BACKGROUND Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often present with executive functioning (EF) deficits, including spatial working memory (SWM) impairment, which impedes real-world functioning. The present study examined task-related brain activity, connectivity and individual variability in fMRI-measured neural response during an SWM task in older youth and young adults with autism and clinically significant EF impairment. METHODS Neuroimaging was analyzed in 29 individuals with ASD without intellectual disability who had clinically significant EF impairment on the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function, and 20 typically developing controls (participant age range=16-34). An SWM N-Back task was performed during fMRI. SWM activity (2-Back vs. 0-Back) and task-related dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) connectivity was examined within and between groups. Variability of neural response during SWM was also examined. RESULTS During SWM performance both groups activated the expected networks, and no group differences in network activation or task-related DLPFC-connectivity were found. However, greater individual variability in the pattern of SWM activity was found in the ASD versus the typically developing control group. CONCLUSIONS While there were no group differences in SWM task-evoked activity or connectivity, fronto-parietal network engagement was found to be more variable/idiosyncratic in ASD. Our results suggest that the fronto-parietal network may be shifted or sub-optimally engaged during SWM performance in participants with ASD with clinically significant EF impairment, with implications for developing targeted interventions for this subgroup.

中文翻译：

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患有自闭症和执行功能障碍的年轻人在工作记忆表现期间的功能性大脑活动的个体变异性更大。

背景技术患有自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）的个体经常表现出执行功能（EF）缺陷，包括妨碍现实世界功能的空间工作记忆（SWM）损伤。本研究在自闭症和临床上明显的EF障碍的老年青年和年轻人中，在SWM任务期间检查了与任务相关的大脑活动，连通性和功能磁共振成像测量的神经反应中的个体变异性。方法对29名无智力障碍的ASD患者进行了神经影像学分析，他们在执行功能的行为分级量表上具有临床上显着的EF损伤，并分析了20名典型的发展中的对照组（参与者年龄范围= 16-34）。在fMRI期间执行了SWM N-Back任务。SWM活动（2-后退vs. 在组内和组之间检查了0-Back）和与任务相关的背外侧前额叶皮层（DLPFC）的连通性。还检查了SWM期间神经反应的变异性。结果在SWM性能期间，两个组都激活了预期的网络，未发现网络激活或与任务相关的DLPFC连接性方面的组差异。但是，与典型的对照组相比，在ASD中发现SWM活动模式的个体差异更大。结论尽管在SWM任务诱发的活动或连接性方面没有群体差异，但发现顶叶-顶叶网络参与在ASD中具有更大的可变性/异质性。我们的结果表明，在具有临床上显着的EF损害的ASD参与者的SWM表现期间，额顶网络可能会移位或处于次优状态，