Category representation in autism spectrum disorder

• Conditions: F84.5; F84.1; F84.0; Asperger syndrome; Atypical autism; Childhood autism

• Registration Number: DRKS00026009
• Lead Sponsor: Institut für Systemische Neurowissenschaften, Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf

Brief Summary

Not available

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2021-08-04
• Study Completion: 2022-10-12
• Last Update Posted: 19 August 2024

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: Complete
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 111

Inclusion Criteria

For individuals with autism-spectrum disorder: confirmed clinical diagnoses of autism-spectrum disorder.

It is planned to calculate and report analyses including all participants as well as analyses including only those participants, who were able to learn the task (i.e,. performed above chance levels at the end of the training phase). To guarantee the desired sample size also for the latter analyses, an additional individual with autism plus two matching controls will be included for every individual with autism who did not successfully learn the task.

Exclusion Criteria

No mental retardation, no severe difficulties in verbal understanding, no current severe psychiatric or neurological disorder affecting cognitive functioning, no substance abuse.
For individuals without autism, no suspicion of autism and no first-degree relative with autism.

Study & Design

• Study Type: observational
• Study Design: Not specified

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Goal of the study is the investigation of differences in the acquisition and representation of category knowledge in individuals with and without autism spectrum disorder. For this purpose, accuracy, reaction times, behavioral and neuronal model-fits, sensitivity parameter, neuronal correlates based on BOLD-effects from functional magnetic-resonance tomography data (one measurement point) should be used

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
In addition to comparing the ASD and non-ASD groups, the acquisition and representation of category knowledge will be linked to autistic traits. Autistic traits will be investigated in both groups using the autism quotient questionnaire (Baron-Cohen et al., 2006).<br><br>Baron-Cohen, S., Hoekstra, R. A., Knickmeyer, R., & Wheelwright, S. (2006). The autism-spectrum quotient (AQ)—adolescent version. Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 36(3), 343.