Neuropsychological aspects of Asperger Syndrome in adults: A review

Despite distinctive clinical characteristics, Asperger Syndrome (AS) is actually included in the broad spectrum of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Usually, to evaluate AS in adulthood, diagnostic tools are referred to autistic traits; furthermore, AS' neuropsychological profile features are still unclear. The aim of the present review is to shed light on the cognitive characteristics of adults with AS. Limited number of studies have investigated the neuropsychological profile of adults with AS: individuals with AS have intellectual abilities in the normal range and show strengths in verbal memory, inhibitory control and decision making. Disagreement exists about the presence of deficits in attentional functions, visual-spatial memory, cognitive flexibility, planning and verbal fluency. The present work underlines the need for a neuropsychological assessment in order to delineate the cognitive profile of adults with AS, which could help in the diagnosis of AS in adulthood and to design rehabilitative protocols.