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Li C, Hu J. Relatively Inefficient Integration of Metaphorical Semantics in Autistic Adults Without Intellectual Impairment. J Autism Dev Disord 2024; 54:2254-2265. [PMID: 37014459 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-023-05964-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023]
Abstract
Individuals diagnosed with autism are often thought to face challenges in comprehensive metaphors, even for the individuals without intellectual impairment. This study is to investigate the features and mechanisms of metaphor integration in the process of metaphor comprehension in real-time and context-free situations in autism, as well as the influence of the mental complexity of metaphor. Twenty autistic adults and twenty typically developing peers carried out a Lexical Decision Task and a Recognition Task. The results of the study showed that, there are deficiencies in real-time metaphor comprehension in autistic adults without intellectual impairment. It may caused by their relatively inefficient integration of metaphor semantics. This mechanism was equally pronounced in the metaphors with different mental complexity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengshi Li
- College of Psychology, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, 116029, China.
| | - Jinsheng Hu
- College of Psychology, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, 116029, China
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2
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Jónsdóttir LK, Neufeld J, Falck-Ytter T, Kleberg JL. Autistic Children Quickly Orient Away from Both Eyes and Mouths During Face Observation. J Autism Dev Disord 2023; 53:495-502. [PMID: 35138557 PMCID: PMC9889486 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-021-05378-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Studies have supported two different hypotheses of reduced eye gaze in people with ASD; gaze avoidance and gaze indifference, while less is known about the role of anxiety. We tested these hypotheses using an eye-tracking paradigm that cued the eyes or mouth of emotional faces. Autistic children (n = 12, mean age 7 years) looked faster away from both eyes and mouths than controls (n = 22). This effect was not explained by anxiety symptoms. No difference was found in latency towards either area. These results indicate that attentional avoidance of autistic children is not specific to eyes, and that they do not show attentional indifference to eyes compared to controls. Atypicalities in visual scanning in ASD are possibly unrelated to specific facial areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lilja Kristín Jónsdóttir
- grid.8993.b0000 0004 1936 9457Uppsala Child and Baby Lab, Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Box 1225, 751 42 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Janina Neufeld
- grid.4714.60000 0004 1937 0626Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders at Karolinska Institutet (KIND), Centre for Psychiatry Research, Department of Women’s & Children’s Health, Karolinska Institutet & Region Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Terje Falck-Ytter
- grid.4714.60000 0004 1937 0626Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders at Karolinska Institutet (KIND), Centre for Psychiatry Research, Department of Women’s & Children’s Health, Karolinska Institutet & Region Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden ,grid.8993.b0000 0004 1936 9457Development and Neurodiversity Lab, Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden ,grid.462826.c0000 0004 5373 8869Swedish Collegium for Advanced Study (SCAS), Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Johan Lundin Kleberg
- grid.4714.60000 0004 1937 0626Center for Psychiatry Research, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet & Region Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden ,grid.4714.60000 0004 1937 0626Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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3
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Canu D, Ioannou C, Müller K, Martin B, Fleischhaker C, Biscaldi M, Beauducel A, Smyrnis N, van Elst LT, Klein C. Visual search in neurodevelopmental disorders: evidence towards a continuum of impairment. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2022; 31:1-18. [PMID: 33751240 PMCID: PMC9343296 DOI: 10.1007/s00787-021-01756-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Disorders with neurodevelopmental aetiology such as Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Schizophrenia share commonalities at many levels of investigation despite phenotypic differences. Evidence of genetic overlap has led to the concept of a continuum of neurodevelopmental impairment along which these disorders can be positioned in aetiological, pathophysiological and developmental features. This concept requires their simultaneous comparison at different levels, which has not been accomplished so far. Given that cognitive impairments are core to the pathophysiology of these disorders, we provide for the first time differentiated head-to-head comparisons in a complex cognitive function, visual search, decomposing the task with eye movement-based process analyses. N = 103 late-adolescents with schizophrenia, ADHD, ASD and healthy controls took a serial visual search task, while their eye movements were recorded. Patients with schizophrenia presented the greatest level of impairment across different phases of search, followed by patients with ADHD, who shared with patients with schizophrenia elevated intra-subject variability in the pre-search stage. ASD was the least impaired group, but similar to schizophrenia in post-search processes and to schizophrenia and ADHD in pre-search processes and fixation duration while scanning the items. Importantly, the profiles of deviancy from controls were highly correlated between all three clinical groups, in line with the continuum idea. Findings suggest the existence of one common neurodevelopmental continuum of performance for the three disorders, while quantitative differences appear in the level of impairment. Given the relevance of cognitive impairments in these three disorders, we argue in favour of overlapping pathophysiological mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Canu
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
| | - Chara Ioannou
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Katarina Müller
- Psychotherapeutisches Wohnheim für junge Menschen Leppermühle, Buseck, Germany
| | - Berthold Martin
- Psychotherapeutisches Wohnheim für junge Menschen Leppermühle, Buseck, Germany
| | - Christian Fleischhaker
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Monica Biscaldi
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | | | - Nikolaos Smyrnis
- 2nd Psychiatry Department, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Medical School, University General Hospital "ATTIKON", Athens, Greece
| | - Ludger Tebartz van Elst
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Christoph Klein
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
- 2nd Psychiatry Department, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Medical School, University General Hospital "ATTIKON", Athens, Greece.
