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Webb SJ, Shic F, Murias M, Sugar CA, Naples AJ, Barney E, Borland H, Hellemann G, Johnson S, Kim M, Levin AR, Sabatos-DeVito M, Santhosh M, Senturk D, Dziura J, Bernier RA, Chawarska K, Dawson G, Faja S, Jeste S, McPartland J. Biomarker Acquisition and Quality Control for Multi-Site Studies: The Autism Biomarkers Consortium for Clinical Trials. Front Integr Neurosci 2020; 13:71. [PMID: 32116579 PMCID: PMC7020808 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2019.00071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2019] [Accepted: 11/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The objective of the Autism Biomarkers Consortium for Clinical Trials (ABC-CT) is to evaluate a set of lab-based behavioral video tracking (VT), electroencephalography (EEG), and eye tracking (ET) measures for use in clinical trials with children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Within the larger organizational structure of the ABC-CT, the Data Acquisition and Analytic Core (DAAC) oversees the standardization of VT, EEG, and ET data acquisition, data processing, and data analysis. This includes designing and documenting data acquisition and analytic protocols and manuals; facilitating site training in acquisition; data acquisition quality control (QC); derivation and validation of dependent variables (DVs); and analytic deliverables including preparation of data for submission to the National Database for Autism Research (NDAR). To oversee consistent application of scientific standards and methodological rigor for data acquisition, processing, and analytics, we developed standard operating procedures that reflect the logistical needs of multi-site research, and the need for well-articulated, transparent processes that can be implemented in future clinical trials. This report details the methodology of the ABC-CT related to acquisition and QC in our Feasibility and Main Study phases. Based on our acquisition metrics from a preplanned interim analysis, we report high levels of acquisition success utilizing VT, EEG, and ET experiments in a relatively large sample of children with ASD and typical development (TD), with data acquired across multiple sites and use of a manualized training and acquisition protocol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Jane Webb
- Center on Child Health, Behavior, and Development, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, WA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Frederick Shic
- Center on Child Health, Behavior, and Development, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, WA, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Michael Murias
- Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Catherine A. Sugar
- Department of Biostatistics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Department of Statistics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Adam J. Naples
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Erin Barney
- Center on Child Health, Behavior, and Development, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Heather Borland
- Center on Child Health, Behavior, and Development, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Gerhard Hellemann
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Scott Johnson
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Minah Kim
- Center on Child Health, Behavior, and Development, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - April R. Levin
- Department of Neurology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
- Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Maura Sabatos-DeVito
- Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Megha Santhosh
- Center on Child Health, Behavior, and Development, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Damla Senturk
- Department of Biostatistics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Department of Statistics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - James Dziura
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Raphael A. Bernier
- Center on Child Health, Behavior, and Development, Seattle Children’s Research Institute, Seattle, WA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, United States
- Center on Human Development and Disability, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | | | - Geraldine Dawson
- Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Susan Faja
- Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Shafali Jeste
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
- Department of Neurology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - James McPartland
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
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52
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Ioannou C, Seernani D, Stefanou ME, Riedel A, Tebartz van Elst L, Smyrnis N, Fleischhaker C, Biscaldi-Schaefer M, Boccignone G, Klein C. Comorbidity Matters: Social Visual Attention in a Comparative Study of Autism Spectrum Disorder, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Their Comorbidity. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:545567. [PMID: 33192661 PMCID: PMC7555692 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.545567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2020] [Accepted: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) represent two common neurodevelopmental disorders with considerable co-occurrence. Their comorbidity (ASD + ADHD) has been included in the latest diagnostic guidelines (DSM-V, 2013). The present study focuses on social visual attention that i) is a main aspect of social attention reflecting social cognition and ii) its atypicalities have been suggested as a potential biomarker for ASD. Considering the possible shared background of both disorders and their comorbidity, it is important to compare such traits directly. Here, 73 children and adolescents paired for age and IQ diagnosed with ASD (N = 12), ADHD (N = 21), comorbid ASD + ADHD (N = 15), and "typically developing" (TD) controls (N = 25), were shown static real-life social scenes while their gaze movements were recorded with eye-tracking. Scenes with two levels of social complexity were presented: low complexity (one person depicted) and high (four interacting individuals). Gaze fixation variables were investigated. Fixation duration on faces was significantly reduced only in ASD + ADHD which also required longer time to fixate all faces at least once. Fixation duration on faces in ASD was reduced, compared to TD, only when looking at scenes with high versus low social complexity. ADHD individuals did not differ from TD. Concluding, the observed alterations of social visual attention support the existence of possible dysfunctional particularities differentiating ASD, ADHD, and ASD + ADHD, which can be revealed with the new method of eye-tracking technique. The objective gaze measurements provided contribute to the development of biomarkers enabling early diagnosis, amelioration of care and further interventions specified for each group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chara Ioannou
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Medical Faculty, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Divya Seernani
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Medical Faculty, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Maria Elena Stefanou
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Medical Faculty, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.,School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, United Kingdom
| | - Andreas Riedel
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Ludger Tebartz van Elst
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Nikolaos Smyrnis
- Department of Psychiatry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Christian Fleischhaker
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Medical Faculty, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Monica Biscaldi-Schaefer
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Medical Faculty, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | | | - Christoph Klein
- Department of 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, University Hospital Cologne, Cologne, Germany
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53
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Tang JSY, Chen NTM, Falkmer M, Bӧlte S, Girdler S. Atypical Visual Processing but Comparable Levels of Emotion Recognition in Adults with Autism During the Processing of Social Scenes. J Autism Dev Disord 2019; 49:4009-4018. [PMID: 31209741 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-019-04104-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the underlying visual scanning patterns of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) during the processing of complex emotional scenes remains limited. This study compared the complex emotion recognition performance of adults with ASD (n = 23) and matched neurotypical participants (n = 25) using the Reading the Mind in Films Task. Behaviourally, both groups exhibited similar emotion recognition accuracy. Visual fixation time towards key social regions of each stimuli was examined via eye tracking. Individuals with ASD demonstrated significantly longer fixation time towards the non-social areas. No group differences were evident for the facial and body regions of all characters in the social scenes. The findings provide evidence of the heterogeneity associated with complex emotion processing in individuals with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia S Y Tang
- School of Occupational Therapy, Social Work and Speech Pathology, Curtin University, Kent Street, Bentley, Perth, WA, Australia. .,Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism (Autism CRC), Long Pocket Brisbane, Indooroopilly, QLD, Australia.
| | - Nigel T M Chen
- School of Occupational Therapy, Social Work and Speech Pathology, Curtin University, Kent Street, Bentley, Perth, WA, Australia.,Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism (Autism CRC), Long Pocket Brisbane, Indooroopilly, QLD, Australia.,School of Psychological Science, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Marita Falkmer
- School of Occupational Therapy, Social Work and Speech Pathology, Curtin University, Kent Street, Bentley, Perth, WA, Australia.,Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism (Autism CRC), Long Pocket Brisbane, Indooroopilly, QLD, Australia.,School of Education and Communication, CHILD, Swedish Institute of Disability Research, Jӧnkӧping University, Jӧnkӧping County, Sweden
| | - Sven Bӧlte
- School of Occupational Therapy, Social Work and Speech Pathology, Curtin University, Kent Street, Bentley, Perth, WA, Australia.,Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism (Autism CRC), Long Pocket Brisbane, Indooroopilly, QLD, Australia.,Division of Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Center of Neurodevelopment Disorders at Karolinska Institutet (KIND), Stockholm, Sweden.,Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Center for Psychiatry Research, Stockholm County Council, Stockholm County, Sweden
| | - Sonya Girdler
- School of Occupational Therapy, Social Work and Speech Pathology, Curtin University, Kent Street, Bentley, Perth, WA, Australia.,Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism (Autism CRC), Long Pocket Brisbane, Indooroopilly, QLD, Australia
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54
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Plesa Skwerer D, Brukilacchio B, Chu A, Eggleston B, Meyer S, Tager-Flusberg H. Do minimally verbal and verbally fluent individuals with autism spectrum disorder differ in their viewing patterns of dynamic social scenes? AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2019; 23:2131-2144. [PMID: 31067982 PMCID: PMC6776679 DOI: 10.1177/1362361319845563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Attending preferentially to social information in the environment is important in developing socio-communicative skills and language. Research using eye tracking to explore how individuals with autism spectrum disorder deploy visual attention has increased exponentially in the past decade; however, studies have typically not included minimally verbal participants. In this study, we compared 37 minimally verbal children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder with 34 age-matched verbally fluent individuals with autism spectrum disorder in how they viewed a brief video in which a young woman, surrounded by interesting objects, engages the viewer, and later reacts with expected or unexpected gaze-shifts toward the objects. While both groups spent comparable amounts of time looking at different parts of the scene and looked longer at the person than at the objects, the minimally verbal autism spectrum disorder group spent significantly less time looking at the person's face during the episodes where gaze following-a precursor of joint attention-was critical for interpreting her behavior. Proportional looking-time toward key areas of interest in some episodes correlated with receptive language measures. These findings underscore the connections between social attention and the development of communicative abilities in autism spectrum disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Andrea Chu
- Department of Community Health Sciences, Boston University School of Public Health
| | - Brady Eggleston
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University
| | - Steven Meyer
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University
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55
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Avni I, Meiri G, Bar‐Sinai A, Reboh D, Manelis L, Flusser H, Michaelovski A, Menashe I, Dinstein I. Children with autism observe social interactions in an idiosyncratic manner. Autism Res 2019; 13:935-946. [DOI: 10.1002/aur.2234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2019] [Revised: 09/13/2019] [Accepted: 10/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Inbar Avni
- Cognitive and Brain Sciences Department Ben Gurion University of the Negev Be'er Sheva Israel
- National Autism Research Center of Israel Ben Gurion University of the Negev Be'er Sheva Israel
