Alteration of attentional blink in high functioning autism: a pilot study.
Autism is characterized by deficits in attention. However, no study has investigated the dynamics of attentional processes in autistic patients yet. The attentional blink (AB) paradigm provides information about the temporal dynamics of attention in particular about the allocation and the duration of an attentional episode. We compared 11 high functioning autistic patients with 15 control participants on a classical AB task. Autistic patients exhibited a deficit in rapidly allocated attentional resources. Further investigations such as coupling AB evaluation with neuroimaging data and/or increasing the size of groups, would allow for investigating the neurobiological substrates of these AB alterations in autistic patients.
Amirault
Marion
M
Lab Imagerie Fonctionnelle et Moléculaire, CNRS UMR 5231, Université de Bordeaux 2, 33000 Bordeaux, France. marion_amirault@hotmail.com
Etchegoyhen
Kattalin
K
Delord
Sandrine
S
Mendizabal
Sandrine
S
Kraushaar
Caroline
C
Hesling
Isabelle
I
Allard
Michèle
M
Bouvard
Manuel
M
Mayo
Willy
W
D054518:Attentional Blink / Q000502:physiology*; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects; D055815:Young Adult