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Medical Faculty, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
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Seernani D, Damania K, Ioannou C, Penkalla N, Hill H, Foulsham T, Kingstone A, Anderson N, Boccignone G, Bender S, Smyrnis N, Biscaldi M, Ebner-Priemer U, Klein C. Visual search in ADHD, ASD and ASD + ADHD: overlapping or dissociating disorders? Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2021; 30:549-562. [PMID: 32314021 PMCID: PMC8041680 DOI: 10.1007/s00787-020-01535-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2019] [Accepted: 04/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Recent debates in the literature discuss commonalities between Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) at multiple levels of putative causal networks. This debate requires systematic comparisons between these disorders that have been studied in isolation in the past, employing potential markers of each disorder to be investigated in tandem. The present study, choose superior local processing, typical to ASD, and increased Intra-Subject Variability (ISV), typical to ADHD, for a head-to-head comparison of the two disorders, while also considering the comorbid cases. It directly examined groups of participants aged 10-13 years with ADHD, ASD with (ASD+) or without (ASD-) comorbid ADHD and a typically developing (TD) group (total N = 85). A visual search task consisting of an array of paired words was designed. The participants needed to find the specific pair of words, where the first word in the pair was the cue word. This visual search task was selected to compare these groups on overall search performance and trial-to-trial variability of search performance (i.e., ISV). Additionally, scanpath analysis was also carried out using Recurrence Quantification Analysis (RQA) and the Multi-Match Model. Results show that only the ASD- group exhibited superior search performance; whereas, only the groups with ADHD symptoms showed increased ISV. These findings point towards a double dissociation between ASD and ADHD, and argue against an overlap between ASD and ADHD.
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Affiliation(s)
- D. Seernani
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Medical Faculty, University of Freiburg, Hauptstrasse 8, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | | | - C. Ioannou
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Medical Faculty, University of Freiburg, Hauptstrasse 8, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - N. Penkalla
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Medical Faculty, University of Freiburg, Hauptstrasse 8, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - H. Hill
- Institute of Sports and Sports Sciences, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - T. Foulsham
- Department of Psychology, University of Essex, Colchester, UK
| | - A. Kingstone
- Brain, Attention and Reality Lab, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - N. Anderson
- Brain, Attention and Reality Lab, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - G. Boccignone
- Department of Computer Science, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - S. Bender
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Medical Faculty, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - N. Smyrnis
- Department of Psychiatry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - M. Biscaldi
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Medical Faculty, University of Freiburg, Hauptstrasse 8, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | | | - Christoph Klein
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Medical Faculty, University of Freiburg, Hauptstrasse 8, 79104, Freiburg, Germany. .,Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Medical Faculty, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany. .,Department of Psychiatry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
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5
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Seernani D, Ioannou C, Damania K, Spindler K, Hill H, Foulsham T, Smyrnis N, Bender S, Fleischhaker C, Biscaldi M, Ebner-Priemer U, Klein C. Studying global processing in autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder with gaze movements: The example of a copying task. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0224186. [PMID: 32497045 PMCID: PMC7272031 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0224186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2019] [Accepted: 04/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent discussions in the literature, along with the revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) (American Psychiatric Association 2013), suggest aetiological commonalities between the highly comorbid Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Addressing this discussion requires studying these disorders together by comparing constructs typical to each of them. In the present study, we investigate global processing, known to be difficult for participants with ASD, and Intra-Subject Variability (ISV), known to be consistently increased in participants with ADHD, in groups, aged 10–13 years, with ADHD (n = 25), ASD without comorbid ADHD (ASD-) (n = 13) and ASD with ADHD (ASD+) (n = 18) in comparison with a typically developing group (n = 22). A Copying task, typically requiring global processing and in this case particularly designed using equally complex stimuli to also measure ISV across trials, was selected. Oculomotor measures in this task proved to be particularly sensitive to group differences. While increased ISV was not observed in the present task in participants with ADHD, both ASD groups looked longer on the figure to be drawn, indicating that global processing takes longer in ASD. However, the ASD+ group fixated on the figure only between drawing movements, whereas the ASD- group did this throughout the drawing process. The present study provides evidence towards ASD and ADHD being separate, not-overlapping, disorders. Since the pure ASD- group was affected more by central coherence problems than the ASD+ group, it may suggest that neuropsychological constructs interact differently in different clinical groups and sub-groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- D. Seernani
- Clinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Medical Faculty, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - C. Ioannou
- Clinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Medical Faculty, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - K. Damania
- Independent Researcher, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - K. Spindler
- Clinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Medical Faculty, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - H. Hill
- Institute of Sports and Sports Sciences, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - T. Foulsham
- Department of Psychology, University of Essex, Colchester, England, United Kingdom
| | - N. Smyrnis
- Department of Psychiatry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - S. Bender
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Medical Faculty, University of Cologne, Köln, Germany
| | - C. Fleischhaker
- Clinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Medical Faculty, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - M. Biscaldi
- Clinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Medical Faculty, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - U. Ebner-Priemer
- Institute of Sports and Sports Sciences, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - C. Klein
- Clinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Medical Faculty, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Medical Faculty, University of Cologne, Köln, Germany
- * E-mail:
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6
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Constable PA, Bailey K, Beck A, Borrello D, Kozman M, Schneider K. Effect size of search superiority in autism spectrum disorder. Clin Exp Optom 2019; 103:296-306. [PMID: 31282016 DOI: 10.1111/cxo.12940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2018] [Revised: 04/01/2019] [Accepted: 05/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
This review of the literature in visual search superiority in autism was intended to quantify the effect size of visual search performance in autism. Not all studies have found an advantage within the autistic population. Early findings on search superiority have led to different proposed mechanisms for the observed results. A review of feature search found that the effect size was low across 15 included studies (Cohen's d 0.089 [-0.150 to 0.293]). However, the effect size was larger for more complex search paradigms using a conjunctive search strategy with Cohen's d showing a moderate effect of 0.223 (0.087 to 0.293). The majority of studies were limited to a small sample size and biased toward the high-functioning end of the autistic spectrum. The overall results indicate that within the autism spectrum disorder population there is a low to moderate search advantage compared to typically developing individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul A Constable
- College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Kristin Bailey
- College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Ashleigh Beck
- College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Deanna Borrello
- College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Marina Kozman
- College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Katie Schneider
- College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
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7
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Eye-Tracking Research in Autism Spectrum Disorder: What Are We Measuring and for What Purposes? CURRENT DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS REPORTS 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s40474-019-00158-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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8
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Camodeca A, Todd KQ, Hosack A. Intact verbal fluency abilities in the Broad Autism Phenotype. Psychiatry Res 2018; 270:443-452. [PMID: 30316172 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2018.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2017] [Revised: 09/28/2018] [Accepted: 10/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
This study attempted to replicate the findings of Camodeca and Voelker (2016), who demonstrated that controlled processing weaknesses were evident in the Broad Autism Phenotype (BAP), and that these weaknesses were predictive of real-world pragmatic language problems. One hundred eighty-two undergraduates completed the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System Verbal Fluency (D-KEFS-VF) test and the Broad Autism Phenotype Questionnaire (BAPQ). Results were partially replicated. Contrary to the previous study, the BAP group (n = 31) did not demonstrate comparative weaknesses in controlled processing, nor were controlled processing abilities predictive of BAPQ Pragmatic Language score. Similar to the previous study, controlled processing did not predict pragmatic language abilities for Non-BAP (n = 151) subjects. For each group, letter fluency score predicted 2nd 15″ interval score (controlled processing abilities); automatic processing (1st 15″ interval) did not. Results suggest that verbal fluency skills in the BAP are similar to controls, and that controlled processing does not account for significant variance in real-world social language in the BAP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy Camodeca
- The Pennsylvania State University, 100 University Drive, Monaca, PA 15061, USA.
| | - Kylie Q Todd
- The Pennsylvania State University, 100 University Drive, Monaca, PA 15061, USA
| | - Alexandra Hosack
- The Pennsylvania State University, 100 University Drive, Monaca, PA 15061, USA
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Nair S, Jao Keehn RJ, Berkebile MM, Maximo JO, Witkowska N, Müller RA. Local resting state functional connectivity in autism: site and cohort variability and the effect of eye status. Brain Imaging Behav 2018; 12:168-179. [PMID: 28197860 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-017-9678-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with prominent impairments in sociocommunicative abilities, which have been linked to anomalous brain network organization. Despite ample evidence of atypical long-distance connectivity, the literature on local connectivity remains small and divergent. We used resting-state functional MRI regional homogeneity (ReHo) as a local connectivity measure in comparative analyses across several well-matched low-motion subsamples from the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange and in-house data, with a grand total of 147 ASD and 184 typically developing (TD) participants, ages 7-18 years. We tested for group differences in each subsample, with additional focus on the difference between eyes-open and eyes-closed resting states. Despite selection of highest quality data and tight demographic and motion matching between groups and across samples, few effects in exactly identical loci (voxels) were found across samples. However, there was gross consistency across all eyes-open samples of local overconnectivity (ASD > TD) in posterior, visual regions. There was also gross consistency of local underconnectivity (ASD < TD) in cingulate gyrus, although exact loci varied between mid/posterior and anterior sections. While all eyes-open datasets showed the described gross similarities, the pattern of group differences for participants scanned with eyes closed was different, with local overconnectivity in ASD in posterior cingulate gyrus, but underconnectivity in some visual regions. Our findings suggest that fMRI local connectivity measures may be relatively susceptible to site and cohort variability and that some previous inconsistencies in the ASD ReHo literature may be reconciled by more careful consideration of eye status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sangeeta Nair
- Brain Development Imaging Laboratory, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, 6363 Alvarado Ct., Suite 200, San Diego, CA, 92120, USA
| | - R Joanne Jao Keehn
- Brain Development Imaging Laboratory, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, 6363 Alvarado Ct., Suite 200, San Diego, CA, 92120, USA
| | - Michael M Berkebile
- Brain Development Imaging Laboratory, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, 6363 Alvarado Ct., Suite 200, San Diego, CA, 92120, USA
| | - José Omar Maximo
- Brain Development Imaging Laboratory, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, 6363 Alvarado Ct., Suite 200, San Diego, CA, 92120, USA.,Department of Psychology, University of Alabama, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Natalia Witkowska
- Brain Development Imaging Laboratory, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, 6363 Alvarado Ct., Suite 200, San Diego, CA, 92120, USA
| | - Ralph-Axel Müller
- Brain Development Imaging Laboratory, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, 6363 Alvarado Ct., Suite 200, San Diego, CA, 92120, USA. .,Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego State University and University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA.
