Response Inhibition in Autistic Adults: A Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Study in Virtual Reality.

Researchers studied how autistic and non-autistic adults control their responses using a computer task in virtual reality while monitoring brain activity. Both groups performed similarly on the task, but their brains worked differently. Non-autistic adults showed increased brain activity in areas responsible for self-control, while autistic adults' brain patterns didn't change much during the task. This suggests autistic people may use different brain strategies to achieve the same results.

This study examined response inhibition (the ability to stop an action) in 22 autistic and 10 non-autistic adults using a virtual reality go/no-go task while measuring brain activity with functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Participants performed a visuospatial task requiring responses to some stimuli while inhibiting responses to others. Both groups showed similar behavioral performance with slower reaction times and fewer errors during inhibition blocks. However, brain imaging revealed significant differences: non-autistic adults showed increased activity in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex during inhibition tasks, while autistic adults showed no significant task-related brain activity changes.

Despite comparable performance outcomes, the underlying neural mechanisms differed substantially between groups, suggesting autistic individuals may use alternative neural strategies for executive functioning tasks.

Findings suggest assessment and intervention approaches should consider alternative neural processing strategies in autism rather than assuming deficits. Virtual reality and neuroimaging technologies may offer valuable tools for understanding individual differences in executive functioning and developing personalized interventions.

Small sample size (22 autistic, 10 non-autistic participants) limits generalizability. Study design unclear from abstract. Single task paradigm may not capture full range of executive functioning abilities. No control for potential confounding factors mentioned.

Response inhibition, a core component of executive functioning, has been studied extensively in autism, though results depend substantially on task choice and design. This study investigated whether autistic and non-autistic adults differ in behavioral and neurophysiological responses during a visuospatial go/no-go task (GNGT) implemented in virtual reality (VR). Participants (22 autistic, 10 non-autistic) completed a blocked go/no-go task in a VR environment, where stimuli appeared in varied spatial locations. Prefrontal hemodynamic responses were recorded using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), along with reaction times (RTs) and error rates.

Both groups demonstrated slower RTs and fewer errors in no-go blocks compared to go blocks, with no significant group differences in behavioral performance. fNIRS analyses revealed significant right-lateralized increases in oxygenated hemoglobin concentration in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) during no-go blocks in non-autistic adults only. Autistic adults showed no significant task-related modulation of prefrontal cortex activity. While behavioral performance was comparable across groups, only non-autistic participants showed task-related modulation of dlPFC activity. These findings highlight differential neural engagement during inhibition and illustrate the potential of fNIRS paradigms for examining the executive functioning of autistic individuals in VR.