab
Petra S. Barneveld*
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Child and Adolescent Studies, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
Leo de Sonneville
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Child and Adolescent Studies, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
Sophie van Rijn
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Child and Adolescent Studies, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
Herman van Engeland
Affiliation:
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
Hanna Swaab
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Child and Adolescent Studies, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
*
Correspondence and reprint requests to: Petra Barneveld, Leiden University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Department of Clinical Child and Adolescent Studies, P.O. Box 9555, 2300 RB Leiden, The Netherlands. E-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

In this study, we addressed the relation between specific deficits in cognitive control and schizotypal symptomatology in adolescents with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) diagnosed in childhood. We aimed to identify cognitive control deficits as markers of vulnerability to the development of schizophrenia spectrum pathology in ASD. Symptoms of autism and the risk for schizotypal symptomatology were assessed in 29 high-functioning adolescents with ASD, and compared with 40 typically developing adolescents. Cognitive control (response inhibition, mental flexibility, visuo-motor control, interference control, and perseveration) was evaluated for specific association with schizotypal symptomatology. Impaired response inhibition appeared to be strongly and specifically associated with schizotypal symptomatology in adolescents with ASD, especially those with positive and disorganized symptoms. Response inhibition problems could indicate vulnerability to the development of schizotypal symptomatology in ASD. (JINS, 2013, 19, 1–10)

Keywords

Autism spectrumSchizophrenia spectrumSchizotypyPsychosisExecutive functionsResponse inhibition
Type
Research Articles
Information
Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society , Volume 19 , Issue 6 , July 2013 , pp. 646 - 655
Copyright
Copyright © The International Neuropsychological Society 2013 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Achenbach, T.M. (1986). Manual for the teacher report form and the child behavior profile. Burlington: University of Vermont, Department of Psychiatry.Google Scholar
American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.Google Scholar
Andrewes, D. (2001). Neuropsychology: From theory to practice. Hove, UK: Psychology Press, Ltd.Google Scholar
Barneveld, P.S., Pieterse, J., De Sonneville, L., Van Rijn, S., Lahuis, B., Van Engeland, H., Swaab, H. (2011). Overlap of autistic and schizotypal traits in adolescents with autism spectrum disorders. Schizophrenia Research, 126(1–3), 231–236.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Baron-Cohen, S., Wheelwright, S., Skinner, R., Martin, J., Clubley, E. (2001). The Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ): Evidence from Asperger syndrome/high-functioning autism, males and females, scientists and mathematicians. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 31(1), 5–17.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bender, L. (1947). Childhood schizophrenia: Clinical study of one hundred schizophrenic children. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 17, 40–56.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bleuler, E. (1911). Dementia Praecox oder Gruppe der Schizophrenien. In G. Van Aschaffenburg, (Ed.), Handbuch der Psychiatrie. Leipzig: Duticke.Google Scholar
Bölte, S., Westerwald, E., Holtmann, M., Freitag, C., Poustka, F. (2011). Autistic traits and autism spectrum disorders: The clinical validity of two measures presuming a continuum of social communication skills. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 41, 66–72.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Chmielewski, M., Watson, D. (2008). The heterogeneous structure of schizotypal personality disorder: Item-level factors of the schizotypal personality questionnaire and their associations with obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms, dissociative tendencies, and normal personality. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 117, 364–376.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cohen, J. (1992). A power primer. Psychological Bulletin, 112, 155–159.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Daniels, J.L., Forssen, U., Hultman, C.M., Cnattingius, S., Savitz, D.A., Feychting, M., Sparen, P. (2008). Parental psychiatric disorders associated with autism spectrum disorders in the offspring. Pediatrics, 121, 1357–1362.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dennis, M., Francis, D.J., Cirino, P.T., Schachar, R., Barnes, M.A., Fletcher, J.M. (2009). Why IQ is not a covariate in cognitive studies of neurodevelopmental disorders. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 15, 331–343.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
De Sonneville, L.M.J. (2005). Amsterdamse Neuropsychologische Taken: wetenschappelijke en klinische toepassingen [Amsterdam Neuropsychological Tasks: Scientific and clinical applications]. Tijdschrift voor neuropsychology, 0, 27–41.Google Scholar
