Abstract

While many individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience difficulties with language processing, non-linguistic semantic processing may be intact. We examined neural responses to an implicit semantic priming task by comparing N400 responses—an event-related potential related to semantic processing—in response to semantically related or unrelated pairs of words or pictures. Adults with ASD showed larger N400 responses than typically developing adults for pictures, but no group differences occurred for words. However, we also observed complex modulations of N400 amplitude by age and by level of autistic traits. These results offer important implications for how groups are delineated and compared in autism research.

Details

Title
Implicit Semantic Processing of Linguistic and Non-linguistic Stimuli in Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Author
O’Rourke Emme 1 ; Coderre, Emily L 2   VIAFID ORCID Logo 

1  University of Vermont, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Burlington, USA (GRID:grid.59062.38) (ISNI:0000 0004 1936 7689); St. Albans City School in the Maple Run Unified School District, St. Albans, USA (GRID:grid.59062.38) 
2  University of Vermont, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Burlington, USA (GRID:grid.59062.38) (ISNI:0000 0004 1936 7689) 
Pages
2611-2630
Publication year
2021
Publication date
Aug 2021
Publisher
Springer Nature B.V.
ISSN
01623257
e-ISSN
15733432
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-020-04736-5
ProQuest document ID
2548026585
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2021. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.