Work

Response Inhibition in Autistic Adults: A Functional Near‐Infrared Spectroscopy Study in Virtual Reality

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: INTRODUCTION: Response inhibition, a core component of executive functioning, has been studied extensively in autism, though results depend substantially on task choice and design. This study investigated whether autistic and non-autistic adults differ in behavioral and neurophysiological responses during a visuospatial go/no-go task (GNGT) implemented in virtual reality (VR). METHODS: Participants (22 autistic, 10 non-autistic) completed a blocked go/no-go task in a VR environment, where stimuli appeared in varied spatial locations. Prefrontal hemodynamic responses were recorded using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), along with reaction times (RTs) and error rates. RESULTS: Both groups demonstrated slower RTs and fewer errors in no-go blocks compared to go blocks, with no significant group differences in behavioral performance. fNIRS analyses revealed significant right-lateralized increases in oxygenated hemoglobin concentration in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) during no-go blocks in non-autistic adults only. Autistic adults showed no significant task-related modulation of prefrontal cortex activity. DISCUSSION: While behavioral performance was comparable across groups, only non-autistic participants showed task-related modulation of dlPFC activity. These findings highlight differential neural engagement during inhibition and illustrate the potential of fNIRS paradigms for examining the executive functioning of autistic individuals in VR.

Source: Brain and Behavior

DOI: 10.1002/brb3.71249