Dibben, C.R.M., Rice, C., Laws, K., McKenna, P.J. (2009). Is executive impairment associated with schizophrenic syndromes? A meta-analysis. Psychological Medicine, 39(3), 381–392.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dichter, G.S., Lam, K.S.L., Turner-Brown, L.M., Holtzclaw, T.N., Bodfish, J.W. (2009). Generativity abilities predict communication deficits but not repetitive behaviors in autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 39, 1298–1304.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dykens, E., Volkmar, F., Glick, M. (1991). Thought disorder in high-functioning autistic adults. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 21(3), 291–301.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Eisenberg, D.P., Berman, K.F. (2010). Executive function, neural circuitry, and genetic mechanisms in schizophrenia. Neuropsychopharmacology, 35(1), 258–277.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Frangou, S. (2010). Cognitive function in early onset schizophrenia: A selective review. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 3(6), 1–6.Google ScholarPubMed
Fugard, A.J.B., Stewart, M.E., Stenning, K. (2011). Visual/verbal-analytic reasoning bias as a function of self-reported autistic-like traits. Autism, 15(3), 327–340.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gioia, G.A., Isquith, P.K. (2004). Ecological assessment of executive function in traumatic brain injury. Developmental Neuropsychology, 25(1–2), 135–158.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Guillem, F., Rinaldi, M., Pampoulova, T., Stip, E. (2008). The complex relationships between executive functions and positive symptoms in schizophrenia. Psychological Medicine, 38(6), 853–860.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Heaton, R.K., Chelune, G.J., Talley, J.L., Kay, G.G., Curtiss, G. (1993). Wisconsin card sorting test manual: Revised and expanded. Odessa, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources.Google Scholar
Hill, E.L. (2004a). Executive dysfunction in autism. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 8(1), 26–32.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hill, E.L. (2004b). Evaluating the theory of executive dysfunction in autism. Developmental Review, 24(2), 189–233.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Huijbregts, S., De Sonneville, L., Licht, R., Sergeant, J., Van Spronsen, F. (2002). Inhibition of prepotent responding and attentional flexibility in treated phenylketonuria. Developmental Neuropsychology, 22(2), 481–499.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Huijbregts, S.C.J., Swaab-Barneveld, H., De Sonneville, L.M.J. (2010). Cognitive and motor control in neurofibromatosis type 1: Influence of maturation and hyperactivity-inattention. Developmental Neuropsychology, 35, 737–751.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hurst, R.M., Mitchell, J.T., Kimbrel, N.A., Kwapil, T.K., Nelson-Gray, R.O. (2007). Examination of the reliability and factor structure of the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) in a non-clinical sample. Personality and Individual Differences, 43, 1938–1949.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hurst, R.M., Nelson-Gray, R.O., Mitchell, J.T., Kwapil, T.R. (2007). The relationship of Asperger's characteristics and schizotypal personality traits in a non-clinical adult sample. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 37(9), 1711–1720.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Johnson-Selfridge, M., Zalewski, C. (2001). Moderator variables of executive functioning in schizophrenia: Meta-analytic findings. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 27(2), 305–316.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kenworthy, L., Black, D.O., Harrison, B., Della Rosa, A., Wallace, G.L. (2009). Are executive control functions related to autism symptoms in high-functioning children? Child Neuropsychology, 15(5), 425–440.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kenworthy, L., Yerys, B.E., Anthony, L.G., Wallace, G.L. (2008). Understanding executive control in autism spectrum disorders in the lab and in the real world. Neuropsychology Review, 18(4), 320–338.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kolvin, I. (1971). Studies in the childhood psychoses. I. Diagnostic criteria and classification. British Journal of Psychiatry, 118(545), 381–384.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Larsson, H.J., Eaton, W.W., Madsen, K.M., Vestergaard, M., Olesen, A.V., Agerbo, E., Mortensen, P.B. (2005). American Journal of Epidemiology, 161(10), 916–925.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Laws, K.R. (1999). A meta-analytic review of Wisconsin Card Sort Studies in schizophrenia: General intellectual deficit in disguise? Cognitive Neuropsychiatry, 4(1), 1–35.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lord, C., Rutter, M., Le Couteur, A. (1994). Autism diagnostic interview-revised; A revised version of a diagnostic interview for caregivers of individuals with possible pervasive developmental disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 24(5), 659–685.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Loring, D.W., Lezak, M.D., Howieson, D.B. (2004). Neuropsychological assessment. New York: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
McGrath, J., Saha, S., Welham, J., El Saadi, O., MacCauley, C., Chant, D. (2004). A systematic review of the incidence of schizophrenia: The distribution of rates and the influence of sex, urbanicity, migrant status and methodology. BMC Medicine, 2, 13.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Miyake, A., Friedman, N.P., Emerson, M.J., Witzki, A.H., Howerter, A., Wager, T.D. (2000). The unity and diversity of executive functions and their contributions to complex ‘frontal lobe’ tasks: A latent variable analysis. Cognitive Psychology, 41, 49–100.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mouridsen, S.E., Rich, B., Isager, T. (2008). Psychiatric disorders in adults diagnosed as children with atypical autism. A case control study. Journal of Neural Transmission, 115, 135–138.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nieuwenstein, M.R., Aleman, A., De Haan, E.H.F. (2001). Relationship between symptom dimensions and neurocognitive functioning in schizophrenia: A meta-analysis of WCST and CPT studies. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 35(2), 119–125.