Total Reaction Time Performance of Individuals with Autism after a Virtual Reality Task Dafne Herrero 1* , Tânia Brusque Crocetta 2 , Thais Massetti 3 , Íbis Ariana Pena de Moraes 1 , Isabela Lopes Trevizan 3 , Regiani Guarnieri 2 , Gilda Pena de Rezende 4 , Karina Ponce Villaça 5 and Carlos Bandeira de Mello Monteiro 2,3 1 FSP University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil 2 Department of Morphology and Physiology – Faculty of Medicine of ABC – Santo André, SP, Brazil 3 Post-graduate Program in Rehabilitation Sciences - Faculty of Medicine - University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil 4 GAPI Special Education in São Bernardo do Campo, São Paulo, Brazil 5 School of Arts, Sciences and Humanities – EACH - University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil *Corresponding author: Dafne Herrero, FSP University of São Paulo São Paulo, SP, Brazil, Tel: 2162002216; E-mail: dafneh@uol.com.br Received date: Aug 04, 2015; Accepted date: Dec 08, 2015; Published date: Dec 15, 2015 Copyright: © 2015 Herreo D, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited Abstract Evidence suggests that people with autism perform simple reaction time (RT) tasks differently than typically developing (TD) individuals. The current study examines this possibility by investigating the simple total reaction time (TRT) performance and examined effects of practice on a virtual reality motor task (VRMT) in participants with autism. Twenty-seven participants diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and twenty-seven TD participants completed a TRT test alternated with a VRMT. Significant increases in TRT measures were found post- practice with the VRMT only in the female autistic group. These findings suggest that the VRMT is a promising tool for improving visual RT functioning in autistic individuals. Keywords: Autistic disorder; Reaction time; Developmental Disorder; Virtual Reality Introduction Autistic disorder is characterized by signs of sensory processing difculties that may include over- or under-sensitivity to certain sensory experiences, abnormally high or low activity levels, poorly organized behavior, poor coordination and motor learning, or delays in language development or academic progress despite adequate intelligence [1]. Atypical movements in speed, coordination, posture, and gait have been observed across Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Moreover, it is unclear whether atypical movements are uniformly distributed across the entire spectrum, and how the recently introduced clinical DSM-5 specifcs of intelligence, associated conditions, language level, and severity are related to motor performance [2]. Children with autism ofen have difculty performing skilled movements [3] and exhibit a host of motor disorders including poor coordination, defcient tool use and delayed learning of complex motor skills [4]. Considering the consistent clinical reports of impaired motor functioning in autism, motor examination may provide a window into the underlying neurobiological substrate of the disorder. Motor signs may serve as markers for defcits in parallel or neighboring brain systems that are important for control of socialization and communication. Measures of motor function tend to be more overtly observable than measures of more complex social and behavioral systems [3]. In a recent update of ASDs, the results indicate that co-morbidity is not exceptional, stressing the importance of assessing motor skills in children with ASD, because the lack of correct and complete diagnoses may negatively infuence the choice of appropriate care. Te early assessment of motor problems might have a positive infuence on the psychological development of individuals with ASD, and if the motor weaknesses are taken into account, diferent interventions and treatments may be considered to address the problems [5]. Given the difculties that this population may have, it is important to develop intervention strategies, facilitating daily life activities of individuals with autism. We suggest that virtual reality (VR) is a promising avenue for this population. VR is a new technology that allows users to interact with a scene in three dimensions generated by a computer during the execution of a certain task, providing increased visual, sensory, and auditory feedback [6]. With technological advances, several studies of its use have emerged, with many issues to be studied. Given this information, we question: does a workout in a virtual environment (virtual reality motor task (VRMT)) improve aspects, such as reaction time (RT), in this population? In this context, RT is as a simple measure that contributes to the understanding of organizing, planning and preparing the performance of motor skills [7]. In addition, RT forms the basis of many cognitive tasks, abilities, and processes, and given that individuals with ASD do not always show evidence of information processing impairments on some processes that involve RT, further investigation of the role RT plays in individuals with ASD seems important [8]. Studies of children with autism reveal anomalous patterns of motor learning and impaired execution of skilled motor gestures. Tese fndings robustly correlate with measures of social and communicative function, suggesting that anomalous action model formation may contribute to the impaired development of social and communicative (as well as motor) capacity in autism [9]. Herreo D, et al., IJN an open access journal 2015, 2:5 DOI: 10.4172/2376-0281.1000189 Research Article Open Access IJN an open access journal ISSN:2376-0281 IJN an open access journal Volume 2 • Issue 5 • 189 I n t e r n a t i o n a l J o u r n a l o f N e u r o r e h a b i l i t a t i o n ISSN: 2376-0281 International Journal of Neurorehabilitation