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Ioannou C, Zein ME, Wyart V, Scheid I, Amsellem F, Delorme R, Chevallier C, Grèzes J. Shared mechanism for emotion processing in adolescents with and without autism. Sci Rep 2017; 7:42696. [PMID: 28218248 PMCID: PMC5317002 DOI: 10.1038/srep42696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2016] [Accepted: 01/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Although, the quest to understand emotional processing in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) has led to an impressive number of studies, the picture that emerges from this research remains inconsistent. Some studies find that Typically Developing (TD) individuals outperform those with ASD in emotion recognition tasks, others find no such difference. In this paper, we move beyond focusing on potential group differences in behaviour to answer what we believe is a more pressing question: do individuals with ASD use the same mechanisms to process emotional cues? To this end, we rely on model-based analyses of participants’ accuracy during an emotion categorisation task in which displays of anger and fear are paired with direct vs. averted gaze. Behavioural data of 20 ASD and 20 TD adolescents revealed that the ASD group displayed lower overall performance. Yet, gaze direction had a similar impact on emotion categorisation in both groups, i.e. improved accuracy for salient combinations (anger-direct, fear-averted). Critically, computational modelling of participants’ behaviour reveals that the same mechanism, i.e. increased perceptual sensitivity, underlies the contextual impact of gaze in both groups. We discuss the specific experimental conditions that may favour emotion processing and the automatic integration of contextual information in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Ioannou
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives, Inserm unit 960, Département d'Etudes Cognitives, Ecole Normale Supérieure, PSL Research University, Paris, 75005, France
| | - Marwa El Zein
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives, Inserm unit 960, Département d'Etudes Cognitives, Ecole Normale Supérieure, PSL Research University, Paris, 75005, France
| | - Valentin Wyart
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives, Inserm unit 960, Département d'Etudes Cognitives, Ecole Normale Supérieure, PSL Research University, Paris, 75005, France
| | - Isabelle Scheid
- Centre Expert Asperger, Fondation Fondamental, Paris, 75019, France.,Service de Psychiatrie de l'Enfant et de l'Adolescent, Hôpital Universitaire Robert Debré, Paris, 75019, France
| | - Frédérique Amsellem
- Service de Psychiatrie de l'Enfant et de l'Adolescent, Hôpital Universitaire Robert Debré, Paris, 75019, France.,Génétique Humaine et Fonction Cognitive, Institut Pasteur, Paris, 75015, France
| | - Richard Delorme
- Service de Psychiatrie de l'Enfant et de l'Adolescent, Hôpital Universitaire Robert Debré, Paris, 75019, France.,Génétique Humaine et Fonction Cognitive, Institut Pasteur, Paris, 75015, France
| | - Coralie Chevallier
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives, Inserm unit 960, Département d'Etudes Cognitives, Ecole Normale Supérieure, PSL Research University, Paris, 75005, France
| | - Julie Grèzes
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives, Inserm unit 960, Département d'Etudes Cognitives, Ecole Normale Supérieure, PSL Research University, Paris, 75005, France
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11
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Horlin C, Black M, Falkmer M, Falkmer T. Proficiency of individuals with autism spectrum disorder at disembedding figures: A systematic review. Dev Neurorehabil 2016; 19:54-63. [PMID: 24649841 DOI: 10.3109/17518423.2014.888102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This systematic review examines the proficiency and visual search strategies of individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) while disembedding figures and whether they differ from typical controls and other comparative samples. METHODS Five databases, including Proquest, Psychinfo, Medline, CINAHL and Science Direct were used to identify published studies meeting the inclusion and exclusion criteria. RESULTS Twenty articles were included in the review, the majority of which matched participants by mental age. Outcomes discussed were time taken to identify targets, the number correctly identified, and fixation frequency and duration. CONCLUSIONS Individuals with ASD perform at the same speed or faster than controls and other clinical samples. However, there appear to be no differences between individuals with ASD and controls for number of correctly identified targets. Only one study examined visual search strategies and suggests that individuals with ASD exhibit shorter first and final fixations to targets compared with controls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Horlin
- a School of Occupational Therapy & Social Work, CHIRI, Curtin University , Perth , WA , Australia
| | - Melissa Black
- a School of Occupational Therapy & Social Work, CHIRI, Curtin University , Perth , WA , Australia
| | - Marita Falkmer
- a School of Occupational Therapy & Social Work, CHIRI, Curtin University , Perth , WA , Australia .,b School of Education and Communication, CHILD programme, Institute of Disability Research, Jönköping University , Sweden
| | - Torbjorn Falkmer
- a School of Occupational Therapy & Social Work, CHIRI, Curtin University , Perth , WA , Australia .,c Rehabilitation Medicine, Department of Medicine and Health Sciences (IMH), Faculty of Health Sciences, Linköping University & Pain and Rehabilitation Centre , Linköping , Sweden , and.,d School of Occupational Therapy, La Trobe University , Melbourne , VIC , Australia
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12
