Manual dexterity in patients with Asperger's syndrome: evidence for a selective deficit of predictive motor control

Background: The cerebellum has been shown to play an important role of predicting the sensory outcomes of one's own movements. Abnormalities of the cerebellum have been consistently reported in Asperger and autistic individuals. Here we investigated predictive and reactive programming of grip and grasping movements in patients with Asperger Syndrome (AS). Methods: 12 right-handed patients with AS and 12 healthy sex- and age-matched control subjects held a receptacle instrumented with grip force and accelerations sensors with the thumb and either fingers in opposition while a load was dropped either expectedly fr…