Body Constraints on Motor Simulation in Autism Spectrum Disorders.
Developmental data suggested that mental simulation skills become progressively dissociated from overt motor activity across development. Thus, efficient simulation is rather independent from current sensorimotor information. Here, we tested the impact of bodily (sensorimotor) information on simulation skills of adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Typically-developing (TD) and ASD participants judged laterality of hand images while keeping one arm flexed on chest or while holding both arms extended. Both groups were able to mentally simulate actions, but this ability was constrained by body posture more in ASD than in TD adolescents. The strong impact of actual body information on motor simulation implies that simulative skills are not fully effective in ASD individuals.
['Conson|Massimiliano|M|', 'Hamilton|Antonia|A|', 'De Bellis|Francesco|F|', 'Errico|Domenico|D|', 'Improta|Ilaria|I|', 'Mazzarella|Elisabetta|E|', 'Trojano|Luigi|L|', 'Frolli|Alessandro|A|']
D000293:Adolescent D000067877:Autism Spectrum Disorder D002648:Child D005260:Female D007839:Functional Laterality D006225:Hand D006801:Humans D008297:Male D009043:Motor Activity D010775:Photic Stimulation D011187:Posture D011597:Psychomotor Performance D011930:Reaction Time D055815:Young Adult
Motor simulation Development ASD Mental transformation Motor imagery Proprioception