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Sensorimotor processing in autism and typical development: a high-density electrical mapping study of response-locked neural activity in children and adolescents
  • Kathryn-Mary Wakim,
  • John Foxe,
  • Sophie Molholm
Kathryn-Mary Wakim
Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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John Foxe
University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry
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Sophie Molholm
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
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Abstract

Sensorimotor atypicalities are common in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and are often evident prior to classical ASD symptoms. Despite evidence of differences in neural processing during imitation in ASD, research on integrity of basic sensorimotor processing is surprisingly sparce. To address this gap in the literature, here we examined basic sensorimotor processing in autism by analyzing EEG data recorded from a large sample of children and adolescents while they performed an audio-visual speeded reaction time task. Using response-locked signal averaging, we investigated the neural processes associated with execution of a cued movement in a large sample of children and adolescents with ASD (n=84) and without ASD (n=84). Analyses focused on motor related brain responses that are well-characterized in adults: the late berichtsheft potential, the motor potential, and the reafferent potential. Group differences were examined in data parsed by age (6-9 years, 9-12 years, 12-15 years), sensory cue preceding the response (auditory, visual, bi-sensory audio-visual), and reaction time quartile. Overall, the data revealed robust sensorimotor neural responses in ASD. Nevertheless, subtle sensorimotor atypicalities were present in autistic children across all parcellations, and these differences were most prominent in the youngest group of children (age 6-9). Future studies focused on younger children are needed to understand if differences in basic sensorimotor processing are more prominent earlier in development in autism.
12 Nov 2022Submitted to European Journal of Neuroscience
15 Nov 2022Submission Checks Completed
15 Nov 2022Assigned to Editor
22 Nov 2022Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
22 Nov 2022Reviewer(s) Assigned
16 Jan 2023Editorial Decision: Revise Major
07 Apr 20231st Revision Received
08 Apr 2023Assigned to Editor
08 Apr 2023Submission Checks Completed
08 Apr 2023Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
08 Apr 2023Reviewer(s) Assigned
24 May 2023Editorial Decision: Revise Major
29 May 20232nd Revision Received
30 May 2023Submission Checks Completed
30 May 2023Assigned to Editor
30 May 2023Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
30 May 2023Reviewer(s) Assigned
30 May 2023Editorial Decision: Accept