TY - JOUR
T1 - The self in autism
T2 - An emerging view from neuroimaging self in autism
AU - Uddin, Lucina Q.
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by a Mosbacher Postdoctoral Fellowship from the Stanford University Autism Working Group and Award Number K01MH092288 from the National Institute of Mental Health. The content is solely the responsibility of the author and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIMH or the NIH.
PY - 2011/6
Y1 - 2011/6
N2 - One of the defining characteristics of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is difficulty with social interaction and communication with others, or interpersonal interaction. Accordingly, the majority of research efforts to date have focused on understanding the brain mechanisms underlying the deficits in social cognition and language associated with ASD. However, recent empirical and theoretical work has begun to reveal increasing evidence for altered self-representation, or intrapersonal cognition in ASD. Here we review recent studies of the self in ASD, focusing on paradigms examining 'physical' aspects of the self, including self-recognition, agency and perspective taking, and 'psychological' aspects of the self, including self-knowledge and autobiographical memory. A review of the existing literature suggests that psychological, but not physical, aspects of self-representation are altered in ASD. One key brain region that has emerged as a potential locus of self-related deficits in ASD is the medial prefrontal cortex, part of a larger 'default mode network'. Collectively, the findings from these studies provide a more comprehensive framework for understanding the complex social, cognitive, and affective symptomatology of ASD.
AB - One of the defining characteristics of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is difficulty with social interaction and communication with others, or interpersonal interaction. Accordingly, the majority of research efforts to date have focused on understanding the brain mechanisms underlying the deficits in social cognition and language associated with ASD. However, recent empirical and theoretical work has begun to reveal increasing evidence for altered self-representation, or intrapersonal cognition in ASD. Here we review recent studies of the self in ASD, focusing on paradigms examining 'physical' aspects of the self, including self-recognition, agency and perspective taking, and 'psychological' aspects of the self, including self-knowledge and autobiographical memory. A review of the existing literature suggests that psychological, but not physical, aspects of self-representation are altered in ASD. One key brain region that has emerged as a potential locus of self-related deficits in ASD is the medial prefrontal cortex, part of a larger 'default mode network'. Collectively, the findings from these studies provide a more comprehensive framework for understanding the complex social, cognitive, and affective symptomatology of ASD.
KW - Agency
KW - Autism spectrum disorders
KW - Autobiographical memory
KW - Brain development
KW - Default mode network
KW - Personality traits
KW - Perspective taking
KW - Self-knowledge
KW - Self-recognition
KW - Social cognition
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U2 - 10.1080/13554794.2010.509320
DO - 10.1080/13554794.2010.509320
M3 - Review article
C2 - 21207316
AN - SCOPUS:79959297235
VL - 17
SP - 201
EP - 208
JO - Neurocase
JF - Neurocase
SN - 1355-4794
IS - 3
ER -