Asperger's Syndrome: A Systematic Review of Neurocognitive Aspects

Abstract

Asperger's Syndrome (AS) was first described in 1944 by the Austrian pediatrician Hans Asperger, who also coined the term "autistic" to characterize this disorder in his publications. Since then, the importance of this disorder has been revealed, both because of its high prevalence, and because of the social repercussion that it has on the people who suffer it. Despite its discovery six decades ago, Asperger's Syndrome (AS) was not officially recognized by the international scientific community until the early 1990's. AS is a neurodevelopmental, neurological-based disorder and the dysfunction of the prefrontal cortex and different temporofrontal pathways are responsible for certain clinical and etiopathogenic aspects. It is a childhood disorder that predominantly affects males and is similar to autism but in its purest and less severe version. The evolution oscillates between excellent and poor because many of these patients are not referred to the psychiatrist, since they are not considered as a problem. Although there is no specific treatment, it consists of managing behavioral symptoms and comorbidity.