Structural learning difficulties implicate altered hippocampal functioning in adults with autism spectrum disorder.

Ring, Melanie; Derwent, Claire L. T.; Gaigg, Sebastian; Bowler, Dermot

doi:10.1037/abn0000277

Cited by 13 publications

(12 citation statements)

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“…inhibits or enhances hippocampal functions, having an important role for long-term memory consolidation and retrieval shortly after study [Sara, 2009]. Abnormalities in processes driven by the hippocampus have been reported previously in ASD [e.g., Ring, Derwent, Gaigg, & Bowler, 2017], however, the current study adds to this literature by indicating a possible pathway of alternation: reduced or increased transmitter release could lead to an alternation of hippocampal functioning with reduced consolidation and retrieval in ASD ultimately producing weaker memories indicated by the lack of the pupil Old/New effect. This interpretation fits well with the behavioral memory data, showing slightly higher FAs and lower sensitivity in the ASD group also indicating a difficulty in distinguishing studied from new unstudied items.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

A Physiological Marker of Recognition Memory in Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder? ‐ The Pupil Old/New Effect

2019

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This study investigated the pupil Old/New effect in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and typical development (TD). Participants studied verbal and visual meaningful and meaningless materials in black and white on a computer screen. Pupil sizes were measured while participants performed a Remember (episodic memory with context)/Know (semantic memory, no context) recognition memory test. ASD compared to TD individuals showed significantly reduced recognition rates for all materials. Both groups showed better memory for visual compared to verbal (picture superiority effect) and meaningful compared to meaningless materials. A pupil size ratio (pupil size for test item divided by baseline) for old (studied) and new (unstudied) materials indicated larger pupils for old compared to new materials only for the TD but not the ASD group. Pupil size in response to old versus new items was positively related to recognition accuracy, confirming that the pupil Old/New effect reflects a memory phenomenon in the ASD group. In addition, this study suggests an involvement of the noradrenergic neurotransmitter system in the abnormal hippocampal functioning in ASD. Implications of these findings, as well as their underlying neurophysiology, will be discussed in relation to current theories of memory in ASD. Autism Res 2020, 13: 627–640. © 2019 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Lay Summary Most measures of memory in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) depend on verbal answers. In addition to these verbal answers, this study measured the size of the participants' pupil in response to studied and unfamiliar materials revealing memory difficulties in ASD. Measuring pupil size works nonverbally, outside of conscious awareness and forms the basis of studies on less verbal persons with ASD. Mechanisms and brain regions underlying memory differences in ASD are discussed.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

A Physiological Marker of Recognition Memory in Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder? ‐ The Pupil Old/New Effect

2019

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“…Further data are needed to formulate more definitive hypotheses. We are left with two tentative conclusions, namely that on the one hand undiminished or superior visuospatial abilities have been suggested as being characteristic to ASD (Caron et al, 2004;Edgin & Pennington, 2005) and on the other hand, that the hippocampusthe brain structure involved inter alia in memory for locations (Ekstrom & Ranganath, 2017) -may be impaired in ASD (Lind et al, 2013;Ring et al, 2017Ring et al, , 2018aRing et al, , 2018b.…”

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confidence: 93%

Memory in autism spectrum disorder: A meta-analysis of experimental studies.