| | - Gal Meiri
- National Autism Research Center of Israel Ben Gurion University of the Negev Be'er Sheva Israel
- Pre‐school Psychiatry Unit Soroka Medical Center Be'er Sheba Israel
| | - Asif Bar‐Sinai
- National Autism Research Center of Israel Ben Gurion University of the Negev Be'er Sheva Israel
- Psychology Department Ben Gurion University of the Negev Be'er Sheva Israel
| | - Doron Reboh
- National Autism Research Center of Israel Ben Gurion University of the Negev Be'er Sheva Israel
- Psychology Department Ben Gurion University of the Negev Be'er Sheva Israel
| | - Liora Manelis
- National Autism Research Center of Israel Ben Gurion University of the Negev Be'er Sheva Israel
- Psychology Department Ben Gurion University of the Negev Be'er Sheva Israel
| | - Hagit Flusser
- National Autism Research Center of Israel Ben Gurion University of the Negev Be'er Sheva Israel
- Child Development Institute Soroka Medical Center Be'er Sheva Israel
| | - Analya Michaelovski
- National Autism Research Center of Israel Ben Gurion University of the Negev Be'er Sheva Israel
- Child Development Institute Soroka Medical Center Be'er Sheva Israel
| | - Idan Menashe
- National Autism Research Center of Israel Ben Gurion University of the Negev Be'er Sheva Israel
- Public Health Department Ben‐Gurion University Be'er Sheva Israel
| | - Ilan Dinstein
- Cognitive and Brain Sciences Department Ben Gurion University of the Negev Be'er Sheva Israel
- National Autism Research Center of Israel Ben Gurion University of the Negev Be'er Sheva Israel
- Psychology Department Ben Gurion University of the Negev Be'er Sheva Israel
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56
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Mihalache D, Feng H, Askari F, Sokol-Hessner P, Moody EJ, Mahoor MH, Sweeny TD. Perceiving gaze from head and eye rotations: An integrative challenge for children and adults. Dev Sci 2019; 23:e12886. [PMID: 31271685 DOI: 10.1111/desc.12886] [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: 07/02/2018] [Revised: 06/13/2019] [Accepted: 06/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Gaze is an emergent visual feature. A person's gaze direction is perceived not just based on the rotation of their eyes, but also their head. At least among adults, this integrative process appears to be flexible such that one feature can be weighted more heavily than the other depending on the circumstances. Yet it is unclear how this weighting might vary across individuals or across development. When children engage emergent gaze, do they prioritize cues from the head and eyes similarly to adults? Is the perception of gaze among individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) emergent, or is it reliant on a single feature? Sixty adults (M = 29.86 years-of-age), thirty-seven typically developing children and adolescents (M = 9.3 years-of-age; range = 7-15), and eighteen children with ASD (M = 9.72 years-of-age; range = 7-15) viewed faces with leftward, rightward, or direct head rotations in conjunction with leftward or rightward pupil rotations, and then indicated whether the face was looking leftward or rightward. All individuals, across development and ASD status, used head rotation to infer gaze direction, albeit with some individual differences. However, the use of pupil rotation was heavily dependent on age. Finally, children with ASD used pupil rotation significantly less than typically developing (TD) children when inferring gaze direction, even after accounting for age. Our approach provides a novel framework for understanding individual and group differences in gaze as it is actually perceived-as an emergent feature. Furthermore, this study begins to address an important gap in ASD literature, taking the first look at emergent gaze perception in this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Mihalache
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, Colorado
| | - Huanghao Feng
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Denver, Denver, Colorado
| | - Farzaneh Askari
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Denver, Denver, Colorado
| | | | - Eric J Moody
- Wyoming Institute for Disabilities, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming
| | - Mohammad H Mahoor
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Denver, Denver, Colorado
| | - Timothy D Sweeny
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, Colorado
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57
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Chen CP, Gau SSF, Lee CC. Toward differential diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder using multimodal behavior descriptors and executive functions. COMPUT SPEECH LANG 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.csl.2018.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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58
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Wang S. Brief Report: Atypical Visual Exploration in Autism Spectrum Disorder Cannot be Attributed to the Amygdala. J Autism Dev Disord 2019; 49:2605-2611. [DOI: 10.1007/s10803-019-04009-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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59
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Howard PL, Zhang L, Benson V. What Can Eye Movements Tell Us about Subtle Cognitive Processing Differences in Autism? Vision (Basel) 2019; 3:E22. [PMID: 31735823 PMCID: PMC6802779 DOI: 10.3390/vision3020022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2019] [Revised: 05/15/2019] [Accepted: 05/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is neurodevelopmental condition principally characterised by impairments in social interaction and communication, and repetitive behaviours and interests. This article reviews the eye movement studies designed to investigate the underlying sampling or processing differences that might account for the principal characteristics of autism. Following a brief summary of a previous review chapter by one of the authors of the current paper, a detailed review of eye movement studies investigating various aspects of processing in autism over the last decade will be presented. The literature will be organised into sections covering different cognitive components, including language and social communication and interaction studies. The aim of the review will be to show how eye movement studies provide a very useful on-line processing measure, allowing us to account for observed differences in behavioural data (accuracy and reaction times). The subtle processing differences that eye movement data reveal in both language and social processing have the potential to impact in the everyday communication domain in autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philippa L Howard
- Department of Psychology, Bournemouth University, Bournemouth BH12 5BB, UK
| | - Li Zhang
- Academy of Psychology and Behaviour, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300074, China
| | - Valerie Benson
- School of Psychology, University of Central Lancashire, Preston PR1 2HE, UK
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60
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Russo‐Ponsaran NM, Lerner MD, McKown C, Weber RJ, Karls A, Kang E, Sommer SL. Web‐based Assessment of Social–Emotional Skills in School‐Aged Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Autism Res 2019; 12:1260-1271. [DOI: 10.1002/aur.2123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2018] [Revised: 03/22/2019] [Accepted: 04/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Clark McKown
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral SciencesRush University Medical Center Chicago Illinois
| | - Rebecca J. Weber
- Department of PsychologyStony Brook University Stony Brook New York
| | - Ashley Karls
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral SciencesRush University Medical Center Chicago Illinois
| | - Erin Kang
- Department of PsychologyStony Brook University Stony Brook New York
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61
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Parish-Morris J, Pallathra AA, Ferguson E, Maddox BB, Pomykacz A, Perez LS, Bateman L, Pandey J, Schultz RT, Brodkin ES. Adaptation to different communicative contexts: an eye tracking study of autistic adults. J Neurodev Disord 2019; 11:5. [PMID: 30981277 PMCID: PMC6461820 DOI: 10.1186/s11689-019-9265-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2018] [Accepted: 03/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Learning through social observation (i.e., watching other people interact) lays the foundation for later social skills and social cognition. However, social situations are often complex, and humans are only capable of attending to one aspect of a scene at a time. How do people choose where to allocate their visual resources when viewing complex social scenarios? For typically developing (TD) individuals, faces are often given priority. Depending upon context, however, it may be more useful to attend to other aspects of the environment, such as hands, tools, or background objects. Previous studies reported reduced face looking in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but modulation of visual attention in response to contextual differences (e.g., according to social richness, or the presence/absence of communicative behaviors between two people) has only briefly been explored. In this study, we used eye-tracking technology to test the extent to which ASD adults and TD adults use social context to guide their gaze behavior. Methods Fifty-five adults participated (28 with ASD). The location and duration of participants’ gaze were recorded while they watched a series of naturalistic social videos. Half of the videos depicted two people engaging in non-verbal communication (rich social scenes) while playing with toys. The other half depicted two people playing with toys separately, not interacting with each other (lean social scenes). Results ASD and TD adults both increased their attention to faces in communicative contexts (rich social scenes) as compared to non-communicative contexts (lean social scenes). However, TD adults increased their attention to faces significantly more when watching two people communicate than did ASD adults, who increased their attention to a lesser degree. Further analysis revealed that ASD adults persisted in looking at hands and toys, even when observing two people communicate in a rich social scene. Conclusions Diminished gaze to faces when observing two people communicating may lead to fewer opportunities for social learning and subsequent reductions in social knowledge. Naturalistic measures of contextual modulation could help identify areas of need for individuals learning about the social world and could become treatment targets to improve everyday social learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Parish-Morris
- Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 5th Floor 2716 South Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19146, USA. .,Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
| | - Ashley A Pallathra
- Department of Psychology, Catholic University of America, Washington, DC, 20064, USA
| | - Emily Ferguson
- Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 5th Floor 2716 South Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19146, USA
| | - Brenna B Maddox
- Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 5th Floor 2716 South Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19146, USA
| | - Alison Pomykacz
- Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 5th Floor 2716 South Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19146, USA
| | - Leat S Perez
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Leila Bateman
- Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 5th Floor 2716 South Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19146, USA
| | - Juhi Pandey
- Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 5th Floor 2716 South Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19146, USA
| | - Robert T Schultz
- Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 5th Floor 2716 South Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19146, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Edward S Brodkin
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
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Metcalfe D, McKenzie K, McCarty K, Pollet TV. Emotion recognition from body movement and gesture in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder is improved by situational cues. RESEARCH IN DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES 2019; 86:1-10. [PMID: 30614445 DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2018.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2018] [Revised: 11/11/2018] [Accepted: 12/18/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Research shows people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have poorer emotion recognition (ER) compared to their typically developing (TD) peers. However, it is not known whether this is the case when stimuli are limited to gesture and posture, and lack facial expressions. METHOD Fifty-four children with (n = 27) and without (n = 27) ASD, matched on age and gender, completed an ER task, that used dynamic stimuli. Processing style bias, Autistic-like-traits and empathy were also measured. With ER as the outcome variable, a multilevel logistic model was created. RESULTS Children with ASD were found to be significantly less accurate in identifying emotions, compared to the control group. Presence of situational cues aided both groups. Autistic-like-traits and empathy were found to correlate too highly with the diagnosed condition to use in the multilevel model. Processing style did not significantly impact ER ability. CONCLUSIONS This study supports previous research which finds ER ability in people with ASD to be poorer than that of TD peers and that situational cues can aid ER ability. Importantly, the latter is true for people with ASD. The implication of these findings are programmes that aim to improve ER should consider using cues. Limitations of the study are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dale Metcalfe
- Department of Psychology, Northumbria University, UK.
