Two validation studies of a performance validity test for autistic adults.

In two studies we examined the potential of a simple emotion recognition task, the Morel Emotional Numbing Test (MENT), as a performance validity test (PVT) for autism-related cognitive difficulties in adulthood. The aim of a PVT is to indicate non-credible performance, which can aid the interpretation of psychological assessments. There are currently no validated PVTs for autism-related difficulties in adulthood.

Prepotent response inhibition in autism: Not an inhibitory deficit?

Research outcomes on prepotent response inhibition in neurodevelopmental conditions during adulthood seem inconsistent, especially in autism. To gain further insight in these inconsistencies, the current study investigates inhibitory performance, as well as task strategies such as adaptive behavior during inhibitory tasks in autistic adults. As Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is often co-occurring in autism and associated with differences in both inhibition and adaptation, the role of ADHD symptoms is explored.

The clinical effectiveness of using a predictive algorithm to guide antidepressant treatment in primary care (PReDicT): an open-label, randomised controlled trial.

Depressed patients often do not respond to the first antidepressant prescribed, resulting in sequential trials of different medications. Personalised medicine offers a means of reducing this delay; however, the clinical effectiveness of personalised approaches to antidepressant treatment has not previously been tested. We assessed the clinical effectiveness of using a predictive algorithm, based on behavioural tests of affective cognition and subjective symptoms, to guide antidepressant treatment.

Brief Report: Using Cognitive Screeners in Autistic Adults.

By comparing 51 autistic adults and 49 age-matched controls (aged 30-73 years) we tested if (1) the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) is more sensitive in measuring cognitive impairments than the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) and (2) if we can replicate the MoCA-findings of Powell et al. (2017) with the Dutch MoCA(-NL). Results showed that: (1) The MoCA-NL is more sensitive, and (2) like Powell, no group differences were observed on the MoCA-NL.

Negatively phrased items of the Autism Spectrum Quotient function differently for groups with and without autism.

The Autism Spectrum Quotient is a widely used instrument for the detection of autistic traits. However, the validity of comparisons of Autism Spectrum Quotient scores between groups may be threatened by differential item functioning. Differential item functioning entails a bias in items, where participants with equal values of the latent trait give different answers because of their group membership.

Is Older Age Associated with Higher Self- and Other-Rated ASD Characteristics?

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) characteristics seem to abate over time, but whether this protracts until late adulthood is largely unknown. We cross-sectionally investigated self- and other-reported ASD characteristics of adults with (ASD: N = 237, N = 130) and without ASD (COM: N = 198, N = 148) aged 19-79 years. Within the ASD group, self-reported ASD characteristics, and sensory sensitivities were highest in middle adulthood, while age was not associated to empathy.

The effects of using the PReDicT Test to guide the antidepressant treatment of depressed patients: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

Background: Antidepressant medication is commonly used to treat depression. However, many patients do not respond to the first medication prescribed and improvements in symptoms are generally only detectable by clinicians 4-6 weeks after the medication has been initiated. As a result, there is often a long delay between the decision to initiate an antidepressant medication and the identification of an effective treatment regimen.

Reactive and proactive interference control in adults with autism spectrum disorder across the lifespan.

As a large heterogeneity is observed across studies on interference control in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), research may benefit from the use of a cognitive framework that models specific processes underlying reactive and proactive control of interference. Reactive control refers to the expression and suppression of responses and proactive control refers to the adjustment of response to previous situations. We administered a Simon conflict task in 2 independent adult samples (IQ >80) and applied distributional analyses to examine temporal dynamics of interference control in ASD.

Psychiatric Co-occurring Symptoms and Disorders in Young, Middle-Aged, and Older Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Although psychiatric problems are less prevalent in old age within the general population, it is largely unknown whether this extends to individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). We examined psychiatric symptoms and disorders in young, middle-aged, and older adults with and without ASD (Nmax = 344, age 19-79 years, IQ > 80). Albeit comparable to other psychiatric patients, levels of symptoms and psychological distress were high over the adult lifespan; 79 % met criteria for a psychiatric disorder at least once in their lives.

Atypical working memory decline across the adult lifespan in autism spectrum disorder?

Whereas working memory (WM) performance in typical development increases across childhood and adolescence, and decreases during adulthood, WM development seems to be delayed in young individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). How WM changes when individuals with ASD grow old is largely unknown. We bridge this gap with a cross-sectional study comparing age-related patterns in WM performance (n-back task: 3 load levels) among a large sample of individuals with and without ASD (N = 275) over the entire adult life span (19-79 years) as well as interindividual differences therein.

Age-related differences in cognition across the adult lifespan in autism spectrum disorder.

It is largely unknown how age impacts cognition in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We investigated whether age-related cognitive differences are similar, reduced or increased across the adult lifespan, examined cognitive strengths and weaknesses, and explored whether objective test performance is related to subjective cognitive challenges. Neuropsychological tests assessing visual and verbal memory, generativity, and theory of mind (ToM), and a self-report measure assessing cognitive failures were administered to 236 matched participants with and without ASD, aged 20-79 years (IQ > 80).

Interpersonal memory-based guidance of attention is reduced for ingroup members.

Participants jointly engaged in common tasks with co-actors can be influenced in guiding their own attention by representations of what the co-actor also holds in memory (He et al. under review). This demonstrates an effect of interpersonal memory on attention.