Desaunay

Briant

Bowler

et al. 2020

Psychological Bulletin

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This is the accepted version of the paper.This version of the publication may differ from the final published version.Permanent repository link: https://openaccess.city.ac.uk/id/eprint/23359/ Link to published version: http://dx. Abstract:To address inconsistencies in the literature on memory in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), we report the first ever meta-analysis of short-term (STM) and episodic longterm (LTM) memory in ASD, evaluating the effects of type of material, type of retrieval and the role of inter-item relations. Analysis of 64 studies comparing individuals with ASD and typical development (TD) showed greater difficulties in ASD compared to TD individuals in STM (Hedges' g=-0.53 [95%CI -0.90; -0.16], p=.005, I²=96%) compared to LTM (g=-0.30 [95%CI -0.42; -0.17], p<.00001, I²=24%), a small difficulty in verbal LTM (g=-0.21, p=.01), contrasting with a medium difficulty for visual LTM (g= -0.41, p=.0002) in ASD compared to TD individuals. We also found a general diminution in free recall compared to cued recall and recognition (LTM, free recall: g=-0.38, p<.00001, cued recall: g=-0.08, p=.58, recognition: g=-0.15, p=.16; STM, free recall: g=-0.59, p=.004, recognition: g=-0.33, p=.07).We discuss these results in terms of their relation to semantic memory. The limited diminution in verbal LTM and preserved overall recognition and cued recall (supported retrieval) may result from a greater overlap of these tasks with semantic long-term representations which are overall preserved in ASD. By contrast, difficulties in STM or free recall may result from less overlap with the semantic system or may involve additional cognitive operations and executive demands. These findings highlight the need to support STM functioning in ASD and acknowledge the potential benefit of using verbal materials at encoding and broader forms of memory support at retrieval to enhance performance. ABSTRACTTo address inconsistencies in the literature on memory in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), we report the first ever meta-analysis of short-term (STM) and episodic long-term (LTM) memory in ASD, evaluating the effects of type of material, type of retrieval and the role of inter-item relations.Analysis of 64 studies comparing individuals with ASD and typical development (TD) showed greater difficulties in ASD compared to TD individuals in STM (Hedges' g=-0.53 [95%CI -0.90; -0.16], p=.005, I²=96%) compared to LTM (g=-0.30 [95%CI -0.42; -0.17], p<.00001, I²=24%), a small difficulty in verbal LTM (g=-0.21, p=.01), contrasting with a medium difficulty for visual LTM (g= -0.41, p=.0002) in ASD compared to TD individuals. We also found a general diminution in free recall compared to cued recall and recognition (LTM, free recall: g=-0.38, p<.00001, cued recall: g=-0.08, p=.58, recognition: g=-0.15, p=.16; STM, free recall: g=-0.59, p=.004, recognition: g=-0.33, p=.07).We discuss these results in terms of their relation to semantic memory. The limited diminution in verbal LTM and preserved overall recognition and cued recall (supported retrieval)...

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“…The authors argued that this pattern of results suggests that individuals form a cognitive map of the general layout of their environment within a few fixations and that further fixations aid memory for the specific object-location relations rather than this general layout (Hollingworth and Henderson 2002 ; Shih et al 2012 ). The mechanism of forming cognitive maps has been suspected to function abnormally in autistic individuals (Lind et al 2013 , 2014a ; Ring et al 2017 ), and to contribute to their memory difficulties (Bigham et al 2010 ; Bowler et al 2004 , 2014 ; Cooper et al 2015 ; Gaigg et al 2014 ; Lind et al 2014a , b ; Ni Chuileann and Quigley 2013 ; Poirier et al 2011 ; Ring et al 2015 , 2016 ; Terrett et al 2013 ; Wojcik et al 2013 ) and problems with spatial navigation (Lind et al 2013 , 2014a ; Pellicano et al 2011 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An Eye-Movement Study of relational Memory in Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Ring

Bowler

Gaigg

2017

J Autism Dev Disord

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Persons with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) demonstrate good memory for single items but difficulties remembering contextual information related to these items. Recently, we found compromised explicit but intact implicit retrieval of object-location information in ASD (Ring et al. Autism Res 8(5):609–619, 2015). Eye-movement data collected from a sub-sample of the participants are the focus of the current paper. At encoding, trial-by-trial viewing durations predicted subsequent retrieval success only in typically developing (TD) participants. During retrieval, TD compared to ASD participants looked significantly longer at previously studied object-locations compared to alternative locations. These findings extend similar observations recently reported by Cooper et al. (Cognition 159:127–138, 2017a) and demonstrate that eye-movement data can shed important light on the source and nature of relational memory difficulties in ASD.

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Structural learning difficulties implicate altered hippocampal functioning in adults with autism spectrum disorder.

Abstract: This is the accepted version of the paper.This version of the publication may differ from the final published version. Permanent repository link Author noteWe would like to thank all the participants, who have taken part in this research.

Cited by 13 publications

References 76 publications

A Physiological Marker of Recognition Memory in Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder? ‐ The Pupil Old/New Effect

A Physiological Marker of Recognition Memory in Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder? ‐ The Pupil Old/New Effect

Memory in autism spectrum disorder: A meta-analysis of experimental studies.

An Eye-Movement Study of relational Memory in Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder

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