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Camodeca A, Voelker S. Automatic and controlled processing and the Broad Autism Phenotype. Psychiatry Res 2016; 235:169-76. [PMID: 26652842 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2015.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2015] [Revised: 10/23/2015] [Accepted: 11/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Research related to verbal fluency in the Broad Autism Phenotype (BAP) is limited and dated, but generally suggests intact abilities in the context of weaknesses in other areas of executive function (Hughes et al., 1999; Wong et al., 2006; Delorme et al., 2007). Controlled processing, the generation of search strategies after initial, automated responses are exhausted (Spat, 2013), has yet to be investigated in the BAP, and may be evidenced in verbal fluency tasks. One hundred twenty-nine participants completed the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System Verbal Fluency test (D-KEFS; Delis et al., 2001) and the Broad Autism Phenotype Questionnaire (BAPQ; Hurley et al., 2007). The BAP group (n=53) produced significantly fewer total words during the 2nd 15" interval compared to the Non-BAP (n=76) group. Partial correlations indicated similar relations between verbal fluency variables for each group. Regression analyses predicting 2nd 15" interval scores suggested differentiation between controlled and automatic processing skills in both groups. Results suggest adequate automatic processing, but slowed development of controlled processing strategies in the BAP, and provide evidence for similar underlying cognitive constructs for both groups. Controlled processing was predictive of Block Design score for Non-BAP participants, and was predictive of Pragmatic Language score on the BAPQ for BAP participants. These results are similar to past research related to strengths and weaknesses in the BAP, respectively, and suggest that controlled processing strategy use may be required in instances of weak lower-level skills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy Camodeca
- University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor, ON, Canada N9B 3P4.
| | - Sylvia Voelker
- University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor, ON, Canada N9B 3P4
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Muth A, Hönekopp J, Falter CM. Visuo-spatial performance in autism: a meta-analysis. J Autism Dev Disord 2015; 44:3245-63. [PMID: 25022252 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-014-2188-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Visuo-spatial skills are believed to be enhanced in autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). This meta-analysis tests the current state of evidence for Figure Disembedding, Block Design, Mental Rotation and Navon tasks in ASD and neurotypicals. Block Design (d = 0.32) and Figure Disembedding (d = 0.26) showed superior performance for ASD with large heterogeneity that is unaccounted for. No clear differences were found for Mental Rotation. ASD samples showed a stronger local processing preference for Navon tasks (d = 0.35); less clear evidence for performance differences of a similar magnitude emerged. We discuss the meta-analysis results together with other findings relating to visuo-spatial processing and three cognitive theories of ASD: Weak Central Coherence, Enhanced Perceptual Functioning and Extreme Male Brain theory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Muth
- School of Psychology, Bangor University, Adeilad Brigantia, Penrallt Road, Bangor, LL57 2AS, UK,
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Gharib A, Mier D, Adolphs R, Shimojo S. Eyetracking of social preference choices reveals normal but faster processing in autism. Neuropsychologia 2015; 72:70-9. [PMID: 25921868 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2015.04.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2014] [Revised: 04/05/2015] [Accepted: 04/24/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
People with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have been reported to show atypical attention and evaluative processing, in particular for social stimuli such as faces. The usual measure in these studies is an explicit, subjective judgment, which is the culmination of complex-temporally extended processes that are not typically dissected in detail. Here we addressed a neglected aspect of social decision-making in order to gain further insight into the underlying mechanisms: the temporal evolution of the choice. We investigated this issue by quantifying the alternating patterns of gaze onto faces, as well as nonsocial stimuli, while subjects had to decide which of the two stimuli they preferred. Surprisingly, the temporal profile of fixations relating to choice (the so-called "gaze cascade") was entirely normal in ASD, as were the eventual preference choices. Despite these similarities, we found two key abnormalities: people with ASD made choices more rapidly than did control subjects across the board, and their reaction times for social preference judgments were insensitive to choice difficulty. We suggest that ASD features an altered decision-making process when basing choice on social preferences. One hypothesis motivated by these data is that a choice criterion is reached in ASD regardless of the discriminability of the options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alma Gharib
- Division of Biology & Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
| | - Daniela Mier
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg/Medical Faculty Mannheim, Germany
| | - Ralph Adolphs
- Division of Biology & Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; Division of Humanities & Social Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Shinsuke Shimojo
- Division of Biology & Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
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15
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Visual processing in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder: evidence from embedded figures and configural superiority tests. J Autism Dev Disord 2014; 45:1281-90. [PMID: 25342435 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-014-2288-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
The embedded figures test has often been used to reveal weak central coherence in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Here, we administered a more standardized automated version of the embedded figures test in combination with the configural superiority task, to investigate the effect of contextual modulation on local feature detection in 23 adolescents with ASD and 26 matched typically developing controls. On both tasks both groups performed largely similarly in terms of accuracy and reaction time, and both displayed the contextual modulation effect. This indicates that individuals with ASD are equally sensitive compared to typically developing individuals to the contextual effects of the task and that there is no evidence for a local processing bias in adolescents with ASD.
