title: Brief report: CANTAB performance and brain structure in pediatric patients with Asperger syndrome.
abstract: By merging neuropsychological (CANTAB/cambridge neuropsychological test automated battery) and structural brain imaging data (voxel-based-morphometry) the present study sought to identify the neurocognitive correlates of executive functions in individuals with Asperger syndrome (AS) compared to healthy controls. Results disclosed subtle group differences regarding response speed on only one CANTAB subtest that is thought to tap fronto-executive network functions (SWM/spatial working memory). Across all participants, SWM performance was significantly associated with two brain regions (precentral gyrus white matter, precuneus grey matter), thus suggesting a close link between fronto-executive functions (SWM) and circumscribed fronto-parietal brain structures. Finally, symptom severity (ADOS total score) was best predicted by response speed on a set-shifting task (IES) thought to tap fronto-striatal functions (corrected R2 56%).
authors.affiliation: Institute of Applied Psychology, University for Health Sciences, Medical Informatics and Technology, Hall in Tyrol, Austria. liane.kaufmann@ymail.com
authors.forename: Liane
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kaufmann
authors.forename: Sibylle
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zotter
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pixner
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Starke
authors.forename: Edda
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Haberlandt
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Steinmayr-Gensluckner
authors.forename: Karl
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Egger
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schocke
authors.forename: Elisabeth M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Weiss
authors.forename: Josef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Marksteiner
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D020817:Asperger Syndrome / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002648:Child; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology*; D010296:Parietal Lobe / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology*