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Journal of Undergraduate Research

Keywords

anxiety, learning and memory, Autism, neurodevelopmental disorder

College

Family, Home, and Social Sciences

Department

Psychology

Abstract

Autism is a severe neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impaired social communication as well as substantial behavioral rigidity. Autism often has a devastating impact on the wellbeing of affected individuals and their families, as well as in community settings such as schools and health care systems. Recent research suggests that some aspects of learning and memory are impaired in autism, but the exact pattern of impaired and spared functions remains unclear. This sponsored MEG project used cross-disciplinary methods to address two main aims: 1) the relationship between anxiety and associative learning and 2) the impact of autism on long-term declarative memory specificity. Mentored students took part in all aspects of the research, including assisting in experimental design, data acquisition and analysis, presenting the research at scientific conferences, and preparing the results for publication. Budget expenses included MRI scan time, support of student wages, and participant compensation. This research will give us a better understanding of autism and guide development of future treatments.

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