The Japanese journal of neuropsychology

Full Text of this Article
in Japanese PDF (40K)

ArticleTitle	Diagnostic traits and the development of imitation, emotion, and self-consciousness in pervasive developmental disorder
Language	J
AuthorList	Motomi Toichi, M.D., Ph.D.
Affiliation	School of Health Sciences, Kyoto University Faculty of Medicine
Publication	Japanese Journal of Neuropsychology: 22 (3), 162-169, 2006
Received
Accepted
Abstract	The author reviewed empirical and clinical findings on imitation, emotion, and self-consciousness in pervasive developmental disorder (PDD), which includes autistic disorder (autism), Asperger's disorder, and PDD not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS). The core features of PDD are impairment in social interaction and restricted ranges of interest and activities with obsessive/compulsive traits. Clinical characteristics of PDD range across a variety of psychophysiological areas, from vigilance and autonomic arousal through attention to higher cognitive functions such as memory and language processing. Apart from echolalia, which is typically seen in children with autism, imitative behavior is generally reduced in PDD, although there are few empirical studies on this topic. Psychological studies on emotion have focused mainly on the recognition of facial expressed emotions. Most studies found impairment in emotional recognition in autistic groups with mental retardation, but not in groups of high-functioning PDD. There are a few studies that examined self-concept and self-consciousness, in which a reduction of self-consciousness is suggested. There is a possibility that above findings on imitation, emotion, and self-consciousness may have a relationship with the primary impairment of PDD. It is expected that research on the neural mechanisms of social behavior will clarify the link between the cognitive and clinical characteristics of the disorder.
Keywords	pervasive developmental disorder, autism, Asperger's disorder, imitation, emotion, self-awareness