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Tsang T, Johnson S, Jeste S, Dapretto M. Social complexity and the early social environment affect visual social attention to faces. Autism Res 2019; 12:445-457. [PMID: 30632286 PMCID: PMC6402992 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2018] [Revised: 11/16/2018] [Accepted: 11/19/2018] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Diminished attention to socially relevant information appears to be an early emerging risk factor associated with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). However, inconsistencies across studies suggest that atypicalities in visual social attention in infants at high-risk for ASD during the first postnatal year may be subtle and more apparent under certain contexts. Here we explore factors that may moderate developmental trajectories in attention to faces, including the social complexity of the dynamic visual stimuli used to measure visual social attention and the early social environment of the infant as indexed by parental affectedness of ASD-related traits. Across infants at both high (HR) and low risk for ASD, attention to faces increased during the first postnatal year, with overall greater attention being allocated to schematic faces in the simpler video stimulus. Moreover, greater parental affectedness of ASD-related traits was associated with reduced developmental gains in attention to faces. For HR infants, greater attention to faces was positively associated with social communicative competence, including better joint attention skills and lower social impairments. Altogether, our findings highlight the importance of considering developmental level when selecting stimuli to longitudinally examine visual social attention, and the clinical relevance of including measures of infant's social environment in understanding early markers of ASD risk. Autism Res 2019, 12: 445-457 © 2019 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY: Attention to faces is an important means for infants to learn about the social world. The complexity of the social scene and an infant's early social environment both affect the amount of time infants at high- and low-risk for ASD look at faces during the first postnatal year. For infants at high-risk for ASD, greater attention to faces was associated with better social skills. Understanding an infant's social environment may have a positive impact on social communicative development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tawny Tsang
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale Child Study Center, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Scott Johnson
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Shafali Jeste
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Mirella Dapretto
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, California
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Bakroon A, Lakshminarayanan V. Do different experimental tasks affect psychophysical measurements of motion perception in autism-spectrum disorder? An analysis. CLINICAL OPTOMETRY 2018; 10:131-143. [PMID: 30588145 PMCID: PMC6296182 DOI: 10.2147/opto.s179336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
There is a rapid increase in the number of individuals with high-functioning autism (HFA). Research on motion perception in HFA has shown deficits in processing motion information at the higher visual cortical areas (V5/middle temporal). Several hypotheses have been put forth to explain these deficits as being due to enhanced processing of small details at the expense of the global picture or as a global integration abnormality. However, there is a lot of variability in the results obtained from experiments designed to study motion in adults with autism. These could be due to the inherent diagnostic differences within even the same range of the autism spectrum and/or due to comparison of different experimental paradigms whose processing by the same visual neural areas could be different. In this review, we discuss the various results on motion processing in HFA, as well as the theories of motion perception in autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asmaa Bakroon
- Theoretical and Experimental Epistemology Laboratory, School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada,
| | - Vasudevan Lakshminarayanan
- Theoretical and Experimental Epistemology Laboratory, School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada,
- Departments of Physics and Systems Design Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
- Department of Computer Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada
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Freeman SM, Palumbo MC, Lawrence RH, Smith AL, Goodman MM, Bales KL. Effect of age and autism spectrum disorder on oxytocin receptor density in the human basal forebrain and midbrain. Transl Psychiatry 2018; 8:257. [PMID: 30514927 PMCID: PMC6279786 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-018-0315-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2018] [Accepted: 08/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The prosocial hormone oxytocin (OXT) has become a new target for research on the etiology and treatment of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a condition characterized by deficits in social function. However, it remains unknown whether there are alterations in OXT receptor (OXTR) levels in the ASD brain. This study quantified the density of OXTR and of the structurally related vasopressin 1a receptor (AVPR1a) in postmortem brain tissue from individuals with ASD and typically developing individuals. We analyzed two regions known to contain OXTR across all primates studied to date: the nucleus basalis of Meynert (NBM), which mediates visual attention, and the superior colliculus, which controls gaze direction. In the NBM specimens, we also analyzed the neighboring ventral pallidum (VP) and the external segment of the globus pallidus. In the superior colliculus specimens, we also analyzed the adjacent periaqueductal gray. We detected dense OXTR binding in the human NBM and VP and moderate to low OXTR binding in the human globus pallidus, superior colliculus, and periaqueductal gray. AVPR1a binding was negligible across all five regions in all specimens. Compared to controls, ASD specimens exhibited significantly higher OXTR binding in the NBM and significantly lower OXTR binding in the VP, an area in the mesolimbic reward pathway. There was no effect of ASD on OXTR binding in the globus pallidus, superior colliculus, or periaqueductal gray. We also found a significant negative correlation between age and OXTR binding in the VP across all specimens. Further analysis revealed a peak in OXTR binding in the VP in early childhood of typically developing individuals, which was absent in ASD. This pattern suggests a possible early life critical period, which is lacking in ASD, where this important reward area becomes maximally sensitive to OXT binding. These results provide unique neurobiological insight into human social development and the social symptoms of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara M. Freeman
- 0000 0004 1936 9684grid.27860.3bDepartment of Psychology, California National Primate Research Center, University of California-Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616 USA
| | - Michelle C. Palumbo
- 0000 0004 1936 9684grid.27860.3bDepartment of Psychology, California National Primate Research Center, University of California-Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616 USA
| | - Rebecca H. Lawrence
- 0000 0004 1936 9684grid.27860.3bDepartment of Psychology, California National Primate Research Center, University of California-Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616 USA
| | - Aaron L. Smith
- 0000 0001 0941 6502grid.189967.8Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, 954 Gatewood Road, Atlanta, GA 30329 USA
| | - Mark M. Goodman
- 0000 0001 0941 6502grid.189967.8Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Emory University, 1841 Clifton Road, Atlanta, GA 30322 USA
| | - Karen L. Bales
- 0000 0004 1936 9684grid.27860.3bDepartment of Psychology, California National Primate Research Center, University of California-Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616 USA
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Mansour H, Kuhn G. Studying "natural" eye movements in an "unnatural" social environment: The influence of social activity, framing, and sub-clinical traits on gaze aversion. Q J Exp Psychol (Hove) 2018; 72:1913-1925. [PMID: 30486746 DOI: 10.1177/1747021818819094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Experimental psychologists frequently present participants with social stimuli (videos or pictures) and measure behavioural responses. Such designs are problematic in that they remove the potential for social interaction and inadvertently restrict our eyes multifaceted nature as a tool to both perceive and communicate with others. The aim of this study was to develop a new paradigm within which we can easily and reliably measure the influence of top-down processes (belief), social activity (talking and listening), and possible clinical traits (gaze anxiety, and social interaction difficulties) onto gaze behaviours. Participants were engaged in a "real" or pre-recorded Skype conversation. Findings suggest that participants who believed they were engaging in a real conversation spent less time looking at the speaker's eyes, but no differences were found for dwell time onto the whole face. Within our non-clinical sample, higher levels of gaze anxiety resulted in reduced dwell time onto the whole face but not eyes, whereas social interaction difficulties produced reduced dwell time onto the eyes only. Finally, talking consistently produced reduced dwell time onto the whole face and eyes regardless of any other conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hassan Mansour
- Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths, University of London, London, UK
| | - Gustav Kuhn
- Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths, University of London, London, UK
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McGuinty EF, Bird BM, Nelson J, McGuinty JL, Cashin A. Novel four-session treatment intervention for anxiety and high-functioning autism: A single case report for Externalizing Metaphors Therapy. JOURNAL OF CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRIC NURSING 2018; 31:87-96. [PMID: 30317688 DOI: 10.1111/jcap.12213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2018] [Revised: 08/21/2018] [Accepted: 09/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
TOPIC The Brief Services psychotherapy paradigm has evolved to produce cost-effective and clinically significant outcomes in children's mental health. Though its clinical evaluation is still in its infancy, it has been utilized to a much lesser degree with autism spectrum disorders, which typically require a longer-term approach to psychotherapy treatment. PURPOSE The current paper introduces a novel, four-session intervention that aims to decrease anxiety experienced by clients presenting with high-functioning autism. Externalizing Metaphors Therapy is based upon the externalization of problems, transformation of metaphoric imagery, shifting of maladaptive emotional schemas, and the generalization of problems. A case study is utilized to visually aid in the understanding of this new treatment intervention. SOURCE A composite literature review was conducted with regards to significant works in Narrative Therapy, treatment interventions for anxiety and high functioning autism, evidence-based treatments for anxiety, and practice based approaches in psychotherapy. Works were selected based on their relevance to the research filed of anxiety and autism. CONCLUSIONS This clinical research challenges the children's mental health field in addressing anxiety and high-functioning autism from a brief framework. Further clinical research is needed to clinically evaluate the current model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Everett F McGuinty
- Faculty of Education, Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Brian M Bird
- Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, British Columbia, Canada
| | - John Nelson
- Private Practice, North Bay, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Andrew Cashin
- School of Health and Human Sciences, Southern Cross University, Lismore, New South Wales, Australia
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68
