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Polzer L, Schenk M, Raji N, Kleber S, Lemler C, Kitzerow-Cleven J, Kim Z, Freitag CM, Bast N. Temporal progression of pupil dilation and gaze behavior to emotion expressions in preschoolers with autism spectrum disorder. Sci Rep 2024; 14:7843. [PMID: 38570565 PMCID: PMC10991397 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-58480-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Previous work has shown divergent pupil dilation (PD) and gaze behavior in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), which may relate to the development of social difficulties in early life. Here, we investigated temporal dynamics of both phenotypes during naturalistic videos of a person displaying facial emotion expressions in 61 autistic and 61 non-autistic preschoolers. PD was segmented into three serial time components derived from a principal component analysis. Growth curve analysis was applied to analyze changes in looking time on eye and mouth regions over time. Groups did not differ in PD time components. Growth curve analysis revealed initially shorter looking times on the eyes and longer looking times on the mouth in autistic versus non-autistic preschoolers. However, a reversion of this pattern was observed over time, suggesting a delayed compensatory increase in eye attention during prolonged viewing periods in autistic children. Positive and negative associations of PD components and gaze behavior over time indicated a dynamic temporal relationship during emotion viewing. Our findings emphasize the need to apply time-sensitive measures in ecologically valid research, which may index etiological mechanisms of social difficulties in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonie Polzer
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Autism Research and Intervention Center of Excellence, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe-University, Deutschordenstraße 50, 60528, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
| | - Marc Schenk
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Autism Research and Intervention Center of Excellence, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe-University, Deutschordenstraße 50, 60528, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Naisan Raji
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Autism Research and Intervention Center of Excellence, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe-University, Deutschordenstraße 50, 60528, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Solvejg Kleber
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Autism Research and Intervention Center of Excellence, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe-University, Deutschordenstraße 50, 60528, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Christian Lemler
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Autism Research and Intervention Center of Excellence, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe-University, Deutschordenstraße 50, 60528, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Janina Kitzerow-Cleven
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Autism Research and Intervention Center of Excellence, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe-University, Deutschordenstraße 50, 60528, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Ziyon Kim
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Autism Research and Intervention Center of Excellence, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe-University, Deutschordenstraße 50, 60528, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Christine M Freitag
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Autism Research and Intervention Center of Excellence, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe-University, Deutschordenstraße 50, 60528, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Nico Bast
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Autism Research and Intervention Center of Excellence, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe-University, Deutschordenstraße 50, 60528, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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Zadok E, Golan O, Lavidor M, Gordon I. Autonomic nervous system responses to social stimuli among autistic individuals: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Autism Res 2024; 17:497-511. [PMID: 38073185 DOI: 10.1002/aur.3068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/18/2023] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
Physiological responses to environmental and social stimuli have been studied broadly in relation to psychological states and processes. This may be especially important regarding autistic individuals, who show disparities in social interactions. However, findings from studies assessing autonomic nervous system (ANS) responses of autistic individuals present contradictions, with reports showing both autonomic disparities and intact autonomic functioning. The current study aimed to review the existing literature and to estimate if there is a difference between autistic individuals and neurotypical (NT) individuals in their autonomic responses to social stimuli. Furthermore, the study examined factors that may moderate this difference, including the type of physiological function measured, the level of participation required, as well as the age and intellectual functioning of the participants. The meta-analysis revealed a small and statistically insignificant overall difference between autistic and NT individuals, albeit with high heterogeneity. A further nested moderator analysis revealed a significant difference between autistic and NT individuals in physiological response that reflects mainly a parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) activity. Another difference was found in physiological response that reflects a combined activity of the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems, but only for experimental tasks that demanded active participation in social interactions. These results suggest a distinctiveness in autonomic regulation of autistic individuals in social situations, and point to the PNS as an important study objective for future investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ester Zadok
