Year: 2018
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterised by social impairment and restricted/repetitive behaviours. It is associated with significant disability and poor life outcomes with increasing interest in the factors that contribute to this disability. A significant body of research has focused on investigating the role of executive function (EF) in ASD. This thesis presents a series of studies that aim to advance the knowledge of EF in ASD. The studies considered factors that may moderate EF and investigated the role of EF in diagnosis and predicting disability. The research cohort comprised of youth and adults with ASD. Comparisons were made with clinical groups diagnosed with Social Anxiety Disorder and Early Psychosis. The first empirical study presented a meta-analysis of the extant literature on EF in ASD across the lifespan. Empirical studies 2 and 3, explored the role of moderators on EF including sex differences and affective states. Empirical study 4, examined the role of EF in differential diagnosis and in predicting disability. The final study utilised a machine learning paradigm and examined whether EF discriminated the ASD cohort from the comparison groups. The research results point to broad executive dysfunction in ASD not influenced by moderator variables or sex differences. Affective states moderated EF across all comparison groups, suggesting a transdiagnostic influence. EF differentiated the ASD cohort from comparison groups and was a unique predictor of disability for the ASD group only. The studies presented in this thesis highlight the importance of a multifaceted evaluation of EF in ASD. This will allow evaluation of unique and shared factors influencing disability outcomes, acknowledge the contribution of mental health factors to EF and facilitate targeted intervention and remediation programmes. Importantly, the cross diagnostic relevance of these factors could facilitate resource allocation and social inclusion.
Author: Eleni Demetriou
Language: English
Subfield: Cognitive Neuroscience
Field: Neuroscience
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W3022683792