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Scherf KS, Griffin JW, Judy B, Whyte EM, Geier CF, Elbich D, Smyth JM. Improving sensitivity to eye gaze cues in autism using serious game technology: study protocol for a phase I randomised controlled trial. BMJ Open 2018; 8:e023682. [PMID: 30287612 PMCID: PMC6173230 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2018-023682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2018] [Revised: 07/23/2018] [Accepted: 08/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterised by impairments in social communication. Core symptoms are deficits in social looking behaviours, including limited visual attention to faces and sensitivity to eye gaze cues. We designed an intervention game using serious game mechanics for adolescents with ASD. It is designed to train individuals with ASD to discover that the eyes, and shifts in gaze specifically, provide information about the external world. We predict that the game will increase understanding of gaze cues and attention to faces. METHODS AND ANALYSIS The Social Games for Adolescents with Autism (SAGA) trial is a preliminary, randomised controlled trial comparing the intervention game with a waitlist control condition. 34 adolescents (10-18 years) with ASD with a Full-Scale IQ between 70 and 130 and a minimum second grade reading level, and their parents, will be randomly assigned (equally to intervention or the control condition) following baseline assessments. Intervention participants will be instructed to play the computer game at home on a computer for ~30 min, three times a week. All families are tested in the lab at baseline and approximately 2 months following randomisation in all measures. Primary outcomes are assessed with eye tracking to measure sensitivity to eye gaze cues and social visual attention to faces; secondary outcomes are assessed with questionnaires to measure social skills and autism-like behaviours. The analyses will focus on evaluating the feasibility, safety and preliminary effectiveness of the intervention. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION SAGA is approved by the Institutional Review Board at Pennsylvania State University (00005097). Findings will be disseminated via scientific conferences and peer-reviewed journals and to participants via newsletter. The intervention game will be available to families in the control condition after the full data are collected and if analyses indicate that it is effective. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER NCT02968225.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Suzanne Scherf
- Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Jason W Griffin
- Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Brian Judy
- Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Elisabeth M Whyte
- Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Charles F Geier
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Daniel Elbich
- Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Joshua M Smyth
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
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69
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Bours CCAH, Bakker-Huvenaars MJ, Tramper J, Bielczyk N, Scheepers F, Nijhof KS, Baanders AN, Lambregts-Rommelse NNJ, Medendorp P, Glennon JC, Buitelaar JK. Emotional face recognition in male adolescents with autism spectrum disorder or disruptive behavior disorder: an eye-tracking study. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2018; 27:1143-1157. [PMID: 29922873 PMCID: PMC6133091 DOI: 10.1007/s00787-018-1174-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2017] [Accepted: 05/22/2018] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), and Conduct Disorder (CD) are often associated with emotion recognition difficulties. This is the first eye-tracking study to examine emotional face recognition (i.e., gazing behavior) in a direct comparison of male adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder or Oppositional Defiant Disorder/Conduct Disorder, and typically developing (TD) individuals. We also investigate the role of psychopathic traits, callous-unemotional (CU) traits, and subtypes of aggressive behavior in emotional face recognition. A total of 122 male adolescents (N = 50 ASD, N = 44 ODD/CD, and N = 28 TD) aged 12-19 years (M = 15.4 years, SD= 1.9) were included in the current study for the eye-tracking experiment. Participants were presented with neutral and emotional faces using a Tobii 1750 eye-tracking monitor to record gaze behavior. Our main dependent eye-tracking variables were: (1) fixation duration to the eyes of a face and (2) time to the first fixation to the eyes. Since distributions of eye-tracking variables were not completely Gaussian, non-parametric tests were chosen to investigate gaze behavior across the diagnostic groups with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder/Conduct Disorder, and Typically Developing individuals. Furthermore, we used Spearman correlations to investigate the links with psychopathy, callous, and unemotional traits and subtypes of aggression as assessed by questionnaires. The relative total fixation duration to the eyes was decreased in both the Autism Spectrum Disorder group and the Oppositional Defiant Disorder/Conduct Disorder group for several emotional expressions. In both the Autism Spectrum Disorder and the Oppositional Defiant Disorder/Conduct Disorder group, increased time to first fixation on the eyes of fearful faces only was nominally significant. The time to first fixation on the eyes was nominally correlated with psychopathic traits and proactive aggression. The current findings do not support strong claims for differential cross-disorder eye-gazing deficits and for a role of shared underlying psychopathic traits, callous-unemotional traits, and aggression subtypes. Our data provide valuable and novel insights into gaze timing distributions when looking at the eyes of a fearful face.
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Affiliation(s)
- C C A H Bours
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - M J Bakker-Huvenaars
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - J Tramper
- Centre for Cognition, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - N Bielczyk
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - F Scheepers
- Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - K S Nijhof
- Pluryn, Hoenderloo, The Netherlands
- Department of Developmental Psychology, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - A N Baanders
- Stichting Otto Gerhard Heldring, Zetten, The Netherlands
| | - N N J Lambregts-Rommelse
- Karakter Child and Adolescent Psychiatry University Centre Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - P Medendorp
- Centre for Cognition, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - J C Glennon
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - J K Buitelaar
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Karakter Child and Adolescent Psychiatry University Centre Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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Dalrymple KA, Wall N, Spezio M, Hazlett HC, Piven J, Elison JT. Rapid face orienting in infants and school-age children with and without autism: Exploring measurement invariance in eye-tracking. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0202875. [PMID: 30153278 PMCID: PMC6112675 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0202875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2017] [Accepted: 08/12/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Questions concerning the ontogenetic stability of autism have recently received increased attention as long-term longitudinal studies have appeared in the literature. Most experimental measures are designed for specific ages and functioning levels, yet developing experimental tasks appropriate for a wide range of ages and functioning levels is critical for future long-term longitudinal studies, and treatment studies implemented at different ages. Accordingly, we designed an eye-tracking task to measure preferential orienting to facial features and implemented it with groups of participants with varying levels of functioning: infants, and school-age children with and without autism. All groups fixated eyes first, revealing an early and stable orienting bias. This indicates common bias towards the eyes across participants regardless of age or diagnosis. We also demonstrate that this eye-tracking task can be used with diverse populations who range in age and cognitive functioning. Our developmental approach has conceptual implications for future work focused on task development and particularly new experimental measures that offer measurement equivalence across broad age ranges, intellectual functioning and verbal abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirsten A. Dalrymple
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Natalie Wall
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Michael Spezio
- Psychology and Neuroscience, Scripps College, Claremont, California, United States of America
- Institute for Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center, Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Heather C. Hazlett
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Joseph Piven
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Jed T. Elison
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
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Liang J, Wilkinson K. Gaze Toward Naturalistic Social Scenes by Individuals With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: Implications for Augmentative and Alternative Communication Designs. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2018; 61:1157-1170. [PMID: 29710313 DOI: 10.1044/2018_jslhr-l-17-0331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2017] [Accepted: 12/20/2017] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE A striking characteristic of the social communication deficits in individuals with autism is atypical patterns of eye contact during social interactions. We used eye-tracking technology to evaluate how the number of human figures depicted and the presence of sharing activity between the human figures in still photographs influenced visual attention by individuals with autism, typical development, or Down syndrome. We sought to examine visual attention to the contents of visual scene displays, a growing form of augmentative and alternative communication support. METHOD Eye-tracking technology recorded point-of-gaze while participants viewed 32 photographs in which either 2 or 3 human figures were depicted. Sharing activities between these human figures are either present or absent. The sampling rate was 60 Hz; that is, the technology gathered 60 samples of gaze behavior per second, per participant. Gaze behaviors, including latency to fixate and time spent fixating, were quantified. RESULTS The overall gaze behaviors were quite similar across groups, regardless of the social content depicted. However, individuals with autism were significantly slower than the other groups in latency to first view the human figures, especially when there were 3 people depicted in the photographs (as compared with 2 people). When participants' own viewing pace was considered, individuals with autism resembled those with Down syndrome. CONCLUSION The current study supports the inclusion of social content with various numbers of human figures and sharing activities between human figures into visual scene displays, regardless of the population served. Study design and reporting practices in eye-tracking literature as it relates to autism and Down syndrome are discussed. SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.6066545.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiali Liang
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park
| | - Krista Wilkinson
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park
- E. K. Shriver Center of the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester
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72
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Bacon EC, Osuna S, Courchesne E, Pierce K. Naturalistic language sampling to characterize the language abilities of 3-year-olds with autism spectrum disorder. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2018; 23:699-712. [PMID: 29754501 DOI: 10.1177/1362361318766241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Characterization of language in naturalistic settings in autism spectrum disorder has been lacking, particularly at young ages, but such information is important for parents, teachers, and clinicians to better support language development in real-world settings. Factors contributing to this lack of clarity include conflicting definitions of language abilities, use of non-naturalistic standardized assessments, and restricted samples. The current study examined one of the largest datasets of naturalistic language samples in toddlers with autism spectrum disorder, and language delay and typically developing contrast groups at age 3. A range of indices including length of phrase, grammatical markings, and social use of language was assayed during a naturalistic observation of a parent-child play session. In contrast to historical estimates, results indicated only 3.7% of children with autism spectrum disorder used no words, and 34% were minimally verbal. Children with autism spectrum disorder and language delay exhibited similar usage of grammatical markings, although both were reduced compared to typically developing children. The greatest difference between autism spectrum disorder and language delay groups was the quantity of social language. Overall, findings highlight a range of language deficits in autism spectrum disorder, but also illustrate that the most severe level of impairments is not as common in naturalistic settings as previously estimated by standardized assessments.
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73
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Shultz S, Klin A, Jones W. Neonatal Transitions in Social Behavior and Their Implications for Autism. Trends Cogn Sci 2018; 22:452-469. [PMID: 29609895 PMCID: PMC6554740 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2018.02.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2017] [Revised: 02/23/2018] [Accepted: 02/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Within the context of early infant-caregiver interaction, we review a series of pivotal transitions that occur within the first 6 months of typical infancy, with emphasis on behavior and brain mechanisms involved in preferential orientation towards, and interaction with, other people. Our goal in reviewing these transitions is to better understand how they may lay a necessary and/or sufficient groundwork for subsequent phases of development, and also to understand how the breakdown thereof, when development is atypical and those transitions become derailed, may instead yield disability. We review these developmental processes in light of recent studies documenting disruptions to early-emerging brain and behavior mechanisms in infants later diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, shedding light on the brain-behavior pathogenesis of autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Shultz
- Marcus Autism Center, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA; Division of Autism and Related Disabilities, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30022, USA.
| | - Ami Klin
- Marcus Autism Center, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA; Division of Autism and Related Disabilities, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30022, USA; Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30022, USA
| | - Warren Jones
- Marcus Autism Center, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA; Division of Autism and Related Disabilities, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30022, USA; Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30022, USA.
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74
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Klin A, Jones W. An agenda for 21st century neurodevelopmental medicine: lessons from autism. Rev Neurol 2018; 66:S3-S15. [PMID: 29516447 PMCID: PMC6606044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
The future of neurodevelopmental medicine has the potential of situating child neurology at the forefront of a broad-based public health effort to optimize neurodevelopmental outcomes of children born with high-prevalence and diverse genetic, pre- and peri-natal, and environmental burdens compromising early brain development and leading to lifetime disabilities. Building on advancements in developmental social neuroscience and in implementation science, this shift is already occurring in the case of emblematic neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism. Capitalizing on early neuroplasticity and on quantification of trajectories of social-communicative development, new technologies are emerging for high-throughput and cost-effective diagnosis and for community-viable delivery of powerful treatments, in seamless integration across previously fragmented systems of healthcare delivery. These solutions could be deployed in the case of other groups of children at greater risk for autism and communication delays, such as those born extremely premature or with congenital heart disease. The galvanizing concept in this aspirational future is a public health focus on promoting optimal conditions for early brain development, not unlike current campaigns promoting pre-natal care, nutrition or vaccination.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Klin
- Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and Emory University School of Medicine. Atlanta, Georgia, EE.UU
| | - W Jones
- Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and Emory University School of Medicine. Atlanta, Georgia, EE.UU
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75
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Gillespie-Smith K, Ballantyne C, Branigan HP, Turk DJ, Cunningham SJ. The I in autism: Severity and social functioning in autism are related to self-processing. BRITISH JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY 2017; 36:127-141. [DOI: 10.1111/bjdp.12219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2017] [Revised: 10/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Karri Gillespie-Smith
- Division of Psychology; School of Media, Culture and Society; University of West of Scotland; Paisley UK
| | - Carrie Ballantyne
- Division of Psychology; School of Media, Culture and Society; University of West of Scotland; Paisley UK
| | | | - David J. Turk
- School of Experimental Psychology; Bristol University; UK
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76
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Shaffer RC, Pedapati EV, Shic F, Gaietto K, Bowers K, Wink LK, Erickson CA. Brief Report: Diminished Gaze Preference for Dynamic Social Interaction Scenes in Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorders. J Autism Dev Disord 2017; 47:506-513. [PMID: 27878742 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-016-2975-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
In this study, we present an eye-tracking paradigm, adapted from previous work with toddlers, for assessing social-interaction looking preferences in youth ages 5-17 with ASD and typically-developing controls (TDC). Videos of children playing together (Social Scenes, SS) were presented side-by-side with animated geometric shapes (GS). Participants with ASD demonstrated reduced SS preferences compared to TDC, results also represented continuously by associations between higher SS preferences and fewer social difficulties across the combined sample. Exploratory analyses identified associations between increased SS preferences and higher Vineland Daily Living Skills in ASD and suggested SS preferences in TDC females might drive ASD versus TDC between-group differences. These findings describe potentially sex-linked couplings between preferences for social information and social functioning in school-aged children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca C Shaffer
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Avenue, MLC 4002, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA.
| | - Ernest V Pedapati
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Avenue, MLC 4002, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
| | | | - Kristina Gaietto
- University of Cincinnati School of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Katherine Bowers
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Avenue, MLC 4002, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
| | - Logan K Wink
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Avenue, MLC 4002, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
| | - Craig A Erickson
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Avenue, MLC 4002, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
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77
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McIntyre NS, Solari EJ, Grimm RP, E Lerro L, E Gonzales J, Mundy PC. A Comprehensive Examination of Reading Heterogeneity in Students with High Functioning Autism: Distinct Reading Profiles and Their Relation to Autism Symptom Severity. J Autism Dev Disord 2017; 47:1086-1101. [PMID: 28160222 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-017-3029-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The goal of this study was to identify unique profiles of readers in a sample of 8-16 year olds with higher functioning autism spectrum disorders (HFASD) and examine the profiles in relation to ASD symptom severity. Eighty-one students were assessed utilizing a comprehensive reading battery that included basic word reading, language, and comprehension. Using Latent Profile Analysis, four empirically distinct profiles of readers emerged. Next, using the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition (Lord et al., Autism diagnostic observation schedule, 2nd edn, Western Psychological Services, Torrance, CA, 2012), analyses were conducted to determine if significant differences existed between profiles as a result of ASD symptomatology. Findings demonstrate the heterogeneous nature of reading profiles in students with HFASD and significant differences between the reading profiles and ASD symptom severity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy S McIntyre
- School of Education, University of California, Davis, 1 Shields Ave, Davis, CA, 95616, USA.