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Ofer Golan
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Michal Lavidor
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
- The Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Ilanit Gordon
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
- The Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
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Lott-Sandkamp LL, Spengler FB, Heinrichs M. Impairment in reading negative social cues extends beyond the face in autism. J Psychiatr Res 2023; 164:350-356. [PMID: 37399756 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2023.06.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023]
Abstract
Nonverbal expressions are essential to regulating social communication and interaction. Impaired emotion recognition from facial expressions has been linked to various psychiatric conditions characterized by severe social deficits such as autism. As body expressions as an additional source of social-emotional information have attracted little research attention, little is known about whether emotion recognition impairments are specific to faces, or extend to body expressions. This study explored and compared emotion recognition from face versus body expressions in autism spectrum disorder. We compared 30 men with autism spectrum disorder to 30 male age- and IQ-matched control participants in their ability to recognize angry, happy, and neutral expressions from dynamic face and body expressions. Participants with autism spectrum disorder showed impaired recognition of angry expressions from both faces and bodies, while there were no group differences in recognizing happy and neutral expressions. In autism spectrum disorder, recognizing angry face expressions was inversely predicted by gaze avoidance, while recognizing angry body expressions was inversely predicted by impairments in social interaction and autistic traits. These findings suggest that distinct mechanisms may underlie the impaired emotion recognition from face and body expressions in autism spectrum disorder, respectively. Overall, our study demonstrates that emotion-specific recognition difficulties in autism spectrum disorder are not limited to face expressions but extend to emotional body expressions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lea L Lott-Sandkamp
- Laboratory for Biological Psychology, Clinical Psychology, and Psychotherapy, Department of Psychology, University of Freiburg, Stefan-Meier-Strasse 8, 79104, Freiburg, Germany; Laboratory for Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Department of Psychology, University of Freiburg, Engelbergerstr. 41, 79106, Freiburg, Germany; Laboratory for Social Neuroscience, Freiburg Brain Imaging Center, University Medical Center, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Franny B Spengler
- Laboratory for Biological Psychology, Clinical Psychology, and Psychotherapy, Department of Psychology, University of Freiburg, Stefan-Meier-Strasse 8, 79104, Freiburg, Germany; Laboratory for Social Neuroscience, Freiburg Brain Imaging Center, University Medical Center, Freiburg, Germany.
| | - Markus Heinrichs
- Laboratory for Biological Psychology, Clinical Psychology, and Psychotherapy, Department of Psychology, University of Freiburg, Stefan-Meier-Strasse 8, 79104, Freiburg, Germany; Laboratory for Social Neuroscience, Freiburg Brain Imaging Center, University Medical Center, Freiburg, Germany.
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4
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Abstract
Most research has studied self-regulation by presenting experimenter-controlled test stimuli and measuring change between baseline and stimulus. In the real world, however, stressors do not flash on and off in a predetermined sequence, and there is no experimenter controlling things. Rather, the real world is continuous and stressful events can occur through self-sustaining interactive chain reactions. Self-regulation is an active process through which we adaptively select which aspects of the social environment we attend to from one moment to the next. Here, we describe this dynamic interactive process by contrasting two mechanisms that underpin it: the "yin" and "yang" of self-regulation. The first mechanism is allostasis, the dynamical principle underlying self-regulation, through which we compensate for change to maintain homeostasis. This involves upregulating in some situations and downregulating in others. The second mechanism is metastasis, the dynamical principle underling dysregulation. Through metastasis, small initial perturbations can become progressively amplified over time. We contrast these processes at the individual level (i.e., examining moment-to-moment change in one child, considered independently) and also at the inter-personal level (i.e., examining change across a dyad, such as a parent-child dyad). Finally, we discuss practical implications of this approach in improving the self-regulation of emotion and cognition, in typical development and psychopathology.
