Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders

, Volume 45, Issue 11, pp 3458–3467 | Cite as

Overactive Pattern Separation Memory Associated with Negative Emotionality in Adults Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder

  • M. South
  • K. G. Stephenson
  • C. A. Nielson
  • M. Maisel
  • D. N. Top
  • C. B. Kirwan
S.I. : Emotion Regulation and Psychiatric Comorbidity in ASD
First Online:

Abstract

Bowler et al. (Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders 44(9):2355–2362. doi:10.1007/s10803-014-2105-y, 2014) have suggested that a specific memory impairment in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) arises from hippocampal failure to consolidate multiple related pieces of information. Twenty-four adults diagnosed with ASD and matched healthy controls completed a pattern separation memory task that is known to critically depend on hippocampal involvement. They additionally completed questionnaires regarding anxiety, depression, and behavioral motivation. Specific deficits in pattern separation were significantly correlated with negative emotionality; the best predictor of memory deficit was from a measure of achievement motivation that has also been associated with hyperactivity and impulsivity. In the context of impaired emotion regulation in ASD, there is a need for integrated cognitive, affective, and neural systems approaches to build targeted interventions.

Keywords

Autism spectrum disorder Memory Pattern separation Hippocampus Emotion regulation Anxiety 
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Notes

Acknowledgments

We thank the participants for their willingness to participate in this research. We would like to thank Suzanne Grimshaw, Suzette Bartlett, and Doug Gale from Scenic View Academy for their assistance in recruiting participants; and Chris Doxey for assistance in how to run the task. This research was supported by Brigham Young University Mentoring funds including an ORCA Grant to C.N. and a MEG grant to C.B.K. and M.S.

Author Contributions

MS and CBK conceived of the study and participated in its design. CAN, MM, DNT, and KGS coordinated the study and performed the measurement. MS and KGS performed the statistical analyses and drafted the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media New York 2015

Authors and Affiliations

  • M. South
    • 1
    • 2
  • K. G. Stephenson
    • 1
  • C. A. Nielson
    • 2
  • M. Maisel
    • 1
  • D. N. Top
    • 1
  • C. B. Kirwan
    • 1
    • 2
  1. 1.Department of PsychologyBrigham Young UniversityProvoUSA
  2. 2.Neuroscience CenterBrigham Young UniversityProvoUSA

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