| | - Emily J Solari
- School of Education, University of California, Davis, 1 Shields Ave, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Ryan P Grimm
- School of Education, University of California, Davis, 1 Shields Ave, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Lindsay E Lerro
- School of Education, University of California, Davis, 1 Shields Ave, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | | | - Peter C Mundy
- School of Education, University of California, Davis, 1 Shields Ave, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
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78
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Frazier TW, Strauss M, Klingemier EW, Zetzer EE, Hardan AY, Eng C, Youngstrom EA. A Meta-Analysis of Gaze Differences to Social and Nonsocial Information Between Individuals With and Without Autism. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2017; 56:546-555. [PMID: 28647006 PMCID: PMC5578719 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2017.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 179] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2017] [Revised: 04/11/2017] [Accepted: 05/05/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Numerous studies have identified abnormal gaze in individuals with autism. However, only some findings have been replicated, the magnitude of effects is unclear, and the pattern of gaze differences across stimuli remains poorly understood. To address these gaps, a comprehensive meta-analysis of autism eye-tracking studies was conducted. METHOD PubMed and a manual search of 1,132 publications were used to identify studies comparing looking behavior to social and/or nonsocial stimuli between individuals with autism and controls. Sample characteristics, eye-tracking methods, stimulus features, and regions of interest (ROIs) were coded for each comparison within each study. Multivariate mixed-effects meta-regression analyses examined the impact of study methodology, stimulus features, and ROI on effect sizes derived from comparisons using gaze-fixation metrics. RESULTS The search yielded 122 independent studies with 1,155 comparisons. Estimated effect sizes tended to be small to medium but varied substantially across stimuli and ROIs. Overall, nonsocial ROIs yielded larger effect sizes than social ROIs; however, eye and whole-face regions from stimuli with human interaction produced the largest effects (Hedges g = 0.47 and 0.50, respectively). Studies with weaker study designs or reporting yielded larger effects, but key effects remained significant and medium in size, even for high-rigor designs. CONCLUSION Individuals with autism show a reliable pattern of gaze abnormalities that suggests a basic problem with selecting socially relevant versus irrelevant information for attention and that persists across ages and worsens during perception of human interactions. Aggregation of gaze abnormalities across stimuli and ROIs could yield clinically useful risk assessment and quantitative, objective outcome measurements.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Charis Eng
- Genomic Medicine Institute, Cleveland Clinic
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79
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Ruta L, Famà FI, Bernava GM, Leonardi E, Tartarisco G, Falzone A, Pioggia G, Chakrabarti B. Reduced preference for social rewards in a novel tablet based task in young children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Sci Rep 2017; 7:3329. [PMID: 28607376 PMCID: PMC5468258 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-03615-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2016] [Accepted: 05/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Atypical responsivity to social rewards has been observed in young children with or at risk of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). These observations contributed to the hypothesis of reduced social motivation in ASD. In the current study we develop a novel task to test social reward preference using a tablet computer (iPad), where two differently coloured buttons were associated with a social and a nonsocial rewarding image respectively. 63 young children, aged 14–68 months, with and without a diagnosis of ASD took part in the study. The experimental sessions were also recorded on video, using an in-built webcam on the tablet as well as an external camera. Children with ASD were found to show a reduced relative preference for social rewards, indexed by a lower proportion of touches for the button associated with the social reward image. Greater social preference as measured using the tablet-based task was associated with increased use of social communicative behaviour such as eye contact with the experimenter and social smile in response to the social reward image. These results are consistent with earlier findings from eye-tracking studies, and provide novel empirical insights into atypical social reward responsivity in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liliana Ruta
- Institute of Applied Sciences and Intelligent Systems, "Eduardo Caianiello" (ScienceApp) - National Research Council of Italy (CNR), via Torre Bianca, SNC, Istituto Marino, Pad. 4, 98164, Messina, Italy.,Department of Developmental Neuroscience, Stella Maris Scientific Institute, V.le del Tirreno 341, 56018, Calambrone, Pisa, Italy
| | - Francesca Isabella Famà
- Institute of Applied Sciences and Intelligent Systems, "Eduardo Caianiello" (ScienceApp) - National Research Council of Italy (CNR), via Torre Bianca, SNC, Istituto Marino, Pad. 4, 98164, Messina, Italy.,Department of Cognitive Sciences, Psychology, Education and Cultural Studies (COSPECS), University of Messina, Via Concezione 6, 98122, Messina, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Massimo Bernava
- Institute of Applied Sciences and Intelligent Systems, "Eduardo Caianiello" (ScienceApp) - National Research Council of Italy (CNR), via Torre Bianca, SNC, Istituto Marino, Pad. 4, 98164, Messina, Italy
| | - Elisa Leonardi
- Institute of Applied Sciences and Intelligent Systems, "Eduardo Caianiello" (ScienceApp) - National Research Council of Italy (CNR), via Torre Bianca, SNC, Istituto Marino, Pad. 4, 98164, Messina, Italy.,Department of Cognitive Sciences, Psychology, Education and Cultural Studies (COSPECS), University of Messina, Via Concezione 6, 98122, Messina, Italy
| | - Gennaro Tartarisco
- Institute of Applied Sciences and Intelligent Systems, "Eduardo Caianiello" (ScienceApp) - National Research Council of Italy (CNR), via Torre Bianca, SNC, Istituto Marino, Pad. 4, 98164, Messina, Italy
| | - Alessandra Falzone
- Department of Cognitive Sciences, Psychology, Education and Cultural Studies (COSPECS), University of Messina, Via Concezione 6, 98122, Messina, Italy
| | - Giovanni Pioggia
- Institute of Applied Sciences and Intelligent Systems, "Eduardo Caianiello" (ScienceApp) - National Research Council of Italy (CNR), via Torre Bianca, SNC, Istituto Marino, Pad. 4, 98164, Messina, Italy
| | - Bhismadev Chakrabarti
- Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and Neurodynamics, School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, RG6 6AL, UK.
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80
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Tenenbaum EJ, Amso D, Righi G, Sheinkopf SJ. Attempting to "Increase Intake from the Input": Attention and Word Learning in Children with Autism. J Autism Dev Disord 2017; 47:1791-1805. [PMID: 28342164 PMCID: PMC7916990 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-017-3098-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Previous work has demonstrated that social attention is related to early language abilities. We explored whether we can facilitate word learning among children with autism by directing attention to areas of the scene that have been demonstrated as relevant for successful word learning. We tracked eye movements to faces and objects while children watched videos of a woman teaching them new words. Test trials measured participants' recognition of these novel word-object pairings. Results indicate that for children with autism and typically developing children, pointing to the speaker's mouth while labeling a novel object impaired performance, likely because it distracted participants from the target object. In contrast, for children with autism, holding the object close to the speaker's mouth improved performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena J Tenenbaum
- Brown Center for the Study of Children at Risk, Women and Infants Hospital, 101 Dudley Street, Providence, RI, 02905, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry & Human Behavior, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
| | - Dima Amso
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Giulia Righi
- Emma Pendleton Bradley Hospital, East Providence, RI, USA
- Department of Psychiatry & Human Behavior, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Stephen J Sheinkopf
- Brown Center for the Study of Children at Risk, Women and Infants Hospital, 101 Dudley Street, Providence, RI, 02905, USA
- Department of Psychiatry & Human Behavior, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
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81
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Pavlova MA, Guerreschi M, Tagliavento L, Gitti F, Sokolov AN, Fallgatter AJ, Fazzi E. Social cognition in autism: Face tuning. Sci Rep 2017; 7:2734. [PMID: 28578379 PMCID: PMC5457440 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-02790-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2017] [Accepted: 04/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Faces convey valuable information for social cognition, effective interpersonal interaction, and non-verbal communication. Face perception is believed to be atypical in autism, but the origin of this deficit is controversial. Dominant featural face encoding is suggested to be responsible for face tuning scarcity. Here we used a recently developed Face-n-Food paradigm for studying face tuning in individuals with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD). The key benefit of these images is that single components do not explicitly trigger face processing. In a spontaneous recognition task, adolescents with autism and typically developing matched controls were presented with a set of Face-n-Food images in different degree resembling a face (slightly bordering on the Giuseppe Arcimboldo style). The set of images was shown in a predetermined order from the least to most resembling a face. Thresholds for recognition of the Face-n-Food images as a face in ASD individuals were substantially higher than in typically developing controls: they did not report seeing a face on the images, which controls easily recognized as a face, and gave overall fewer face responses. This outcome not only lends support to atypical face tuning, but provides novel insights into the origin of face encoding deficits in autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina A Pavlova
- Department of Biomedical Magnetic Resonance, Medical School, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany. .,Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School and University Hospital, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Michele Guerreschi
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Lucia Tagliavento
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Filippo Gitti
- Unit of Child and Adolescent Neurology and Psychiatry, Asst Spedali Civili di Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Alexander N Sokolov
- Women's Health Research Institute, Department of Women's Health, Medical School and University Hospital, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Andreas J Fallgatter
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School and University Hospital, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Elisa Fazzi
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.,Unit of Child and Adolescent Neurology and Psychiatry, Asst Spedali Civili di Brescia, Brescia, Italy
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82
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Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterized by impairment in social communication and restricted and repetitive interests. While not included in the diagnostic characterization, aspects of face processing and learning have shown disruptions at all stages of development in ASD, although the exact nature and extent of the impairment vary by age and level of functioning of the ASD sample as well as by task demands. In this review, we examine the nature of face attention, perception, and learning in individuals with ASD focusing on three broad age ranges (early development, middle childhood, and adolescence/adulthood). We propose that early delays in basic face processing contribute to the atypical trajectory of social communicative skills in individuals with ASD and contribute to poor social learning throughout development. Face learning is a life-long necessity, as the social world of individual only broadens with age, and thus addressing both the source of the impairment in ASD as well as the trajectory of ability throughout the lifespan, through targeted treatments, may serve to positively impact the lives of individuals who struggle with social information and understanding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Jane Webb
- University of Washington, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science
- Seattle Children’s Research Institute (SCRI), Center on Child Health, Behavior and Development (CHBD)
| | | | - Susan Faja
- Harvard University
- Boston Children’s Hospital
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83
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Social-Emotional Inhibition of Return in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Versus Typical Development. J Autism Dev Disord 2016; 46:1236-46. [PMID: 26586556 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-015-2661-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
In typical development there is a bias to orient visual attention to social information. Children with ASD do not reliably demonstrate this bias, and the role of attention orienting has not been well studied. We examined attention orienting via the inhibition of return (IOR) mechanism in a spatial cueing task using social-emotional cues; we studied 8- to 17-year-old children with ASD (n = 41) and typically developing controls (TDC) (n = 25). The ASD group exhibited a significantly stronger IOR effect than the TDC group, and the IOR effect correlated positively with social impairments but was unrelated to co-occurring ADHD or anxiety symptoms. The results provide evidence of an early altered attention mechanism that is associated with to core social deficits in ASD.