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Hogan AL, Winston M, Barstein J, Losh M. Slower Peak Pupillary Response to Emotional Faces in Parents of Autistic Individuals. Front Psychol 2022; 13:836719. [PMID: 36304881 PMCID: PMC9595282 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.836719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Atypical autonomic arousal has been consistently documented in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and is thought to contribute to the social-communication phenotype of ASD. Some evidence suggests that clinically unaffected first-degree relatives of autistic individuals may also show subtle differences in indices of autonomic arousal, potentially implicating heritable pathophysiological mechanisms in ASD. This study examined pupillary responses in parents of autistic individuals to investigate evidence that atypical autonomic arousal might constitute a subclinical physiological marker of ASD heritability within families of autistic individuals. Methods Pupillary responses to emotional faces were measured in 47 ASD parents and 20 age-matched parent controls. Macro-level pupillary responses (e.g., mean, peak, latency to peak) and dynamic pupillary responses over the course of the stimulus presentation were compared between groups, and in relationship to subclinical ASD-related features in ASD parents. A small ASD group (n = 20) and controls (n = 17) were also included for exploratory analyses of parent–child correlations in pupillary response. Results Parents of autistic individuals differed in the time course of pupillary response, exhibiting a later primary peak response than controls. In ASD parents, slower peak response was associated with poorer pragmatic language and larger peak response was associated with poorer social cognition. Exploratory analyses revealed correlations between peak pupillary responses in ASD parents and mean and peak pupillary responses in their autistic children. Conclusion Differences in pupillary responses in clinically unaffected parents, together with significant correlations with ASD-related features and significant parent–child associations, suggest that pupillary responses to emotional faces may constitute an objective physiological marker of ASD genetic liability, with potential to inform the mechanistic underpinnings of ASD symptomatology.
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Sun S, Webster PJ, Wang Y, Yu H, Yu R, Wang S. Reduced Pupil Oscillation During Facial Emotion Judgment in People with Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Autism Dev Disord 2022; 53:1963-1973. [PMID: 35178651 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-022-05478-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
People with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) show abnormal face perception and emotion recognition. However, it remains largely unknown whether these differences are associated with abnormal physiological responses when viewing faces. In this study, we employed a sensitive emotion judgment task and conducted a detailed investigation of pupil dilation/constriction and oscillation in high-functioning adult participants with ASD and matched controls. We found that participants with ASD showed normal pupil constriction to faces; however, they demonstrated reduced pupil oscillation, which was independent of stimulus properties and participants' perception of the emotion. Together, our results have revealed an abnormal physiological response to faces in people with ASD, which may in turn be associated with impaired face perception previously found in many studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sai Sun
- Frontier Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Sciences, Tohoku University, Aoba-6-3 Aramaki, Aoba Ward, Sendai, 980-8578, Japan. .,Research Institute of Electrical Communication, Tohoku University, 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba Ward, Sendai, 980-8577, Japan.
| | - Paula J Webster
- Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering and Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA
| | - Yu Wang
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Hongbo Yu
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
| | - Rongjun Yu
- Department of Management, School of Business, Hong Kong Baptist University, HKSAR, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong
| | - Shuo Wang
- Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering and Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA. .,Department of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, 63110, USA.
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Soker-Elimaliah S, Lehrfield A, Scarano SR, Wagner JB. Associations between the pupil light reflex and the broader autism phenotype in children and adults. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 16:1052604. [PMID: 36895201 PMCID: PMC9990758 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.1052604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The pupil light reflex (PLR), a marker of neuronal response to light, is a well-studied index of autonomic functioning. Studies have found that autistic children and adults have slower and weaker PLR responses compared to non-autistic peers, suggesting lower autonomic control. Altered autonomic control has also been associated with increased sensory difficulties in autistic children. With autistic traits varying in the general population, recent studies have begun to examine similar questions in non-autistic individuals. The current study looked at the PLR in relation to individual differences in autistic traits in non-autistic children and adults, asking how differences in the PLR could lead to variation in autistic traits, and how this might change across development. Children and adults completed a PLR task as a measure of sensitivity to light and autonomic response. Results showed that, in adults, increased levels of restricted and repetitive behaviors (RRB) were associated with a weaker and slower PLR. However, in children, PLR responses were not associated with autistic traits. Differences in PLR were also found across age groups, with adults showing smaller baseline pupil diameter and stronger PLR constriction as compared with children. The current study expanded on past work to examine the PLR and autistic traits in non-autistic children and adults, and the relevance of these findings to sensory processing difficulties is discussed. Future studies should continue to examine the neural pathways that might underlie the links between sensory processing and challenging behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sapir Soker-Elimaliah
- Department of Psychology, College of Staten Island, City University of New York, New York, NY, United States.,Department of Psychology, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY, United States.,Mrs. T.H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Aviva Lehrfield
- Albert Einstein College of Medicine, The Bronx, NY, United States
| | - Samuel R Scarano
- Department of Psychology, College of Staten Island, City University of New York, New York, NY, United States
| | - Jennifer B Wagner
- Department of Psychology, College of Staten Island, City University of New York, New York, NY, United States.,Department of Psychology, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY, United States
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McClure LA, Lee NL, Sand K, Vivanti G, Fein D, Stahmer A, Robins DL. Connecting the Dots: a cluster-randomized clinical trial integrating standardized autism spectrum disorders screening, high-quality treatment, and long-term outcomes. Trials 2021; 22:319. [PMID: 33934719 PMCID: PMC8091523 DOI: 10.1186/s13063-021-05286-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 04/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) affects one in 54 children in the United States of America, and supporting people with ASD across the lifespan presents challenges that impact individuals, families, and communities and can be quite costly. The American Academy of Pediatrics has issued recommendations for routine ASD screening at 18 and 24 months, but some research suggests that few pediatricians perform high-fidelity, standardized screening universally. Furthermore, the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) found insufficient evidence to recommend for or against universal ASD screening. The objective of this study is to test the hypothesis that children with ASD who have high fidelity; standardized screening will achieve superior outcomes at 5 years of age compared to children receiving usual care ASD detection strategies. Methods This is a cluster-randomized, controlled clinical trial in 3 sites in the USA. Pediatric practices will be randomized to implement universal, standardized, high-fidelity toddler screening or usual care, with randomization stratified by the practice size. The study will enroll 3450 children, approximately half in each group. From this sample, we anticipate 100 children to be diagnosed with ASD. Children in both groups receiving an ASD diagnosis will be administered the Early Start Denver Model, an evidence-based early intervention addressing social, communication, and cognitive functioning. Treatment will last for 1 year, with up to 20 h per week of therapy for children with ASD. Results Primary outcomes measured at baseline, following treatment, and at 4 and 5 years of age include ASD symptom severity (Brief Observation of Social Communication Change (BOSCC)) and cognitive functioning (Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL) and Differential Abilities Scale-II (DAS-II)). Secondary outcomes in children include measures of adaptive functioning, ASD symptoms, and kindergarten readiness; secondary analyses will also examine stress and empowerment among parents. Several novel exploratory measures will be included as well. The study will utilize a modified intention-to-treat analysis. Conclusions This trial will evaluate the impact of universal, standardized, high-fidelity screening for ASD among children at 18 months of age, with a goal of providing evidence to support this strategy to detect ASD in toddlers in order to start treatment as young as possible and maximize outcomes. Ethics and dissemination This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board at Drexel University (IRB protocol: 1607004653). All findings will be provided by the principal investigator via email; data will be available through the NIMH Data Archive (https://nda.nih.gov/). Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03333629. Registered on November 7, 2017 Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13063-021-05286-6.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leslie A McClure
- Drexel University, 3215 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
| | - Nora L Lee
- Drexel University, 3215 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Katherine Sand
- AJ Drexel Autism Institute, Drexel University, 3020 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Giacomo Vivanti
- AJ Drexel Autism Institute, Drexel University, 3020 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Deborah Fein
- University of Connecticut, 406 Babbidge Rd, Storrs, CT, 06268, USA
| | - Aubyn Stahmer
- University of California, Davis, 2825 50th St, Sacramento, CA, 95819, USA
| | - Diana L Robins
- AJ Drexel Autism Institute, Drexel University, 3020 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
