Prospective memory and executive functions in adults across the wider autistic spectrum

Nürnberg, Daniela; Altgassen, Mareike · 2026 · OpenAlex-citations

DOI: 10.1038/s41598-026-57092-2

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Summary

This study investigates prospective memory (PM) and executive functions in adults across the wider autistic spectrum, addressing a gap in research that has historically excluded individuals with intellectual disabilities. Prospective memory, the ability to remember to perform intended actions in the future, is critical for daily independence but is often impaired in autism. While previous studies focused on autistic individuals without intellectual disability, this research included participants with diverse cognitive profiles to better understand PM deficits and their relationship with executive functions, specifically planning, inhibition, and generativity. The study recruited 60 adults: 30 with an autism diagnosis and 30 non-autistic controls, matched for age, gender, and non-verbal abilities. Participants completed an event-based PM task known as the "Token Task," where they were required to place a coin in a box upon hearing a specific cue during other activities. Executive functions were assessed using the Tower of Hanoi for planning, a computerized Go-NoGo test for inhibition, and phonemic and categorial fluency tasks for generativity. Statistical analyses included ANOVAs to compare group performance and regression analyses to examine the predictive relationship between executive functions and PM. Results indicated that non-autistic adults performed significantly better on the event-based PM task than autistic participants, a finding that remained significant even after controlling for verbal abilities. Regarding executive functions, the groups did not differ significantly in planning (Tower of Hanoi moves or time) or inhibition accuracy. However, autistic participants exhibited slower reaction times on the Go-NoGo test and lower scores on both phonemic and categorial fluency tasks compared to controls. Crucially, better executive functioning was associated with better PM performance in both groups. Specifically, the completion time on the planning task significantly predicted PM performance, highlighting the importance of planning efficiency for prospective memory success. The findings confirm that autistic adults, including those with diverse cognitive profiles, experience reduced PM performance compared to non-autistic peers. The strong link between planning abilities and PM suggests that interventions targeting planning skills, such as structured training or the use of external aids like agendas and assistive technologies, could effectively support PM in autistic individuals. This study underscores the need for tailored support strategies for autistic adults who rely on external assistance, emphasizing that improving executive function components may mitigate daily living challenges associated with prospective memory deficits.

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• prospective memory interruptions