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Gregory BL, Plaisted-Grant KC. The Autism-Spectrum Quotient and Visual Search: Shallow and Deep Autistic Endophenotypes. J Autism Dev Disord 2013; 46:1503-12. [DOI: 10.1007/s10803-013-1951-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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17
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Stevenson JL, Gernsbacher MA. Abstract spatial reasoning as an autistic strength. PLoS One 2013; 8:e59329. [PMID: 23533615 PMCID: PMC3606476 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0059329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2012] [Accepted: 02/13/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Autistic individuals typically excel on spatial tests that measure abstract reasoning, such as the Block Design subtest on intelligence test batteries and the Raven’s Progressive Matrices nonverbal test of intelligence. Such well-replicated findings suggest that abstract spatial processing is a relative and perhaps absolute strength of autistic individuals. However, previous studies have not systematically varied reasoning level – concrete vs. abstract – and test domain – spatial vs. numerical vs. verbal, which the current study did. Autistic participants (N = 72) and non-autistic participants (N = 72) completed a battery of 12 tests that varied by reasoning level (concrete vs. abstract) and domain (spatial vs. numerical vs. verbal). Autistic participants outperformed non-autistic participants on abstract spatial tests. Non-autistic participants did not outperform autistic participants on any of the three domains (spatial, numerical, and verbal) or at either of the two reasoning levels (concrete and abstract), suggesting similarity in abilities between autistic and non-autistic individuals, with abstract spatial reasoning as an autistic strength.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer L Stevenson
- Department of Psychology, Ursinus College, Collegeville, Pennsylvania, United States of America.
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Keehn B, Müller RA, Townsend J. Atypical attentional networks and the emergence of autism. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2013; 37:164-83. [PMID: 23206665 PMCID: PMC3563720 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2012.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 224] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2012] [Revised: 10/22/2012] [Accepted: 11/23/2012] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
The sociocommunicative impairments that define autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are not present at birth but emerge gradually over the first two years of life. In typical development, basic attentional processes may provide a critical foundation for sociocommunicative abilities. Therefore early attentional dysfunction in ASD may result in atypical development of social communication. Prior research has demonstrated that persons with ASD exhibit early and lifelong impairments in attention. The primary aim of this paper is to provide a review of the extant research on attention in ASD using a framework of functionally independent attentional networks as conceptualized by Posner and colleagues: the alerting, orienting and executive control networks (Posner and Petersen, 1990; Petersen and Posner, 2012). The neural substrates and typical development of each attentional network are briefly discussed, a review of the ASD attention literature is presented, and a hypothesis is proposed that links aberrant attentional mechanisms, specifically impaired disengagement of attention, with the emergence of core ASD symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon Keehn
- Laboratories of Cognitive Neuroscience, Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
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19
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Nackaerts E, Wagemans J, Helsen W, Swinnen SP, Wenderoth N, Alaerts K. Recognizing biological motion and emotions from point-light displays in autism spectrum disorders. PLoS One 2012; 7:e44473. [PMID: 22970227 PMCID: PMC3435310 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0044473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2012] [Accepted: 08/08/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the main characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are problems with social interaction and communication. Here, we explored ASD-related alterations in ‘reading’ body language of other humans. Accuracy and reaction times were assessed from two observational tasks involving the recognition of ‘biological motion’ and ‘emotions’ from point-light displays (PLDs). Eye movements were recorded during the completion of the tests. Results indicated that typically developed-participants were more accurate than ASD-subjects in recognizing biological motion or emotions from PLDs. No accuracy differences were revealed on two control-tasks (involving the indication of color-changes in the moving point-lights). Group differences in reaction times existed on all tasks, but effect sizes were higher for the biological and emotion recognition tasks. Biological motion recognition abilities were related to a person’s ability to recognize emotions from PLDs. However, ASD-related atypicalities in emotion recognition could not entirely be attributed to more basic deficits in biological motion recognition, suggesting an additional ASD-specific deficit in recognizing the emotional dimension of the point light displays. Eye movements were assessed during the completion of tasks and results indicated that ASD-participants generally produced more saccades and shorter fixation-durations compared to the control-group. However, especially for emotion recognition, these altered eye movements were associated with reductions in task-performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evelien Nackaerts
- Department of Biomedical Kinesiology, Group Biomedical Sciences, Research Center for Movement Control and Neuroplasticity, KU Leuven, Heverlee, Belgium
| | - Johan Wagemans
- Laboratory of Experimental Psychology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Werner Helsen
- Department of Biomedical Kinesiology, Group Biomedical Sciences, Research Center for Movement Control and Neuroplasticity, KU Leuven, Heverlee, Belgium
| | - Stephan P. Swinnen