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Vettori S, Van der Donck S, Nys J, Moors P, Van Wesemael T, Steyaert J, Rossion B, Dzhelyova M, Boets B. Combined frequency-tagging EEG and eye-tracking measures provide no support for the "excess mouth/diminished eye attention" hypothesis in autism. Mol Autism 2020; 11:94. [PMID: 33228763 PMCID: PMC7686749 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-020-00396-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Scanning faces is important for social interactions. Difficulty with the social use of eye contact constitutes one of the clinical symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). It has been suggested that individuals with ASD look less at the eyes and more at the mouth than typically developing (TD) individuals, possibly due to gaze aversion or gaze indifference. However, eye-tracking evidence for this hypothesis is mixed. While gaze patterns convey information about overt orienting processes, it is unclear how this is manifested at the neural level and how relative covert attention to the eyes and mouth of faces might be affected in ASD. METHODS We used frequency-tagging EEG in combination with eye tracking, while participants watched fast flickering faces for 1-min stimulation sequences. The upper and lower halves of the faces were presented at 6 Hz and 7.5 Hz or vice versa in different stimulation sequences, allowing to objectively disentangle the neural saliency of the eyes versus mouth region of a perceived face. We tested 21 boys with ASD (8-12 years old) and 21 TD control boys, matched for age and IQ. RESULTS Both groups looked longer at the eyes than the mouth, without any group difference in relative fixation duration to these features. TD boys looked significantly more to the nose, while the ASD boys looked more outside the face. EEG neural saliency data partly followed this pattern: neural responses to the upper or lower face half were not different between groups, but in the TD group, neural responses to the lower face halves were larger than responses to the upper part. Face exploration dynamics showed that TD individuals mostly maintained fixations within the same facial region, whereas individuals with ASD switched more often between the face parts. LIMITATIONS Replication in large and independent samples may be needed to validate exploratory results. CONCLUSIONS Combined eye-tracking and frequency-tagged neural responses show no support for the excess mouth/diminished eye gaze hypothesis in ASD. The more exploratory face scanning style observed in ASD might be related to their increased feature-based face processing style.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofie Vettori
- Center for Developmental Psychiatry, Department of Neurosciences, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Leuven, Belgium.
- Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Stephanie Van der Donck
- Center for Developmental Psychiatry, Department of Neurosciences, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Leuven, Belgium
- Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jannes Nys
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- IDLab - Department of Computer Science, University of Antwerp - IMEC, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Pieter Moors
- Laboratory of Experimental Psychology, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Leuven, Belgium
| | - Tim Van Wesemael
- Department of Electrical Engineering (ESAT), Stadius Center for Dynamical Systems, Signal Processing and Data Analytics, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jean Steyaert
- Center for Developmental Psychiatry, Department of Neurosciences, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Leuven, Belgium
- Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Leuven, Belgium
| | - Bruno Rossion
- Institute of Research in Psychological Science, Institute of Neuroscience, University of Louvain, Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium
- CNRS, CRAN - UMR 7039, Université de Lorraine, 54000, Nancy, France
- CHRU-Nancy, Service de Neurologie, Université de Lorraine, 54000, Nancy, France
| | - Milena Dzhelyova
- Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Leuven, Belgium
- Institute of Research in Psychological Science, Institute of Neuroscience, University of Louvain, Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Bart Boets
- Center for Developmental Psychiatry, Department of Neurosciences, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Leuven, Belgium
- Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Leuven, Belgium
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de Vries L, Fouquaet I, Boets B, Naulaers G, Steyaert J. Autism spectrum disorder and pupillometry: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 120:479-508. [PMID: 33172600 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.09.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2020] [Revised: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 09/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Pupillometry, measuring pupil size and reactivity, has been proposed as a measure of autonomic nervous system functioning, the latter which might be altered in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study aims to evaluate if pupillary responses differ in individuals with and without ASD. After performing a systematic literature search, we conducted a meta-analysis and constructed a qualitative synthesis. The meta-analysis shows a longer latency of the pupil response in the ASD-group as a substantial group difference, with a Hedges' g of 1.03 (95% CI 0.49-1.56, p = 0.008). Evidence on baseline pupil size and amplitude change is conflicting. We used the framework method to perform a qualitative evaluation of these differences. Explanations for the group differences vary between studies and are inconclusive, but many authors point to involvement of the autonomous nervous system and more specifically the locus coeruleus-norepinephrine system. Pupillometry reveals differences between people with and without ASD, but the exact meaning of these differences remains unknown. Future studies should align research designs and investigate a possible effect of maturation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lyssa de Vries
- Center for Developmental Psychiatry, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Kapucijnenvoer 7, 3000, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Child Psychiatry, UPC KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium; KU Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Iris Fouquaet
- Center for Developmental Psychiatry, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Kapucijnenvoer 7, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Bart Boets
- Center for Developmental Psychiatry, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Kapucijnenvoer 7, 3000, Leuven, Belgium; KU Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Gunnar Naulaers
- Department of Development and Regeneration, University Hospitals Leuven, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jean Steyaert
- Center for Developmental Psychiatry, Department of Neurosciences, KU Leuven, Kapucijnenvoer 7, 3000, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Child Psychiatry, UPC KU Leuven, Herestraat 49, 3000, Leuven, Belgium; KU Leuven Autism Research (LAuRes), KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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11
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Eye-Tracking in Infants and Young Children at Risk for Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review of Visual Stimuli in Experimental Paradigms. J Autism Dev Disord 2020; 51:2578-2599. [DOI: 10.1007/s10803-020-04731-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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12
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Atypical Pattern of Frontal EEG Asymmetry for Direct Gaze in Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Autism Dev Disord 2019; 49:3592-3601. [PMID: 31124026 PMCID: PMC6667421 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-019-04062-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
This study examined approach-motivation related brain activity (frontal electroencephalogram [EEG] asymmetry) in response to direct and averted gaze in 3- to 6-year-old typically developing (TD) children, children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and those with intellectual disability (ID). We found that, in TD children, direct gaze elicited greater approach-related frontal EEG activity than did downcast gaze. This pattern of activity was in contrast to that observed in children with ASD, who showed greater approach-related activity in response to downcast gaze than to direct gaze. ID children did not differ in their responses to different gaze conditions. These findings indicate that another person’s direct gaze does not elicit approach-motivation related brain activity in young children with ASD.
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Bast N, Banaschewski T, Dziobek I, Brandeis D, Poustka L, Freitag CM. Pupil Dilation Progression Modulates Aberrant Social Cognition in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Autism Res 2019; 12:1680-1692. [DOI: 10.1002/aur.2178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2019] [Revised: 06/13/2019] [Accepted: 07/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nico Bast
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and PsychotherapyUniversity Hospital, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main Frankfurt Germany
| | - Tobias Banaschewski
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty MannheimHeidelberg University Mannheim Germany
| | - Isabel Dziobek
- Berlin School of Mind and Brain and Institute of PsychologyHumboldt‐Universität zu Berlin Berlin Germany
| | - Daniel Brandeis
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty MannheimHeidelberg University Mannheim Germany
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and PsychotherapyPsychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich Zurich Switzerland
- Center for Integrative Human Physiology Zurich Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center ZurichUniversity of Zurich and ETH Zurich Zurich Switzerland
| | - Luise Poustka
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty MannheimHeidelberg University Mannheim Germany
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/PsychotherapyUniversity Medical Center Göttingen, Medical University of Göttingen Göttingen Germany
| | - Christine M. Freitag
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and PsychotherapyUniversity Hospital, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main Frankfurt Germany
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McVey AJ. The neurobiological presentation of anxiety in autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review. Autism Res 2019; 12:346-369. [DOI: 10.1002/aur.2063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2018] [Revised: 10/31/2018] [Accepted: 11/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
