Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31039192›Full record

SynthesisPloS one2019

A meta-analysis of working memory in individuals with autism spectrum disorders.

Abdullah Habib, Leanne Harris, Frank Pollick, Craig Melville

Registry-linked trialAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in PloS one, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT04209452 (Improving Working Memory of Children With Autism Through Instruction on Rehearsal Strategy and Reinforcement), which is not on this map. Cited by 84 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
84citing papers in PubMed, 6 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT04209452 naterminatednot on this mapstarted 2020, after this paper: background citation

Improving Working Memory of Children With Autism Through Instruction on Rehearsal Strategy and Reinforcement

TypeinterventionalSponsorArizona State UniversityRan2020 to 2020Enrolled15ConditionsAutismArmsRehearsal strategy, Reinforcement, Rehearsal strategy and reinforcement
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

84 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  11. Autism Symptom Presentation and Hierarchical Models of Intelligence.Journal of autism and developmental disorders · 2026
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  20. Visual Working Memory in Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disorders · 2026
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24 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Abdullah HabibCollege of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences, Institute of Mental Health & Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom.
Leanne HarrisCollege of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences, Institute of Mental Health & Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom.
Frank PollickCollege of Science and Engineering, School of Psychology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0002-7212-4622
Craig MelvilleCollege of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences, Institute of Mental Health & Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAutism spectrum disorders (ASD) are lifelong neurodevelopmental disorders. It is not clear whether working memory (WM) deficits are commonly experienced by individuals with ASD.

aimTo determine whether individuals with ASD experience significant impairments in WM and whether there are specific domains of working memory that are impaired.

methodsWe conducted a meta-analysis using four electronic databases EMBASE (OVID), MEDLINE (OVID), PsychINFO (EBSCOHOST), and Web of Science, to examine the literature to investigate whether people with ASD experience impairments related to WM. Meta-analyses were conducted separately for phonological and visuospatial domains of WM. Subgroup analyses investigated age and intelligence quotient as potential moderators.

resultsA total of 29 papers containing 34 studies measuring phonological and visuospatial domains of WM met the inclusion criteria. WM scores were significantly lower for individuals with ASD compared to typically developed (TD) controls, in both the visuospatial domain when investigating accuracy (d: -0.73, 95% CI -1.04 to -0.42, p < 0.05) and error rates (d: 0.56, 95% CI 0.25 to 0.88, p<0.05), and the phonological domain when investigating accuracy (d:-0.67, 95% CI -1.10 to -0.24, p>0.05) and error rate (d: 1.45, 95% CI -0.07 to 2.96, p = 0.06). Age and IQ did not explain the differences in WM in ASD.

conclusionsThe findings of this meta-analysis indicate that across the lifespan, individuals with ASD demonstrate large impairments in WM across both phonological and visuospatial WM domains when compared to healthy individuals.

Indexed as

AdolescentAdultAutism Spectrum DisorderCase-Control StudiesChildHumansLinear ModelsMemory, Short-TermYoung Adult

Identifiers

PMID31039192
PMCPMC6490940

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.