Cognitive flexibility enables appropriate responses to a changing environment and is associated with positive life outcomes. Adolescence, with its increased focus on transitioning to independent living, presents particular challenges for youths with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who often struggle to behave in a flexible way when faced with challenges. This review focuses on brain mechanisms underlying the development of flexible cognition during adolescence and how these neural systems are affected in ASD. Neuroimaging studies of task switching and set-shifting provide evidence for atypical lateral frontoparietal and midcingulo-insular network activation during cognitive flexibility task performance in individuals with ASD. Recent work also examines how intrinsic brain network dynamics support flexible cognition. These dynamic functional connectivity studies provide evidence for alterations in the number of transitions between brain states, as well as hypervariability of functional connections in adolescents with ASD. Future directions for the field include addressing issues related to measurement of cognitive flexibility using a combination of metrics with ecological and construct validity. Heterogeneity of executive function ability in ASD must also be parsed to determine which individuals will benefit most from targeted training to improve flexibility. The influence of pubertal hormones on brain network development and cognitive maturation in adolescents with ASD is another area requiring further exploration. Finally, the intriguing possibility that bilingualism might be associated with preserved cognitive flexibility in ASD should be further examined. Addressing these open questions will be critical for future translational neuroscience investigations of cognitive and behavioral flexibility in adolescents with ASD.

中文翻译：

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支持自闭症谱系障碍青少年灵活认知和行为的脑机制

这些动态功能连接研究为大脑状态之间转换次数的改变以及 ASD 青少年功能连接的高变异性提供了证据。该领域的未来方向包括使用与生态和结构有效性相结合的指标来解决与测量认知灵活性相关的问题。还必须分析 ASD 中执行功能能力的异质性，以确定哪些人将从针对性训练中受益最多，以提高灵活性。青春期激素对 ASD 青少年大脑网络发育和认知成熟的影响是另一个需要进一步探索的领域。最后，应该进一步研究双语可能与 ASD 中保留的认知灵活性相关的有趣可能性。