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. 2017 Aug:26:84-90.
doi: 10.1016/j.dcn.2017.06.002. Epub 2017 Jun 13.

Callous-unemotional traits moderate executive function in children with ASD and ADHD: A pilot event-related potential study

C Tye  1 , R Bedford  2 , P Asherson  3 , K L Ashwood  4 , B Azadi  3 , P Bolton  5 , G McLoughlin  3
Affiliations

Callous-unemotional traits moderate executive function in children with ASD and ADHD: A pilot event-related potential study

C Tye et al. Dev Cogn Neurosci. 2017 Aug.

Abstract

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are associated with varied executive function (EF) difficulties. Callous-unemotional (CU) traits, a proposed antecedent of adult psychopathy, are often associated with intact or enhanced EF. Here we test whether CU traits may therefore modulate EF in ASD and ADHD, in which EF is typically impaired. We collected CU traits and measured event-related potentials (ERPs) that index EF during a cued-continuous performance test (CPT-OX) in boys with ASD, ADHD, comorbid ASD+ADHD and typical controls. We examined attentional orienting at cues (Cue-P3), inhibitory processing at non-targets (NoGo-P3) and conflict monitoring between target and non-target trials (Go-N2 vs. NoGo-N2). In children with ASD, higher CU traits were associated with an enhanced increase in N2 amplitude in NoGo trials compared to Go trials, which suggests relatively superior conflict monitoring and a potential cognitive strength associated with CU traits. The results emphasise the importance of considering the effects of co-occurring traits in the assessment of heterogeneity of EF profiles in neurodevelopmental disorders.

Keywords: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; Autism; Callous unemotional traits; Event-related potentials (ERPs); Executive function.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Interaction between ASD diagnosis and CU traits on the Go-to-NoGo-N2 amplitude difference. In the ASD group (children with ASD and comorbid ASD + ADHD), higher CU trait scores are associated with an enhanced Go-NoGo N2 amplitude difference, with greater N2 amplitude towards NoGo compared to Go stimuli. Conversely, children with ASD and low CU trait scores demonstrated greater N2 amplitude towards Go compared to NoGo stimuli. In the no ASD group (children with ADHD and typically developing children), there was no association between CU traits and the Go-NoGo N2 amplitude difference.
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