Formal Thought Disorder and Executive Functioning in Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Old Leads and New Avenues.
Formal thought disorder (FTD) is a disruption in the flow of thought and a common feature in psychotic disorders and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Executive dysfunction has often been associated with FTD, yet for ASD convincing evidence is lacking. This study investigated FTD and three core executive functions in 50 young children and adolescents with high-functioning ASD and 56 matched controls. Higher overall levels of FTD marked ASD compared to controls. Furthermore, in ASD decreased performance on verbal working memory was correlated with increased FTD ratings and explained a significant amount of variance of objective and subjective FTD. Verbal working memory is currently the most promising target executive function for understanding the development of idiosyncratic thought disorders in ASD.
Department of Clinical Child and Adolescent Studies, Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg 52, Leiden, 2333 AK, The Netherlands. t.b.ziermans@fsw.leidenuniv.nl.|Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands. t.b.ziermans@fsw.leidenuniv.nl.
Tim
0000-0001-5224-1365
T
Ziermans
Department of Clinical Child and Adolescent Studies, Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg 52, Leiden, 2333 AK, The Netherlands.|Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Hanna
H
Swaab
Autism Center Rivierduinen, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Alexander
A
Stockmann
Research Institute Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.|Research Priority Area Yield, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.|UvA minds, Academic Outpatient Child and Adolescent Treatment Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Esther
E
de Bruin
Department of Clinical Child and Adolescent Studies, Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg 52, Leiden, 2333 AK, The Netherlands.|Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Sophie
S
van Rijn
D000293:Adolescent; D000067877:Autism Spectrum Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D013850:Thinking / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult
ASD; Executive functioning; High-functioning; Psychosis; Thought disorder; Working memory