Differences in Executive Functioning Performance and Cortical Activation Between Autistic and Non-Autistic Youth During an fNIRS Flanker Task: A Pilot Study.

ABSTRACT: Background/Objectives: Autism spectrum disorder is associated with executive functioning (EF) challenges, yet the neural correlates of EF challenges in autistic youth remain unclear. This study aimed to examine EF performance and cortical activation in autistic versus non-autistic youth, using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) during a modified Flanker task. Methods: Thirty age-matched (11.6 ± 0.8 years) autistic (N = 15) and non-autistic youth (N = 15) completed congruent and incongruent conditions of a modified Flanker task while cortical activation in prefrontal, parietal, and temporal regions was recorded using fNIRS. The Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) was used to assess general EF impairments. Behavioral data (i.e., Flanker task mean

SUBMITTER: Tsai JM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12838736 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature