A Pilot Study on Cognitive Processing Characteristics and Cerebral Mechanisms of Native Chinese-Speaking Savant Calendar Calculators with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Objective To analyze the cognitive processing characteristics of a native Chinese-speaking savant calendar calcula-tor(SCC)with autism spectrum disorder(ASD)and to investigate the related brain mechanisms with cranial magnetic resonance im-aging(MRI).Methods One 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 orienta-tion(JLO)test,the apraxia examination(orofacial apraxia,speech apraxia,and ideomotor apraxia examination),the frontal assess-ment 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 abili-ty: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 cogni-tive 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.Conclusion The native Chinese pa-tient with autism spectrum disorder has the ability of SCC,and the frontal lobe function and left parietal lobe function(reduced nu-merical 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.
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