Colors of Autism Spectrum: A Single Paradigm Explains the Heterogeneity in Autism Spectrum Disorder

Abstract

We propose a theory of ASD as a condition of comorbid cognitive impairments that corrupt the learning, encoding, and manipulation of episodic and semantic memories. We consider (i) episodic and semantic memory functions of the entorhinal-hippocampal complex, (ii) constraints on the transfer and encoding of these memory components into neocortical areas, and (iii) the demands of cognitively manipulating memories in distributed computations being necessary for goaloriented interactions. In ASD, learning and cognitive challenges manifest in diverse ways but especially in high-complexity-model predictive control tasks with latent variables. ASD impairments in social interactions represent a prototypical example. Social interactions are at the high end of complexity and require processes (i) -(iii) to work in a concerted fashion due to the need for the learning and estimation of many, sometimes latent, parameters, including emotions, intention, physical and mental capabilities as well as the predictive modeling of these parameters for decision making and timed-action series. We put forth the idea that autism is a result of an arbitrary combination of otherwise not prominent corruptions in processes (i)-(iii). Together, these corruptions may severely impair intelligence and slow down learning, especially in highcomplexity learning tasks. Over time, slow learning may spare the spontaneous learning-by-doing method -namely, repetitive behavioral patterns, whereas behavioral failures related to complex tasks can restrict interest in such task, thus inducing a fear of novelty; conversely, the fear of novelty restricts interest and can slow learning down. We embed our thoughts into a predictive autoencoding, goal-oriented model of a deterministic world. We compare this model to others, such as the noisy brain model, the Bayesian prior theory, the mirror neuron theory and the weak central coherence theory. We argue that the predictive autoencoder model of the deterministic world harmonizes with these other models and embraces them in a straightforward way. AUTHOR SUMMARYThe core of our arguments is based on the autoencoder model of the entorhinal-hippocampal complex and its role in forming declarative memories. We argue that social behavior and language usage are highly complex cognitive tasks involving the encoding, learning, and manipulation of declarative memories with latent variables. All these processes can be corrupted in many ways. Corruptions may manifest as epilepsy, schizophrenia, attention deficit, and depression, among other disorders. However, if these symptoms are weak but co-occur, then the most strongly affected behavioral feature is the ability to solve complex cognitive tasks. This condition can be brought about by diverse combinations of impairments that sum up in corrupted social behavior the most.

The Autism Palette: Combinations of Impairments Explain the Heterogeneity in ASD

“…Recurrent connections make a spatio-temporal model from the spatial one, propagate the representation forward in time for upstream estimation of the downstream signal and to compare them to produce errors for correction and for learning. See also Lorincz and Buzsáki (4), Chrobak et al (5), and Lorincz (6).…”

“…Beyond impairments in social learning, this pathway influences the learning of motor control. For a theoretical description and the review of the neuronal findings [see e.g., (6,66)] and the references therein. Experimental results also show the complexity of potential genetic influences: polymorphism in the DARPP-32 gene play a role in probabilistic reward learning, C957T polymorphism of the DRD2 gene associated with avoiding choices that give rise to negative outcomes stochastically, whereas the Val/Met polymorphism of the COMT gene is involved in the ability of rapid adoption from trial to trial (67).…”

The Autism Palette: Combinations of Impairments Explain the Heterogeneity in ASD

“…Prediction of future inputs can be severely spoiled if some of the elements of the sparse dictionary are mixed or missing. Lőrincz & Buzsáki (2000), Chrobak, Lőrincz, & Buzsáki (2000), and Lőrincz (2018).…”

“…Beyond impairments in social learning, this pathway influences the learning of motor control. For a theoretical description and the review of the neuronal findings, see, e.g., (David et al 2008;Lőrincz, 2018) and the references therein. Experimental results also show the complexity of potential genetic influences: one gene plays a role in probabilistic reward learning and another one in avoiding choices that give rise to negative outcomes stochastically, whereas a third one is involved in the ability of rapid adaption from trial to trial (Frank et al 2007).…”