ABSTRACT
ObjectiveTo analyze the current state, research hotspots, and development trends of electroencephalography (EEG) applied in the field of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). MethodsRelevant literature from the Web of Science core collection database from January, 2014 to January, 2024 were retrieved and analyzed using CiteSpace 6.2.R4. ResultsA total of 1 509 articles were included, with an increasing trend in publication volume over the years. The United States ranked highest in both publication volume and node centrality. The primary journals in this field were concentrated in clinical medicine, immunology and psychology. Keyword co-occurrence and clustering indicated that research primarily focused on the correlation between core symptoms of ASD and EEG indicators, differential diagnosis of ASD and its comorbidities, brain functional connectivity, and assessment of rehabilitation efficacy. Keywords bursted in the past three years mainly included artificial intelligence and machine learning. ConclusionThe researches in EEG technology in the field of ASD is generally increasing. Future researches may focus on exploring the brain network mechanisms of ASD using EEG combined with multimodal neuroimaging, and machine learning technologies.
ABSTRACT
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a multifactorial disease, with social difficulties and repetitive behaviors as its core symptoms. With the improvement of diagnostic methods, the detection rate of ASD is increasing year by year.Cognitive flexibility impairment is very obvious in most autistic patients.More and more studies have shown that cognitive flexibility impairment is related to the occurrence and development of core symptoms. However, the mechanism of cognitive flexibility impairment in autism remains unclear. The frontal lobe plays an important role in advanced cognition, and its complete development is related to cognitive function. Recent studies have shown that frontal lobe dysfunction is closely related to cognitive flexibility deficits in autistic patients, and the abnormal changes in the frontal lobe, the associated default mode network dysfunction and frontal striatal circuit defects may be the important mechanisms of cognitive flexibility impairment. Based on the recent clinical and basic studies on cognitive flexibility in autism, this article reviews the mechanisms of frontal lobe and related circuits involved in the impairment of cognitive flexibility in autism.