ASD

Heart Rate Increase Predicts Challenging Behavior Episodes in Preschoolers with Autism

Identifying triggers for challenging behavior is difficult in some children with autism because of their limited communication abilities. Physiological indicators of stress may provide important insights. This study examined whether heart rate (HR) …

Sex Differences in Body Ownership in Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder

A strong male prevalence has been observed in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) since its definition, but the behavioral manifestations of sex disparity have yet to be clarified. Here, we investigate sex differences in the perception of the Numbness …

In Sync or not in Sync? Illusory Body Ownership in Autism Spectrum Disorder

_Background_ A fundamental aspect of self-consciousness is body ownership, which refers to the experience that our body and its parts belong to us and it is distinct from those of other persons. Body ownership depends on the integration of different …

Neurobiological Mechanisms of Anxiety in ASD

Decades of research on the neurobiology of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have generally overlooked the importance of co-occurring anxiety. This is surprising, as neurobiological accounts of ASD and anxiety disorders point to highly overlapping …

The Functional and Developmental Role of Imitation in the (A)typical Brain

Commentary on Keven & Akins Neonatal imitation in context: Sensorimotor development in the perinatal period Keven & Akins (K&A) propose a biologically plausible view of neonatal imitation based on the analysis of sensorimotor development. Here, we …

Autism Spectrum Disorder

Social, sensory and motor aspects of ASD.

Motor Signatures in Autism Spectrum Disorder: the Importance of Variability

In a recent study, Wang et al. (J Neurophysiol 113: 1989–2001, 2015) used a precision grip force control task to unveil the contribution of feedforward and feedback mechanisms to sensorimotor dysfunction in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Impairment …

Facilitation of Action Planning in Children with Autism The Contribution of the Maternal Body Odor

Imitation is a key socio-cognitive skill impaired in individuals with Autism Spectrum Conditions (ASC). It is known that the familiarity with an actor facilitates the appearance of imitative abilities. Here, we explore whether a highly familiar and …