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84
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Abstract
Although a growing body of research indicates that children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit selective deficits in their ability to recognize facial identities and expressions, the source of their face impairment is, as yet, undetermined. In this paper, we consider three possible accounts of the autism face deficit: (1) the holistic hypothesis, (2) the local perceptual bias hypothesis and (3) the eye avoidance hypothesis. A review of the literature indicates that contrary to the holistic hypothesis, there is little evidence to suggest that individuals with autism do perceive faces holistically. The local perceptual bias account also fails to explain the selective advantage that ASD individuals demonstrate for objects and their selective disadvantage for faces. The eye avoidance hypothesis provides a plausible explanation of face recognition deficits where individuals with ASD avoid the eye region because it is perceived as socially threatening. Direct eye contact elicits a increased physiological response as indicated by heightened skin conductance and amygdala activity. For individuals with autism, avoiding the eyes is an adaptive strategy, however, this approach interferes with the ability to process facial cues of identity, expressions and intentions, exacerbating the social challenges for persons with ASD.
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85
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Methods Investigating How Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder Spontaneously Attend to Social Events. REVIEW JOURNAL OF AUTISM AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s40489-016-0099-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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86
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Autonomic Arousal Response Habituation to Social Stimuli Among Children with Asd. J Autism Dev Disord 2016; 46:3688-3699. [DOI: 10.1007/s10803-016-2908-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
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87
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Allen ML, Hartley C, Cain K. iPads and the Use of "Apps" by Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Do They Promote Learning? Front Psychol 2016; 7:1305. [PMID: 27625621 PMCID: PMC5004059 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2016] [Accepted: 08/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The advent of electronic tablets, such as Apple's iPad, has opened up the field of learning via technology, and the use of electronic applications (“apps”) on these devices continues to dramatically rise. Children with communication and social impairment, specifically those with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), often use educational and recreational apps within the context of their home and school settings. Here we examine in which contexts learning via this medium may be beneficial, and outline recommendations for the use of electronic tablets and the design features for apps to promote learning in this population that is characterized by a unique profile of needs and heterogeneous ability levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa L Allen
- Department of Psychology, Lancaster University Lancaster, UK
| | - Calum Hartley
- Department of Psychology, Lancaster University Lancaster, UK
| | - Kate Cain
- Department of Psychology, Lancaster University Lancaster, UK
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88
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Müller N, Baumeister S, Dziobek I, Banaschewski T, Poustka L. Validation of the Movie for the Assessment of Social Cognition in Adolescents with ASD: Fixation Duration and Pupil Dilation as Predictors of Performance. J Autism Dev Disord 2016; 46:2831-44. [DOI: 10.1007/s10803-016-2828-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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89
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Chita-Tegmark M. Attention Allocation in ASD: a Review and Meta-analysis of Eye-Tracking Studies. REVIEW JOURNAL OF AUTISM AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s40489-016-0077-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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90
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Freeman SM, Young LJ. Comparative Perspectives on Oxytocin and Vasopressin Receptor Research in Rodents and Primates: Translational Implications. J Neuroendocrinol 2016; 28. [PMID: 26940141 PMCID: PMC4886472 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 128] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2015] [Revised: 02/01/2016] [Accepted: 03/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
In the last several decades, sophisticated experimental techniques have been used to determine the neurobiology of the oxytocin and vasopressin systems in rodents. Using a suite of methodologies, including electrophysiology, site-specific selective pharmacology, receptor autoradiography, in vivo microdialysis, and genetic and optogenetic manipulations, we have gained unprecedented knowledge about how these neuropeptides engage neural circuits to regulate behaviour, particularly social behaviour. Based on this foundation of information from rodent studies, we have started generating new hypotheses and frameworks about how the oxytocin and vasopressin systems could be acting in humans to influence social cognition. However, despite the recent inundation of publications using intranasal oxytocin in humans, we still know very little about the neurophysiology of the oxytocin system in primates more broadly. Furthermore, the design and analysis of these human studies have remained largely uninformed of the potential neurobiological mechanisms underlying their findings. Although the methods available for studying the oxytocin and vasopressin systems in humans are incredibly limited as a result of practical and ethical considerations, there is great potential to fill the gaps in our knowledge by developing better nonhuman primate models of social functioning. Behavioural pharmacology and receptor autoradiography have been used to study the oxytocin and vasopressin systems in nonhuman primates, and there is now great potential to broaden our understanding of the neurobiology of these systems. In this review, we discuss comparative findings in receptor distributions in rodents and primates, with perspectives on the functionality of conserved regions of expression in these distinct mammalian clades. We also identify specific ways that established technologies can be used to answer basic research questions in primates. Finally, we highlight areas of future research in nonhuman primates that are experimentally poised to yield critical insights into the anatomy, physiology and behavioural effects of the oxytocin system, given its remarkable translational potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara M Freeman
- Department of Psychology, California National Primate Research Center, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Larry J Young
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
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91
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Frazier TW, Klingemier EW, Beukemann M, Speer L, Markowitz L, Parikh S, Wexberg S, Giuliano K, Schulte E, Delahunty C, Ahuja V, Eng C, Manos MJ, Hardan AY, Youngstrom EA, Strauss MS. Development of an Objective Autism Risk Index Using Remote Eye Tracking. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2016; 55:301-9. [PMID: 27015721 PMCID: PMC4808563 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2016.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2015] [Revised: 01/15/2016] [Accepted: 01/29/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Abnormal eye gaze is a hallmark characteristic of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and numerous studies have identified abnormal attention patterns in ASD. The primary aim of the present study was to create an objective, eye tracking-based autism risk index. METHOD In initial and replication studies, children were recruited after referral for comprehensive multidisciplinary evaluation of ASD and subsequently grouped by clinical consensus diagnosis (ASD n = 25/15, non-ASD n = 20/19 for initial/replication samples). Remote eye tracking was blinded to diagnosis and included multiple stimuli. Dwell times were recorded to each a priori-defined region of interest (ROI) and averaged across ROIs to create an autism risk index. Receiver operating characteristic curve analyses examined classification accuracy. Correlations with clinical measures evaluated whether the autism risk index was associated with autism symptom severity independent of language ability. RESULTS In both samples, the autism risk index had high diagnostic accuracy (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.91 and 0.85, 95% CIs = 0.81-0.98 and 0.71-0.96), was strongly associated with Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-Second Edition (ADOS-2) severity scores (r = 0.58 and 0.59, p < .001), and not significantly correlated with language ability (r ≤| -0.28|, p > .095). CONCLUSION The autism risk index may be a useful quantitative and objective measure of risk for autism in at-risk settings. Future research in larger samples is needed to cross-validate these findings. If validated and scaled for clinical use, this measure could inform clinical judgment regarding ASD diagnosis and track symptom improvements.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Veena Ahuja
- Pediatric and Neurologic Institutes, Cleveland Clinic
| | - Charis Eng
- Genomic Medicine Institute, Cleveland Clinic
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92
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Ballantyne CJ, Núñez M. Developmental trajectories of hierarchical visuo-spatial processing in fragile X syndrome and ASD: Within- and cross-syndrome variability. RESEARCH IN DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES 2016; 51-52:103-115. [PMID: 26809150 DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2015.12.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2015] [Revised: 12/22/2015] [Accepted: 12/26/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIMS Despite the advances in understanding visuo-spatial processing in developmental disorders such as ASD and fragile X syndrome (FXS), less is known about the profile of those with a comorbid diagnosis, or the role of within-disorder disparities between individuals across the ASD spectrum. METHODS AND PROCEDURES Using a developmental trajectory approach, we tested 5 groups of children: Typically developing, FXS, FXS+ASD, ASD individuals who had low-moderate symptoms (HFA) and ASD individuals who had severe symptoms (LFA). Symptoms of ASD were assessed using the Childhood Autism Rating Scale: CARS and hierarchical visuo-spatial processing was assessed using the Navon task. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS Crucially, results differed between HFA and LFA participants. Furthermore, the pattern of results differed between those who had a diagnosis of FXS only and FXS+ASD. Poorer performance within the FXS groups and the group who are low functioning on the ASD spectrum indicated a delayed developmental rate compared to typical controls. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS This study showed that diagnosis and severity of symptoms are indicative of differences in visuo-spatial processing styles. It is important that heterogeneity within FXS and ASD populations are considered in subsequent studies and look beyond diagnostic group differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carrie J Ballantyne
- Division of Psychology, School of Health and Life Sciences, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow G4 0BA, UK.
| | - María Núñez
- Division of Psychology, School of Health and Life Sciences, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow G4 0BA, UK.
