Introduction
Attentional Functioning in Autism Spectrum Disorder
Motor Functioning in Autism Spectrum Disorder
What This Paper Adds
Method
Participants
Evaluation of Attentional Functioning
Assessment of Neurological Soft Signs
Statistical Analysis
Results
Demographic and Neurological Characteristics
A. Demographical variables | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Variable | HFA (n = 15) | Controls (n = 15) | t | df | p |
Mean (SD) | Mean (SD) | ||||
Age | 10.53 (2.1) | 11.6 (2.77) | − 1.188 | 28 | 0.245 |
IQ | 104.07 (12.38) | 100.87 (8.93) | 0.812 | 28 | 0.424 |
N (%) | N (%) | χ2 | df | p | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gender (male) | 13 (87) | 12 (80) | 0.24 | 1 | 0.624 |
B. Motor assessment using PANESS | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Variable | HFA (n = 15) | Controls (n = 15) | t | df | p |
Mean (SD) | Mean (SD) | ||||
Total overflow movements | 3.53 (1.24) | 1.73 (1.95) | 3.019 | 23.84 | < 0.01 |
Total dysrhythmia | 11.60 (1.55) | 1.80 (1.74) | 16.29 | 28 | < 0.01 |
Total speed of timed activities | 202.27 (39.17) | 157.07 (14.19) | 4.202 | 28 | < 0.01 |
Attentional Functioning
Variable | HFA (n = 15) | Controls (n = 15) | t | df | p | d |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mean (SD) | Mean (SD) | |||||
A. Alertness | ||||||
Tonic alertness | ||||||
Mean RTs | 349.07 (102.08) | 312.13 (101.48) | 0.994 | 28 | 0.329 | 0.36 |
Variability of RTs in msec | 94.47 (59.38) | 51.20 (40.70) | 2.328 | 28 | 0.027 | 0.85 |
Number of omission errors | 0.20 (0.41) | 0.07 (0.26) | 1.058 | 23.46 | 0.301 | 0.38 |
Phasic alertness | ||||||
Mean RTs | 314.00 (101.93) | 281.47 (83.96) | 0.954 | 28 | 0.348 | 0.35 |
Variability of RTs in msec | 72.53 (69.42) | 39.13 (19.12) | 1.797 | 28 | 0.083 | 0.65 |
Number of omission errors | 0.07 (0.26) | 0.07 (0.26) | < 0.001 | 28 | 1.00 | 0.00 |
B. Selective attention | ||||||
Mean RTs | 571.53 (97.47) | 568.60 (124.99) | 0.49 | 28 | 0.962 | 0.02 |
Variability of RTs in msec | 139.60 (44.01) | 99.27 (30.86) | 2.906 | 28 | 0.007 | 1.06 |
Number of omission errors | 2.53 (4.63) | 0.27 (0.59) | 1.882 | 14.461 | 0.080 | 0.68 |
C. Divided attention | ||||||
Auditory task | ||||||
Mean RTs | 788.20 (303.19) | 652.87 (83.25) | 1.667 | 16.099 | 0.115 | 0.61 |
Variability of RTs in msec | 290.53 (190.61) | 141.07 (56.96) | 2.910 | 16.480 | 0.010 | 1.06 |
Number of omission errors | 1.87 (1.24) | 0.53 (0.52) | 3.829 | 18.672 | 0.001 | 1.41 |
Visual task | ||||||
Mean RTs | 982.20 (169.66) | 902.00 (124.75) | 1.475 | 28 | 0.151 | 0.54 |
Variability of RTs in msec | 391.67 (146.91) | 243.93 (111.95) | 3.098 | 28 | 0.004 | 1.13 |
Number of omission errors | 3.87 (2.72) | 1.53 (1.35) | 2.972 | 20.543 | 0.007 | 1.09 |
Total number of errors | 31.93 (43.12) | 3.27 (4.20) | 2.563 | 14.266 | 0.022 | 0.93 |
D. Sustained attention | ||||||
Mean RTs | 678.93 (218.81) | 666.40 (133.64) | 0.189 | 28 | 0.851 | 0.07 |
Variability of RTs in msec | 216.93 (106.65) | 167.87 (79.05) | 1.431 | 28 | 0.163 | 0.52 |
Number of omission errors | 20.67 (13.13) | 3.80 (4.19) | 4.739 | 16.829 | < 0.001 | 1.73 |
Number of commission errors | 52.13 (41.64) | 5.40 (6.03) | 4.302 | 14.587 | 0.001 | 1.57 |
Alertness
Selective Attention
Divided Attention
Sustained Attention
Correlations Between Attentional and Motor Performances Within the Clinical Group
Variables | HFA (n = 15) | ||
---|---|---|---|
Total overflow movements | Total dysrhythmia | Total speed of timed activities | |
A. Alertness | |||
Tonic alertness | |||
Mean RTs | 0.296 (0.284)* | 0.056 (0.843) | 0.381 (0.161) |
Variability of RTs in msec | 0.089 (0.752) | 0.062 (0.827) | − 0.245 (0.379) |
Number of omission errors | 0.583 (0.023) | 0.544 (0.036) | − 0.193 (0.490) |
Phasic Alertness | |||
Mean RTs | 0.379 (0.163) | 0.341 (0.213) | 0.166 (0.553) |
Variability of RTs in msec | 0.133 (0.636) | 0.258 (0.354) | 0.020 (0.944) |
Number of omission errors | 0.161 (0.566) | 0.291 (0.293) | − 0.372 (0.172) |
B. Selective attention | |||
Mean RTs | 0.167 (0.551) | − 0.073 (0.797) | 0.324 (0.239) |
Variability of RTs in msec | 0.082 (0.772) | − 0.185 (0.510) | 0.555 (0.032) |
Number of omission errors | − 0.078 (0.783) | 0.283 (0.307) | 0.127 (0.651) |
C. Divided attention | |||
Auditory task | |||
Mean RTs | − 0.035 (0.900) | 0.146 (0.605) | 0.052 (0.854) |
Variability of RTs in msec | 0.197 (0.481) | 0.280 (0.312) | 0.048 (0.864) |
Number of omission errors | 0.290 (0.295) | 0.159 (0.572) | 0.179 (0.524) |
Visual task | |||
Mean RTs | − 0.428 (0.112) | − 0.453 (0.090) | 0.113 (0.689) |
Variability of RTs in msec | 0.534 (0.040) | 0.358 (0.190) | 0.293 (0.289) |
Number of omission errors | − 0.134 (0.634) | − 0.262 (0.345) | 0.159 (0.572) |
Total number of errors | 0.583 (0.023) | 0.605 (0.017) | 0.067 (0.814) |
D. Sustained attention | |||
Mean RTs | 0.195 (0.485) | 0.235 (0.399) | 0.277 (0.317) |
Variability of RTs in msec | 0.353 (0.197) | 0.644 (0.010) | − 0.102 (0.717) |
Number of omission errors | 0.613 (0.015) | 0.160 (0.569) | 0.267 (0.336) |
Number of commission errors | 0.334 (0.223) | 0.154 (0.584) | − 0.154 (0.584) |