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Atherton G, Cross L. Seeing More Than Human: Autism and Anthropomorphic Theory of Mind. Front Psychol 2018; 9:528. [PMID: 29755383 PMCID: PMC5932358 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2017] [Accepted: 03/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Theory of mind (ToM) is defined as the process of taking another's perspective. Anthropomorphism can be seen as the extension of ToM to non-human entities. This review examines the literature concerning ToM and anthropomorphism in relation to individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), specifically addressing the questions of how and why those on the spectrum both show an increased interest for anthropomorphism and may even show improved ToM abilities when judging the mental states of anthropomorphic characters. This review highlights that while individuals with ASD traditionally show deficits on a wide range of ToM tests, such as recognizing facial emotions, such ToM deficits may be ameliorated if the stimuli presented is cartoon or animal-like rather than in human form. Individuals with ASD show a greater interest in anthropomorphic characters and process the features of these characters using methods typically reserved for human stimuli. Personal accounts of individuals with ASD also suggest they may identify more closely with animals than other humans. It is shown how the social motivations hypothesized to underlie the anthropomorphizing of non-human targets may lead those on the spectrum to seek social connections and therefore gain ToM experience and expertise amongst unlikely sources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gray Atherton
- Department of Psychological, Health and Learning Sciences, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States
- Department of Psychology, School of Science and Technology, Sunway University, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Liam Cross
- Department of Psychology, School of Science and Technology, Sunway University, Selangor, Malaysia
- Department of Psychology, School of Science, University of Buckingham, Buckingham, United Kingdom
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Top DN, Luke SG, Stephenson KG, South M. Psychophysiological Arousal and Auditory Sensitivity in a Cross-Clinical Sample of Autistic and Non-autistic Anxious Adults. Front Psychiatry 2018; 9:783. [PMID: 30761031 PMCID: PMC6361859 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2018] [Accepted: 12/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Many autistic people report overwhelming sensory experiences and also elevated levels of anxiety. Understanding how these experiences are linked to each other can contribute to improved support and intervention for reducing sensory overload and anxiety. This study included 95 young adult participants including autistic adults, non-autistic adults reporting to a psychotherapy clinic with high levels of anxiety, and neurotypical adults with no psychiatric concerns. We measured pupil size using including a baseline task with no auditory stimulus followed by two blocks of simple auditory habituation. In a subset of 80 participants we also measured self-report levels of sensory processing, anxious apprehension, and intolerance of uncertainty. The autism group showed atypical sensory processing on all four measured domains of the Adolescent and Adult Sensory Profile including sensory sensitivity, sensory seeking, sensory avoidance, and low registration subscales. Dimensional analyses across all participants showed significant positive correlations between sensory sensitivity, sensory seeking, and sensory avoidance domains with scores from the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale-Short Form and Penn State Worry Questionnaire. The autism group showed significantly larger pupil size than other groups at baseline, before any auditory stimulation. There were no group differences in the rate of auditory habituation, nonetheless the overall, absolute larger pupil size remained in the autism group throughout the experiment. We suggest that this and other findings could indicate chronic hyperarousal in many autistic people. Treatment for anxiety in autism should be informed by knowledge of unique aspects of anxiety in autism and consider the role of sensory experience and everyday psychophysiological arousal.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Nicholas Top
- Department of Psychology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, United States
| | - Steven G Luke
- Department of Psychology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, United States.,Neuroscience Center, Brigham Young University Provo, UT, United States
| | | | - Mikle South
- Department of Psychology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, United States.,Neuroscience Center, Brigham Young University Provo, UT, United States
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DiCriscio AS, Troiani V. Pupil adaptation corresponds to quantitative measures of autism traits in children. Sci Rep 2017; 7:6476. [PMID: 28743966 PMCID: PMC5526922 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-06829-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2017] [Accepted: 06/19/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The pupil is known to reflect a range of psychological and physiological variables, including cognitive effort, arousal, attention, and even learning. Within autism spectrum disorder (ASD), some work has used pupil physiology to successfully classify patients with or without autism. As we have come to understand the heterogeneity of ASD and other neurodevelopmental disorders, the relationship between quantitative traits and physiological markers has become increasingly more important, as this may lead us closer to the underlying biological basis for atypical responses and behaviors. We implemented a novel paradigm designed to capture patterns of pupil adaptation during sustained periods of dark and light conditions in a pediatric sample that varied in intellectual ability and clinical features. We also investigate the relationship between pupil metrics derived from this novel task and quantitative behavioral traits associated with the autism phenotype. We show that pupil metrics of constriction and dilation are distinct from baseline metrics. Pupil dilation metrics correlate with individual differences measured by the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS), a quantitative measure of autism traits. These results suggest that using a novel, yet simple, paradigm can result in meaningful pupil metrics that correlate with individual differences in autism traits, as measured by the SRS.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Vanessa Troiani