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93
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Chita-Tegmark M. Social attention in ASD: A review and meta-analysis of eye-tracking studies. RESEARCH IN DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES 2016; 48:79-93. [PMID: 26547134 DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2015.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 229] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2015] [Revised: 09/29/2015] [Accepted: 10/19/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Determining whether social attention is reduced in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and what factors influence social attention is important to our theoretical understanding of developmental trajectories of ASD and to designing targeted interventions for ASD. This meta-analysis examines data from 38 articles that used eye-tracking methods to compare individuals with ASD and TD controls. In this paper, the impact of eight factors on the size of the effect for the difference in social attention between these two groups are evaluated: age, non-verbal IQ matching, verbal IQ matching, motion, social content, ecological validity, audio input and attention bids. Results show that individuals with ASD spend less time attending to social stimuli than typically developing (TD) controls, with a mean effect size of 0.55. Social attention in ASD was most impacted when stimuli had a high social content (showed more than one person). This meta-analysis provides an opportunity to survey the eye-tracking research on social attention in ASD and to outline potential future research directions, more specifically research of social attention in the context of stimuli with high social content.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meia Chita-Tegmark
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, United States.
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94
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The effect of back support on attention in Autism Spectrum Disorder: A pilot study testing André Bullinger's model1. ENFANCE 2015. [DOI: 10.4074/s0013754515004139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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95
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Pereira Rahme I, Parlato de Oliveira E. The effect of back support on attention in Autism Spectrum Disorder: A pilot study testing André Bullinger's model. ENFANCE 2015. [DOI: 10.3917/enf1.154.0515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
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96
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Wang S, Jiang M, Duchesne XM, Laugeson EA, Kennedy DP, Adolphs R, Zhao Q. Atypical Visual Saliency in Autism Spectrum Disorder Quantified through Model-Based Eye Tracking. Neuron 2015; 88:604-16. [PMID: 26593094 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2015.09.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 164] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2015] [Revised: 07/21/2015] [Accepted: 09/21/2015] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The social difficulties that are a hallmark of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are thought to arise, at least in part, from atypical attention toward stimuli and their features. To investigate this hypothesis comprehensively, we characterized 700 complex natural scene images with a novel three-layered saliency model that incorporated pixel-level (e.g., contrast), object-level (e.g., shape), and semantic-level attributes (e.g., faces) on 5,551 annotated objects. Compared with matched controls, people with ASD had a stronger image center bias regardless of object distribution, reduced saliency for faces and for locations indicated by social gaze, and yet a general increase in pixel-level saliency at the expense of semantic-level saliency. These results were further corroborated by direct analysis of fixation characteristics and investigation of feature interactions. Our results for the first time quantify atypical visual attention in ASD across multiple levels and categories of objects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuo Wang
- Computation and Neural Systems, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; Humanities and Social Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Ming Jiang
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117583, Singapore
| | - Xavier Morin Duchesne
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Laugeson
- Department of Psychiatry and PEERS Clinic, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90024, USA
| | - Daniel P Kennedy
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Ralph Adolphs
- Computation and Neural Systems, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA; Humanities and Social Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Qi Zhao
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117583, Singapore.
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97
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Schwartzman JS, Velloso RDL, D'Antino MEF, Santos S. The eye-tracking of social stimuli in patients with Rett syndrome and autism spectrum disorders: a pilot study. ARQUIVOS DE NEURO-PSIQUIATRIA 2015; 73:402-7. [PMID: 26017205 DOI: 10.1590/0004-282x20150033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2014] [Accepted: 01/09/2015] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To compare visual fixation at social stimuli in Rett syndrome (RT) and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) patients. METHOD Visual fixation at social stimuli was analyzed in 14 RS female patients (age range 4-30 years), 11 ASD male patients (age range 4-20 years), and 17 children with typical development (TD). Patients were exposed to three different pictures (two of human faces and one with social and non-social stimuli) presented for 8 seconds each on the screen of a computer attached to an eye-tracker equipment. RESULTS Percentage of visual fixation at social stimuli was significantly higher in the RS group compared to ASD and even to TD groups. CONCLUSION Visual fixation at social stimuli seems to be one more endophenotype making RS to be very different from ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Renata de Lima Velloso
- Clínica de Transtornos do Espectro do Autismo, Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
| | | | - Silvana Santos
- Associação Brasileira de Síndrome de Rett de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
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98
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Faso DJ, Sasson NJ, Pinkham AE. Evaluating posed and evoked facial expressions of emotion from adults with autism spectrum disorder. J Autism Dev Disord 2015; 45:75-89. [PMID: 25037584 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-014-2194-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Though many studies have examined facial affect perception by individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), little research has investigated how facial expressivity in ASD is perceived by others. Here, naïve female observers (n = 38) judged the intensity, naturalness and emotional category of expressions produced by adults with ASD (n = 6) and typically developing (TD) adults (n = 6) in both a posed condition and an evoked condition in which emotions were naturalistically elicited and validated. ASD expressions were rated as more intense and less natural than TD expressions but contrary to prediction were identified with greater accuracy, an effect driven primarily by angry expressions. Naturalness ratings of evoked expressions were positively associated with identification accuracy for TD but not ASD individuals. Collectively, these findings highlight differences, but not a reduction, in facial expressivity in ASD that do not hinder emotion recognition accuracy but may affect social interaction quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J Faso
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, GR41, Richardson, TX, 75080, USA
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99
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Crawford H, Moss J, McCleery JP, Anderson GM, Oliver C. Face scanning and spontaneous emotion preference in Cornelia de Lange syndrome and Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome. J Neurodev Disord 2015; 7:22. [PMID: 26229571 PMCID: PMC4520195 DOI: 10.1186/s11689-015-9119-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2014] [Accepted: 06/19/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Existing literature suggests differences in face scanning in individuals with different socio-behavioural characteristics. Cornelia de Lange syndrome (CdLS) and Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome (RTS) are two genetically defined neurodevelopmental disorders with unique profiles of social behaviour. METHODS Here, we examine eye gaze to the eye and mouth regions of neutrally expressive faces, as well as the spontaneous visual preference for happy and disgusted facial expressions compared to neutral faces, in individuals with CdLS versus RTS. RESULTS Results indicate that the amount of time spent looking at the eye and mouth regions of faces was similar in 15 individuals with CdLS and 17 individuals with RTS. Both participant groups also showed a similar pattern of spontaneous visual preference for emotions. CONCLUSIONS These results provide insight into two rare, genetically defined neurodevelopmental disorders that have been reported to exhibit contrasting socio-behavioural characteristics and suggest that differences in social behaviour may not be sufficient to predict attention to the eye region of faces. These results also suggest that differences in the social behaviours of these two groups may be cognitively mediated rather than subcortically mediated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hayley Crawford
- />Centre for Research in Psychology, Behaviour and Achievement, Coventry University, Coventry, CV1 5FB UK
- />Cerebra Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, B15 2TT UK
| | - Joanna Moss
- />Cerebra Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, B15 2TT UK
- />Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, 17 Queen Square, London, WC1N 3AR UK
| | - Joseph P. McCleery
- />Center for Autism Research, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, 3535 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA
| | - Giles M. Anderson
- />School of Psychology, Oxford Brookes University, Headington Campus, Oxford, OX3 0BP UK
| | - Chris Oliver
- />Cerebra Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, B15 2TT UK
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100
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Amestoy A, Guillaud E, Bouvard MP, Cazalets JR. Developmental changes in face visual scanning in autism spectrum disorder as assessed by data-based analysis. Front Psychol 2015; 6:989. [PMID: 26236264 PMCID: PMC4503892 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2015] [Accepted: 06/29/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) present reduced visual attention to faces. However, contradictory conclusions have been drawn about the strategies involved in visual face scanning due to the various methodologies implemented in the study of facial screening. Here, we used a data-driven approach to compare children and adults with ASD subjected to the same free viewing task and to address developmental aspects of face scanning, including its temporal patterning, in healthy children, and adults. Four groups (54 subjects) were included in the study: typical adults, typically developing children, and adults and children with ASD. Eye tracking was performed on subjects viewing unfamiliar faces. Fixations were analyzed using a data-driven approach that employed spatial statistics to provide an objective, unbiased definition of the areas of interest. Typical adults expressed a spatial and temporal strategy for visual scanning that differed from the three other groups, involving a sequential fixation of the right eye (RE), left eye (LE), and mouth. Typically developing children, adults and children with autism exhibited similar fixation patterns and they always started by looking at the RE. Children (typical or with ASD) subsequently looked at the LE or the mouth. Based on the present results, the patterns of fixation for static faces that mature from childhood to adulthood in typical subjects are not found in adults with ASD. The atypical patterns found after developmental progression and experience in ASD groups appear to remain blocked in an immature state that cannot be differentiated from typical developmental child patterns of fixation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anouck Amestoy
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Charles Perrens Hospital, Université de Bordeaux, BordeauxFrance
- CNRS UMR 5287, Institut de Neurosciences Cognitives et Intégratives d’Aquitaine, Université de Bordeaux, BordeauxFrance
| | - Etienne Guillaud
- CNRS UMR 5287, Institut de Neurosciences Cognitives et Intégratives d’Aquitaine, Université de Bordeaux, BordeauxFrance
| | - Manuel P. Bouvard
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Charles Perrens Hospital, Université de Bordeaux, BordeauxFrance
- CNRS UMR 5287, Institut de Neurosciences Cognitives et Intégratives d’Aquitaine, Université de Bordeaux, BordeauxFrance
| | - Jean-René Cazalets
- CNRS UMR 5287, Institut de Neurosciences Cognitives et Intégratives d’Aquitaine, Université de Bordeaux, BordeauxFrance
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