康复学报 (Apr 2024)
A Pilot Study on Cognitive Processing Characteristics and Cerebral Mechanisms of Native Chinese-Speaking Savant Calendar Calculators with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Abstract
ObjectiveTo analyze the cognitive processing characteristics of a native Chinese-speaking savant calendar calculator (SCC) with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and to investigate the related brain mechanisms with cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).MethodsOne native Chinese-speaking ASD patient with SCC features was assessed with the randomized calendar calculation test, the adjusted new calendar memory ability test, the numerical calculation ability test, the judgement of line orientation (JLO) test, the apraxia examination (orofacial apraxia, speech apraxia, and ideomotor apraxia examination), the frontal assessment battery (FAB), and the Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA). The patient with SCC was examined with crainial MRI and compared with healthy subjects to explore the organic brain damage.Results(1) Calendar calculation ability test: the correct rate of random normal calendar calculation in the SCC patient was 80%, and the average time of answering each question was 11.8 s, while the average correct rate of random normal calendar calculation in the healthy subjects was only 16%. (2) Calendar memorizing ability test: the correct rate of the adjusted new calendar calculation in the SCC patient was only 20%. (3) Numerical calculation ability: the correct rate of addition and division in the SCC patient was 100%, and the average time was 10.67 s and 58.19 s respectively. The correct rate of subtraction and multiplication was 93.8%, and the average time was 23.51 s and 34.88 s, respectively. (4) JLO test: the score of JLO test in the SCC patient was 27. (5) Examination of apraxia: the patient showed partial orofacial apraxia and no speech apraxia, but the patient had ideomotor aphasia (score=32). (6) Scores of FAB and MoCA: the FAB score of the patient was 13, and mainly indicated impairment in similarity test and verbal fluency. The MoCA score was 17, mainly characterized as cognitive dysfunction and obvious abstract and language function loss. (7) MRI examination: compared with the healthy subjects, the SCC patient had arachnoid cysts in the left anterior temporal lobe, small bilateral hippocampal volume, especially on the left side, and left parietal-occipital cortex atrophy with subcortical white matter gliosis was observed.ConclusionThe native Chinese patient with autism spectrum disorder has the ability of SCC, and the frontal lobe function and left parietal lobe function (reduced numerical calculation ability and ideomotor dysfunction) are impaired, except for good visuospatial ability. The ability to be a SCC may be related to functional compensation in the right parietal lobe following a left temporal lobe arachnoid cyst.
