Event-based prospective memory performance in autism spectrum disorder

Altgassen, Mareike; Schmitz-Hübsch, Maren; Kliegel, Matthias · 2009 · OpenAlex-citations

DOI: 10.1007/s11689-009-9030-y

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Summary

This study investigates event-based prospective memory (PM) performance in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and explores the relationship between laboratory-based PM and everyday executive functioning. While previous research established impairments in retrospective memory and time-based PM in ASD, event-based PM—where a specific cue triggers the intended action—had not been extensively studied. The authors hypothesized that because event-based tasks provide external visual cues, they may place lower demands on self-initiated executive control, potentially sparing performance in ASD compared to the deficits seen in other memory domains. The study included 19 children and adolescents with ASD (high-functioning, IQ > 85) and 19 matched neurotypical controls. Participants completed a laboratory-based event-based PM task embedded within a visuo-spatial working memory ongoing task. In the PM task, participants were instructed to press a designated key whenever the background color changed to yellow. Everyday executive functioning was assessed using the Dysexecutive Questionnaire (DEX), a proxy-rated measure completed by parents. Statistical analyses compared group performance on accuracy and reaction times for both the ongoing and PM tasks, as well as correlations between laboratory performance and DEX scores. Results indicated no significant group differences in event-based PM performance; children with ASD performed as accurately and with similar reaction times as controls. Both groups also showed comparable performance on the ongoing visuo-spatial working memory task, with expected performance declines in the dual-task condition. However, parents of children with ASD rated their children’s everyday executive functioning as significantly poorer than controls’ parents. Crucially, significant correlations were found between laboratory-based PM hits and everyday executive functioning scores, particularly within the ASD group. This suggests that better performance in the structured laboratory task was associated with better everyday planning and organization skills. The findings suggest that event-based prospective memory is spared in ASD, likely due to the supportive nature of external visual cues which reduce the need for self-initiated monitoring strategies often impaired in this population. The discrepancy between spared laboratory performance and impaired everyday ratings highlights the difference between structured experimental tasks and complex, open-ended real-life demands. The significant correlation between laboratory and everyday performance implies that intact PM mechanisms in ASD are linked to broader executive functioning capabilities. These results support clinical interventions that utilize visual structures and environmental cues to aid individuals with ASD in managing daily planning and memory tasks.

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• prospective memory interruptions