Abstract
Examining brain and behaviour associations for language in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may bring us closer to identifying neural profiles that are unique to a subgroup of individuals with ASD identified as language impaired (e.g. ASD LI+). We conducted a scoping review to examine brain regions that are associated with language performance in ASD. Further, we examined methodological differences across studies in how language ability was characterized and what neuroimaging methods were used to explore brain regions. Seventeen studies met inclusion criteria. Brain regions specific to ASD LI+ groups were found, however inconsistencies in brain and language associations were evident across study findings. Participant age, age-appropriate language scores, and neuroimaging methods likely contributed to differences in associations found.
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For consistency, ASD LI + will be the acronym used to refer to individuals with ASD and co-occurring language impairment, and ASD LI- to refer to individuals with ASD and no co-occurring language impairment. The acronyms used by the original authors of included publications may differ.
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We thank Erica Lenton for her assistance with the literature search.
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CC completed article screening (R1), wrote the paper and approved the final draft. SA completed article screening (R2) and assisted with revisions. LRO assisted with initial project conceptualization. DB, JB and EA conceptualized the project, provided critical review of the manuscript, and approved the final draft. AT assisted with revisions. TS resolved reviewer conflicts (R3) and contributed to multiple revisions of the manuscript.
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Cermak, C.A., Arshinoff, S., Ribeiro de Oliveira, L. et al. Brain and Language Associations in Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Scoping Review. J Autism Dev Disord 52, 725–737 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-021-04975-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-021-04975-0