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

Simple item page
Author(s)Tsai, Jung-Mei
Author(s)Corey, Jacob
Author(s)Tsuzuki, Daisuke
Author(s)Bhat, Anjana
Date Accessioned2026-01-09T21:33:38Z
Date Available2026-01-09T21:33:38Z
Publication Date2025-12-31
DescriptionThis article was originally published in Brain Sciences. The version of record is available at: https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci16010065 © 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
AbstractBackground/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 reaction time/accuracy, and reaction time variability) and cortical activation were analyzed using ANCOVAs. Pearson correlations were used to determine the relationship between cortical activation, EF performance, and clinical measures. The significance level was set at p < 0.05, with FDR corrections for multiple comparisons. Results: While mean reaction time and accuracy were comparable across groups, autistic youth exhibited greater reaction time variability (autistic youth = 34.8 ± 10.36; controls = 26.4 ± 1.94, p = 0.02, Hedges’ g = 0.85) and higher BRIEF index scores compared to controls (ps < 0.001, Hedges’ gs > 1.3; e.g., Global Executive Composite Score for autistic youth = 71.3 ± 3.7; controls = 47.8 ± 2.4), indicative of delayed EF development. During the incongruent condition, compared to non-autistic controls, autistic youth showed lower left inferior parietal lobe (IPL) activation (Mean HbO2 in autistic youth = −0.02 ± 0.006 mmol.mm; controls = 0.01 ± 0.006 mmol.mm, ps < 0.001, Hedges’ g = 0.5) and a lack of left-lateralized activation (e.g., left vs. right STS activation, p < 0.001, Hedges’ g = 0.41 in the non-autistic youth). In the ASD group, lower activation in the left STS was associated with lower EF performance (r = −0.28, p = 0.007), whereas greater activation in various right-hemispheric ROIs was associated with better EF performance (r = −0.31 to −0.35, ps < 0.005), suggesting potential compensatory activation. Conclusions: The findings revealed ASD-specific differences in the neural correlates of EF performance and possible alternative compensatory activation patterns. These potential neural correlates of EF performance highlight the utility of fNIRS-based neural measures to better understand the neural bases of EF differences in autism. Study Registration: This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) at the University of Delaware (Protocol #: 1947455) on 4 October 2022.
SponsorThe last author, A.B., thanks the Delaware Biotechnology Institute and Delaware’s Economic Development Office for the Applied Research Competition Grant (PI: Bhat) and the Maggie Newmann Health Sciences Fund (PI: Bhat). Co-author, J.C., thanks the National Institutes for Health (NIH) for T32 doctoral funding (Grant #: T32HD007490, Predoctoral Training in Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Research, Recipient: Corey; PI: Reisman) and the Foundation for Physical Therapy Research through the Promotion of Doctoral Studies (PODSs) I Scholarship for supporting J.C.’s efforts on this project. J.-M.T. would like to thank the Taiwan Ministry of Education for the International Doctoral Scholarship for supporting her doctoral studies. Last but not least, this work was supported by the National Institutes of Health through a shared instrumentation grant awarded to the University of Delaware (Grant #: 1S10OD021534-01, PI: Bhat).
CitationTsai, J.-M., Corey, J., Tsuzuki, D., & Bhat, A. (2026). Differences in Executive Functioning Performance and Cortical Activation Between Autistic and Non-Autistic Youth During an fNIRS Flanker Task: A Pilot Study. Brain Sciences, 16(1), 65. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci16010065
ISSN2076-3425
URLhttps://udspace.udel.edu/handle/19716/36828
Languageen_US
PublisherBrain Sciences
dc.rightsAttribution 4.0 Internationalen
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Keywordsautism spectrum disorder
Keywordsexecutive function
Keywordsinhibitory control
Keywordsfunctional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS)
KeywordsFlanker task
Keywordscortical activation
Keywordsneural correlates
TitleDifferences in Executive Functioning Performance and Cortical Activation Between Autistic and Non-Autistic Youth During an fNIRS Flanker Task: A Pilot Study
TypeArticle
Files
Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
Differences in Executive Functioning Performance and Cortical Activation Between Autistic and Non-Autistic Youth During an fNIRS Flanker Task A Pilot Study.pdf
Size:
6.86 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Main article
Download
License bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
license.txt
Size:
2.22 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description:
Download
Collections
Open Access Publications