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ozonoff, S. (1997). Components of executive function in autism and other disorders. In J. Russell (Ed.), Autism as an executive disorder (pp. 179–211). Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Padgett, F.E., Miltsiou, E., Tiffin, P.A. (2010). The co-occurrence of nonaffective psychosis and the pervasive developmental disorders: A systematic review. Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disability, 35(3), 187–198.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Raine, A. (1991). The SPQ: A scale for the assessment of schizotypal personality based on DSM-III-R criteria. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 17(4), 555–564.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Raja, M., Azzoni, A. (2010). Autistic spectrum disorders and schizophrenia in the adult psychiatric setting: Diagnosis and comorbidity. Psychiatria Danubina, 22(4), 514–521.Google ScholarPubMed
Rapoport, J., Chavez, A., Greenstein, D., Addington, A., Gogtay, N. (2009). Autism spectrum disorders and childhood-onset schizophrenia: Clinical and biological contributions to a relation revisited. Journal of American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 48(1), 10–18.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rommelse, N.N.J., Altink, M.E., Oosterlaan, J., Buschgens, C.J.M., Buitelaar, J., De Sonneville, L.M.J., Sergeant, J.A. (2007). Motor control in children with ADHD and non-affected siblings: Deficits most pronounced using the left hand. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 48(11), 1071–1079.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rumsey, J.M., Andreason, N.C., Rapoport, J.L. (1986). Thought, language, communication, and affective flattering in autistic adults. Archives of General Psychiatry, 43(8), 771–777.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rutter, M. (1972). Childhood schizophrenia reconsidered. Journal of Autism Childhood Schizophrenia, 2(4), 315–337.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Simonoff, E., Pickles, A., Charman, T., Chandler, S., Loucas, T., Baird, G. (2008). Psychiatric disorders in children with autism spectrum disorders: Prevalence, comorbidity, and associated factors in a population-derived sample. Journal of American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 47(8), 921–929.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Slaats-Willemse, D., De Sonneville, L., Swaab-Barneveld, H., Buitelaar, J. (2005). Motor flexibility problems as a marker for genetic susceptibility to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Biological Psychology, 58, 233–238.Google ScholarPubMed
Solomon, M., Ozonoff, S., Carter, C., Caplan, R. (2008). Formal thought disorder and the autism spectrum: Relationship with symptoms, executive Control, and anxiety. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 38, 1474–1484.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sporn, A.L., Addington, A.M., Gogtay, N., Ordonez, A.E., Gornick, M., Clasen, L., Rapoport, J.L. (2004). Pervasive developmental disorder and chilhood-onset schizophrenia: Comorbid disorder or a phenotypic variant of a very early onset illness? Biological Psychiatry, 55, 989–994.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Stahlberg, O., Soderstrom, H., Rastam, M., Gillberg, C. (2004). Bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and other psychotic disorders in adults with childhood onset AD/HD and/or autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Neural Transmission, 111, 891–902.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Stevens, J. (1986). Applied multivariate statistics for the social sciences. London: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.Google Scholar
Van der Gaag, R.J., Buitelaar, J., Van den Ban, E., Bezemer, M., Njio, L., Van Engeland, H. (1995). A controlled multivariate chart review of multiple complex developmental disorder. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 34, 1096–1106.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Van Rijn, S., Aleman, A., De Sonneville, L., Swaab, H. (2009). Cognitive mechanisms underlying disorganization of thought in a genetic syndrome (47,XXY). Schizophrenia Research, 112, 91–98.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ventura, J., Hellemann, G.S., Thames, A.D., Koellner, V., Nuechterlein, K.H. (2009). Symptoms as mediators of the relationship between neurocognition and functional outcome in schizophrenia: A meta-analysis. Schizophrenia Research, 113(2–3), 189–199.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Volkmar, F.R., Cohen, D.J. (1991). Comorbid association of autism and schizophrenia. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 148, 1705–1707.Google ScholarPubMed
Vollema, M.G., Hoijtink, H. (2000). The multidimensionality of self-report schizotypy in a psychiatric population: An analysis using multidimensional Rasch models. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 26(3), 565–575.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vollema, M.G., Postma, B. (2002). Neurocognitive correlates of schizotypy in first degree relatives of schizophrenia patients. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 28(3), 367–377.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wechsler, D. (2002). Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-III NL: Handleiding en verantwoording [Manual]. Lisse: The Psychological Corporation Ltd., Harcourt Assessment.Google Scholar
Wechsler, D. (2005). Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-III: Nederlandstalige bewerking, technische handleiding [Manual]. Lisse: Harcourt Test Publishers.Google Scholar
Yerys, B.E., Wallace, G.L., Harrison, B., Celano, M.J., Giedd, J.N., Kenworthy, L.E. (2009). Set-shifting in children with autism spectrum disorders: Reversal shifting deficits on the Intradimensional/Extradimensional Shift Test correlate with repetitive behaviors. Autism, 13(5), 523–538.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed