Phan L, Tariq A, Lam G, Mirza M, Paiva D, Lazic M, Emami Z, Anagnostou E, Gordon KA, Pang EW. Children with autism spectrum disorder who demonstrate normal language scores use a bottom-up semantic processing strategy: Evidence from N400 recordings.
Brain Behav 2023;
13:e3158. [PMID:
37475679 PMCID:
PMC10498076 DOI:
10.1002/brb3.3158]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Revised: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION
The N400 is an electrophysiological component that reflects lexical access and integration of words with mental representations.
METHODS
Thirty-five young children with a range of language capabilities (n = 21 neurotypical controls, 10 males, mean age = 6.3 ± 0.9 years; n = 14 children with autism, 12 males, mean age = 6.4 ± 1.1 years) completed an auditory semantic categorization paradigm to evoke the N400. Electroencephalograph (EEG) data were acquired with a 64-channel electrode cap as children listened via ear inserts to binaurally presented single syllable words and decided whether the words were congruent (in) or incongruent (out) with a pre-specified category. EEG data were filtered, epoched, and averaged referenced, and global field power (GFP) was computed. The amplitude of the N400 peak in the GFP was submitted to a multiple linear regression analysis.
RESULTS
N400 amplitude was found to predict language scores only for the children with ASD who have language scores in the normal range (r2 = 0.72).
CONCLUSIONS
This finding that N400 amplitude only predicted language scores in children with ASD and normal language scores suggests that these children may rely more on basic semantic processing (as reflected by the N400) and less on anticipating and predicting upcoming words. This suggests preferential utilization of a bottom-up strategy to access higher order language.
Collapse