Observational learning of atypical biological kinematics in autism

Abstract

Observing and voluntarily imitating the biological kinematics displayed by a model underpins the acquisition of new motor skills via sensorimotor processes linking perception with action. Differences in voluntary imitation in autism could be related to sensorimotor processing activity during action‐observation of biological motion, as well as how sensorimotor integration processing occurs across imitation attempts. Using an observational practice protocol, which minimized the active contribution of the peripheral sensorimotor system, we examined the contribution of sensorimotor processing during action‐observation. The data showed that autistic participants imitated both the temporal duration and atypical kinematic profile of the observed movement with a similar level of accuracy as neurotypical participants. These findings suggest the lower‐level perception‐action processes responsible for encoding biological kinematics during the action‐observation phase of imitation are operational in autism. As there was no task‐specific engagement of the peripheral sensorimotor system during observational practice, imitation difficulties in autism are most likely underpinned by sensorimotor integration issues related to the processing of efferent and (re)afferent sensorimotor information during trial‐to‐trial motor execution.

EEG Connectivity Diversity Differences between Children with Autism and Typically Developing Children: A Comparative Study

“…Autism spectrum disorder is a generalized brain dysfunction characterized by difficulties in social interaction and limited and stereotyped behaviors [ 1 , 2 ], with high rates of medical comorbidities, a spectrum of severities, and high rehabilitation costs [ 3 , 4 ]. Resting-state EEG provides a window into spontaneous local and long-range neuronal synchronization and has been investigated in many previous ASD studies, but results are inconsistent.…”