- Department of Biomedical Kinesiology, Group Biomedical Sciences, Research Center for Movement Control and Neuroplasticity, KU Leuven, Heverlee, Belgium
| | - Nicole Wenderoth
- Department of Biomedical Kinesiology, Group Biomedical Sciences, Research Center for Movement Control and Neuroplasticity, KU Leuven, Heverlee, Belgium
- Neural Control of Movement Lab, Department Health Sciences and Technology, ETH, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Kaat Alaerts
- Department of Biomedical Kinesiology, Group Biomedical Sciences, Research Center for Movement Control and Neuroplasticity, KU Leuven, Heverlee, Belgium
- * E-mail:
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Constable PA, Gaigg SB, Bowler DM, Thompson DA. Motion and pattern cortical potentials in adults with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder. Doc Ophthalmol 2012; 125:219-27. [PMID: 22918709 DOI: 10.1007/s10633-012-9349-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2012] [Accepted: 08/05/2012] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a condition in which visual perception to both static and moving stimuli is altered. The aim of this study was to investigate the early cortical responses of subjects with ASD to simple patterns and moving radial rings using visual evoked potentials (VEPs). METHODS Male ASD participants (n = 9) and typically developing (TD) individuals (n = 7) were matched for full, performance and verbal IQ (p > 0.263). VEPs were recorded to the pattern reversing checks of 50' side length presented with Michelson contrasts of 98 and 10 % and to the onset of motion-either expansion or contraction of low-contrast concentric rings (33.3 % duty cycle at 10 % contrast). RESULTS There were no significant differences between groups in the VEPs elicited by pattern reversal checkerboards of high (98 %) or low (10 %) contrast. The ASD group had a significantly larger N160 peak (1.85 x) amplitude to motion onset VEPs elicited by the expansion of radial rings (p = 0.001). No differences were evident in contraction VEP peak amplitudes nor in the latencies of the motion onset N160 peaks. There was no evidence of a response that could be associated with adaptation to the motion stimulus in the interstimulus interval following an expansion or contraction phase of the rings. CONCLUSION These data support a difference in processing of motion onset stimuli in this adult high-functioning ASD group compared to the TD group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul A Constable
- Division of Optometry, City University London, Northampton Square, London, EC1V 0HB, UK. ,Department of Psychology, City University London, Autism Research Group, Social Sciences Building, Northampton Square, London, EC1V 0HB, UK.
| | - Sebastian B Gaigg
- Department of Psychology, City University London, Autism Research Group, Social Sciences Building, Northampton Square, London, EC1V 0HB, UK
| | - Dermot M Bowler
- Department of Psychology, City University London, Autism Research Group, Social Sciences Building, Northampton Square, London, EC1V 0HB, UK
| | - Dorothy A Thompson
- Clinical and Academic Department of Ophthalmology, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, WC1N 3JH, UK
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Benson V, Castelhano MS, Au-Yeung SK, Rayner K. Eye movements reveal no immediate "WOW" ("which one's weird") effect in autism spectrum disorder. Q J Exp Psychol (Hove) 2012; 65:1139-50. [PMID: 22360368 DOI: 10.1080/17470218.2011.644305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and typically developed (TD) adult participants viewed pairs of scenes for a simple "spot the difference" (STD) and a complex "which one's weird" (WOW) task. There were no group differences in the STD task. In the WOW task, the ASD group took longer to respond manually and to begin fixating the target "weird" region. Additionally, as indexed by the first-fixation duration into the target region, the ASD group failed to "pick up" immediately on what was "weird". The findings are discussed with reference to the complex information processing theory of ASD (Minshew & Goldstein, 1998 ).
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Affiliation(s)
- Valerie Benson
- School of Psychology, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
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Performance of children with autism on the Embedded Figures Test: a closer look at a popular task. J Autism Dev Disord 2012; 41:1565-72. [PMID: 21350920 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-011-1182-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
The Embedded Figures Test assesses weak central coherence and individuals with autism are commonly assumed to perform superiorly; however, the evidence for this claim is somewhat mixed. Here, two large (N = 45 and 62) samples of high-functioning children (6-16 years) with autism spectrum disorder performed similarly to typically-developing children on accuracy and reaction time measures; this could not be attributed to insufficient power. Inconsistent past findings are most likely due to methodological and analysis techniques, as well as heterogeneity in central coherence within autism spectrum disorders. While this task has been useful in establishing weak central coherence as a cognitive theory in autism, inconsistent past findings and its inability to disentangle global and local processing suggest that it should be used with caution in the future.
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Abstract
We analyze the hypothesis that some individuals on the autism spectrum may use visual mental representations and processes to perform certain tasks that typically developing individuals perform verbally. We present a framework for interpreting empirical evidence related to this "Thinking in Pictures" hypothesis and then provide comprehensive reviews of data from several different cognitive tasks, including the n-back task, serial recall, dual task studies, Raven's Progressive Matrices, semantic processing, false belief tasks, visual search, spatial recall, and visual recall. We also discuss the relationships between the Thinking in Pictures hypothesis and other cognitive theories of autism including Mindblindness, Executive Dysfunction, Weak Central Coherence, and Enhanced Perceptual Functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maithilee Kunda
- Design & Intelligence Laboratory, School of Interactive Computing, Georgia Institute of Technology, 85 Fifth Street NW, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA.
