Detailed contribution information
| Contribution title | 3259 - Reflection on past self in autism spectrum disorder: an fMRI study |
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| Contribution code | PS01-11 (P) |
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| Form of presentation | Poster |
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| Abstract |
Objectives The sense of self and it’s continuity across time is related to autobiographical memory and it is based on the ability to internalize different and temporally separated pieces of self-related information into one coherent whole. Interestingly, large body of evidence indicates that both self-perception and autobiographical memory are impaired in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We hypothesized that this impairment reported among ASD subjects will be reflected in the atypical neural mechanism involved during activation of past self representations. Methods In the current study we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) method to investigate neurocognitive process of conscious reflection on the present self, the past self, and a close-other in the ASD and typically developing groups. During fMRI scanning subjects were tasked with judging whether a given adjective was suitable to describe/characterize a person specified in the instruction in a single block (Present-Self, Past-Self, Close-Other). Results On a neural level significant inter-group differences were found in the Past-Self condition whereas they were absent in two other conditions. In individuals with ASD, reflection on the past self was associated with hyperactivity of the several cortical structures: right insula, posterior cingulate, posterior superior temporal gyrus, temporoparietal junction, and left middle temporal gyrus. Conclusions We suggest that this enhanced activation of widely distributed neural network in individuals with ASD reflects substantial difficulties and involvement of compensatory cognitive mechanisms in processes of reflection on one’s own person in the past. |