Brain activations during execution and observation of visually guided sequential manual movements in autism and in typical development: A study protocol

PLoS One. 2024 Jun 24;19(6):e0296225. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0296225. eCollection 2024.

Abstract

Motor issues are frequently observed accompanying core deficits in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Impaired motor behavior has also been linked to cognitive and social abnormalities, and problems with predictive ability have been suggested to play an important, possibly shared, part across all these domains. Brain imaging of sensory-motor behavior is a promising method for characterizing the neurobiological foundation for this proposed key trait. The present functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) developmental study, involving children/youth with ASD, typically developing (TD) children/youth, and neurotypical adults, will investigate brain activations during execution and observation of a visually guided, goal-directed sequential (two-step) manual task. Neural processing related to both execution and observation of the task, as well as activation patterns during the preparation stage before execution/observation will be investigated. Main regions of interest include frontoparietal and occipitotemporal cortical areas, the human mirror neuron system (MNS), and the cerebellum.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder / diagnostic imaging
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder / physiopathology
  • Autistic Disorder / physiopathology
  • Brain Mapping / methods
  • Brain* / diagnostic imaging
  • Brain* / physiopathology
  • Child
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging* / methods
  • Male
  • Mirror Neurons / physiology
  • Movement / physiology
  • Psychomotor Performance / physiology
  • Young Adult

Grants and funding

ED received grant KAW 2020.0200 from the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation (https://kaw.wallenberg.org/en). The funder had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.