- Geisinger Health System, Geisinger Autism and Developmental Medicine Institute (ADMI), Lewisburg, PA, USA
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Helminen TM, Leppänen JM, Eriksson K, Luoma A, Hietanen JK, Kylliäinen A. Atypical physiological orienting to direct gaze in low-functioning children with autism spectrum disorder. Autism Res 2017; 10:810-820. [PMID: 28244277 DOI: 10.1002/aur.1738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2016] [Revised: 11/01/2016] [Accepted: 12/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Reduced use of eye contact is a prominent feature in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). It has been proposed that direct gaze does not capture the attention of individuals with ASD. Experimental evidence is, however, mainly restricted to relatively high-functioning school-aged children or adults with ASD. This study investigated whether 2-5-year-old low-functioning children with severe ASD differ from control children in orienting to gaze stimuli, as measured with the heart rate deceleration response. Responses were measured to computerized presentations of dynamic shifts of gaze direction either toward (direct) or away (averted) from the observing child. The results showed a significant group by gaze direction interaction effect on heart rate responses (permuted P = .004), reflecting a stronger orienting response to direct versus averted gaze in typically developing (N = 17) and developmentally delayed (N = 16) children but not in children with ASD (N = 12). The lack of enhanced orienting response to direct gaze in the ASD group was not caused by a lack of looking at the eye region, as confirmed by eye tracking. The results suggest that direct gaze is not a socially salient, attention-grabbing signal for low-functioning children with ASD. Autism Res 2017, 10: 810-820. © 2017 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Terhi M Helminen
- Faculty of Social Sciences/Psychology, 33014 University of Tampere, Finland
| | | | - Kai Eriksson
- Department of Pediatric Neurology and Tampere Center for Child Health Research, School of Medicine, 33014 University of Tampere, and Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland
| | - Arto Luoma
- School of Management, 33014 University of Tampere, Finland
| | - Jari K Hietanen
- Faculty of Social Sciences/Psychology, 33014 University of Tampere, Finland
| | - Anneli Kylliäinen
- Faculty of Social Sciences/Psychology, 33014 University of Tampere, Finland
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Others' emotions teach, but not in autism: an eye-tracking pupillometry study. Mol Autism 2016; 7:36. [PMID: 27579158 PMCID: PMC5004296 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-016-0098-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2016] [Accepted: 07/28/2016] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Much research has investigated deficit in emotional reactivity to others in people with autism, but scant attention has been paid to how this deficit affects their own reactions to features of their environment (objects, events, practices, etc.). The present study presents a preliminary analysis on whether calibrating one's own emotional reactions to others' emotional reactions about features of the world, a process we term social-emotional calibration, is disrupted in autism. METHODS To examine this process, we used a novel eye-tracking pupillometry paradigm in which we showed 20 preschoolers with autism and 20 matched typically developing preschoolers' videos of an actor opening a box and reacting to the occluded object inside, with fear or happiness. We expected preschoolers to come to perceive the box as containing a positive or threatening stimulus through emotionally calibrating to the actor's emotional expressions. Children's mean pupil diameter (indicating emotional reactivity) was measured whilst viewing an up-close, visually identical image of the box before and then after the scene, and this difference was taken as an index of social-emotional calibration and compared between groups. RESULTS Whilst the typically developing preschoolers responded more emotionally to the box after, compared to before the scene (as indexed by an increase in pupil size), those with autism did not, suggesting their reaction to the object was not affected by the actor's emotional expressions. The groups did not differ in looking duration to the emotional expressions; thus, the pupil dilation findings cannot be explained by differences in visual attention. More social-emotional calibration on the happy condition was associated with less severe autism symptoms. CONCLUSIONS Through the measurement of physiological reactivity, findings suggest social-emotional calibration is diminished in children with autism, with calibration to others' positive emotions as particularly important. This study highlights a possible mechanism by which individuals with autism develop idiosyncratic reactions to features of their environment, which is likely to impact their active and harmonious participation on social and cultural practices from infancy, throughout the lifespan. More research is needed to examine the mediators and developmental sequence of this tendency to emotionally calibrate to others' feelings about the world.
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