Abstract
Increasing evidence indicates that the subjective experience of recollection is diminished in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) compared to neurotypical individuals. The neurocognitive basis of this difference in how past events are re-experienced has been debated and various theoretical accounts have been proposed to date. Although each existing theory may capture particular features of memory in ASD, recent research questions whether any of these explanations are alone sufficient or indeed fully supported. This review first briefly considers the cognitive neuroscience of how episodic recollection operates in the neurotypical population, informing predictions about the encoding and retrieval mechanisms that might function atypically in ASD. We then review existing research on recollection in ASD, which has often not distinguished between different theoretical explanations. Recent evidence suggests a distinct difficulty engaging recollective retrieval processes, specifically the ability to consciously reconstruct and monitor a past experience, which is likely underpinned by altered functional interactions between neurocognitive systems rather than brain region-specific or process-specific dysfunction. This integrative approach serves to highlight how memory research in ASD may enhance our understanding of memory processes and networks in the typical brain. We make suggestions for future research that are important for further specifying the neurocognitive basis of episodic recollection in ASD and linking such difficulties to social developmental and educational outcomes.
Highlights
Memory is an integral part of our daily lives, from indirect influences on our thoughts and behavior to conscious recall of previous experiences, and is a central aspect of development, learning, and social communication
Understanding how and why memory may differ in various populations, including individuals with healthy aging, patients with brain lesions, and children and adults with developmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is of vital importance for optimizing health and wellbeing in these individuals, and can often provide novel insights into how memory operates in the typical brain
Each of the accounts discussed here may explain certain aspects of memory functioning in ASD, but none alone is likely to explain the full extent of differences in episodic recollection in this population
Summary
Memory is an integral part of our daily lives, from indirect influences on our thoughts and behavior to conscious recall of previous experiences, and is a central aspect of development, learning, and social communication. A handful of theoretical accounts have been proposed that attempt to explain why memory of episodic experiences is diminished in ASD; the neurocognitive basis of this ability remains largely unclear This is partly because much research to date has not systematically tested the nature of recollection in ASD with consideration of the different encoding and retrieval processes underlying recollection in the neurotypical population. Integrating these two avenues of research provides novel insights into the neurocognitive basis of memory differences in ASD and raises questions concerning the previous theoretical accounts of memory functioning in this population. We consider important future investigations that we believe will advance research in this area
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