Unit:
Κατεύθυνση Γνωσιακή ΕπιστήμηLibrary of the School of Science
Supervisors info:
Σπυριδούλα Βαρλοκώστα, Καθηγήτρια, Τμήμα Φιλολογίας, ΕΚΠΑ
Πέτρος Ρούσσος, Αναπληρωτής Καθηγητης, Τμήμα Ψυχολογίας, ΕΚΠΑ
Ειρήνη Σκαλιόρα, Καθηγήτρια, Τμήμα ΙΦΕ, ΕΚΠΑ
Original Title:
The role of verbal and non-verbal working memory in the comprehension of subject and object relative clauses in Greek high-functioning children with ASD: a theoretical approach on underconnectivity theory
Translated title:
The role of verbal and non-verbal working memory in the comprehension of subject and object relative clauses in Greek high-functioning children with ASD: a theoretical approach on underconnectivity theory
Summary:
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a pervasive neurodevelopmental disorder characterized mainly by diminished social and communicational skills and the presence of stereotyped and restricted behaviors and interests (DSM-V). Apart from a weak central coherence account and an absence of Theory of Mind (Frith and Happé, 1994), executive function impairments are also common in ASD (Hughes et al. 1994; Pennington and Ozonoff, 1996; Hill, 2004). Working memory allows for temporary storage and manipulation of information and relies heavily on frontal-parietal networks of the brain. Research on the deficit in working memory in children with ASD is controversial, as there are suggestions about either intact or impaired aspects of working memory (Bennetto, Pennington, & Rogers, 1996). However, one of the main findings is that deficits in working memory might be associated with the load and complexity of information that needs to be processed. The more complex the information is, the more difficult it is to be processed by children with ASD. Also, inhibitory control, the ability to delay a behavioral response, has been studied in children with ASD. Little research has shown the correlation of working memory and inhibition deficits with language difficulties that children with ASD might present. This study will try to shed light on verbal working memory deficits through a digit backward task along with two inhibition tasks in high-functioning children with ASD (aged 7-11 years old) and typically developing children matched on chronological age, combined with a language task based on the comprehension of subject and object relative clauses in Greek. Moreover, the present study will try to provide a theoretical background of the neural basis of disordered working memory and language, related to neurobiological foundations of underconnectivity in ASD (Just et al., 2004).
Main subject category:
Science
Keywords:
Autism Spectrum Disorder, executive functions, working memory, inhibition, subject and object relative clauses
Number of references:
226