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24
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Eye Movement Sequences during Simple versus Complex Information Processing of Scenes in Autism Spectrum Disorder. AUTISM RESEARCH AND TREATMENT 2011; 2011:657383. [PMID: 22937254 PMCID: PMC3420692 DOI: 10.1155/2011/657383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2010] [Revised: 05/20/2011] [Accepted: 06/20/2011] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Minshew and Goldstein (1998) postulated that autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a disorder of complex information processing. The current study was designed to investigate this hypothesis. Participants with and without ASD completed two scene perception tasks: a simple “spot the difference” task, where they had to say which one of a pair of pictures had a detail missing, and a complex “which one's weird” task, where they had to decide which one of a pair of pictures looks “weird”. Participants with ASD did not differ from TD participants in their ability to accurately identify the target picture in both tasks. However, analysis of the eye movement sequences showed that participants with ASD viewed scenes differently from normal controls exclusively for the complex task. This difference in eye movement patterns, and the method used to examine different patterns, adds to the knowledge base regarding eye movements and ASD. Our results are in accordance with Minshew and Goldstein's theory that complex, but not simple, information processing is impaired in ASD.
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25
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Harms MB, Martin A, Wallace GL. Facial emotion recognition in autism spectrum disorders: a review of behavioral and neuroimaging studies. Neuropsychol Rev 2010; 20:290-322. [PMID: 20809200 DOI: 10.1007/s11065-010-9138-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 576] [Impact Index Per Article: 41.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2010] [Accepted: 07/07/2010] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Behavioral studies of facial emotion recognition (FER) in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have yielded mixed results. Here we address demographic and experiment-related factors that may account for these inconsistent findings. We also discuss the possibility that compensatory mechanisms might enable some individuals with ASD to perform well on certain types of FER tasks in spite of atypical processing of the stimuli, and difficulties with real-life emotion recognition. Evidence for such mechanisms comes in part from eye-tracking, electrophysiological, and brain imaging studies, which often show abnormal eye gaze patterns, delayed event-related-potential components in response to face stimuli, and anomalous activity in emotion-processing circuitry in ASD, in spite of intact behavioral performance during FER tasks. We suggest that future studies of FER in ASD: 1) incorporate longitudinal (or cross-sectional) designs to examine the developmental trajectory of (or age-related changes in) FER in ASD and 2) employ behavioral and brain imaging paradigms that can identify and characterize compensatory mechanisms or atypical processing styles in these individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madeline B Harms
- Laboratory of Brain & Cognition, National Institute of Mental Health, 10 Center Drive, Room 4C104, MSC 1366, Bethesda, MD 20892-1366, USA
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Soulières I, Dawson M, Samson F, Barbeau EB, Sahyoun CP, Strangman GE, Zeffiro TA, Mottron L. Enhanced visual processing contributes to matrix reasoning in autism. Hum Brain Mapp 2010; 30:4082-107. [PMID: 19530215 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.20831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 124] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent behavioral investigations have revealed that autistics perform more proficiently on Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices (RSPM) than would be predicted by their Wechsler intelligence scores. A widely-used test of fluid reasoning and intelligence, the RSPM assays abilities to flexibly infer rules, manage goal hierarchies, and perform high-level abstractions. The neural substrates for these abilities are known to encompass a large frontoparietal network, with different processing models placing variable emphasis on the specific roles of the prefrontal or posterior regions. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging to explore the neural bases of autistics' RSPM problem solving. Fifteen autistic and eighteen non-autistic participants, matched on age, sex, manual preference and Wechsler IQ, completed 60 self-paced randomly-ordered RSPM items along with a visually similar 60-item pattern matching comparison task. Accuracy and response times did not differ between groups in the pattern matching task. In the RSPM task, autistics performed with similar accuracy, but with shorter response times, compared to their non-autistic controls. In both the entire sample and a subsample of participants additionally matched on RSPM performance to control for potential response time confounds, neural activity was similar in both groups for the pattern matching task. However, for the RSPM task, autistics displayed relatively increased task-related activity in extrastriate areas (BA18), and decreased activity in the lateral prefrontal cortex (BA9) and the medial posterior parietal cortex (BA7). Visual processing mechanisms may therefore play a more prominent role in reasoning in autistics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabelle Soulières
- Neural Systems Group, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
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Hughes JR. Update on autism: a review of 1300 reports published in 2008. Epilepsy Behav 2009; 16:569-89. [PMID: 19896907 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2009.09.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2009] [Accepted: 09/28/2009] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
This publication, by reviewing 1300 studies published on autism in 2008, represents an update on this topic. Results include possible parental influences, maternal conditions, and studies on genes and chromosomes. Possible etiological factors involve the "extreme male brain," defects in the mirror neuron system, vaccines, underconnectivity, disorders of central coherence, and many other more specific etiologies. Assessments or tests for autism are also reviewed. Characteristics of autistic individuals include repetitive behavior, language disorders, sleep disturbances, social problems, joint attention disorders, seizures, allergic reactions, and various behavioral changes. Cognitive changes involve IQ, reasoning, and verbal and language disorders. The savant syndrome is a fascinating phenomenon, at times seen in autistic individuals. Neurophysiological and neuroanatomical changes are also reviewed, as are comorbid conditions. Finally, treatment involves various medications including risperidone, ziprasidone, and antipsychotic drugs, as well as different procedures such as magnetic stimulation, acupuncture, and hyperbaric oxygen therapy. As mentioned in the 2007 survey, nearly every conceivable problem that a child can have may be found in these unfortunate children and nearly every conceivable etiology has been mentioned to account for this serious disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- John R Hughes
- Department of Neurology, University of Illinois Medical Center at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
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