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Ellis K, White S, Dziwisz M, Agarwal P, Moss J. Visual attention patterns during a gaze following task in neurogenetic syndromes associated with unique profiles of autistic traits: Fragile X and Cornelia de Lange syndromes. Cortex 2024; 174:110-124. [PMID: 38502976 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2024.02.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2023] [Revised: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Gaze following difficulties are considered an early marker of autism, thought likely to cumulatively impact the development of social cognition, language and social skills. Subtle differences in gaze following abilities may contribute to the diverse range social and communicative autistic characteristics observed across people with genetic syndromes, such as Cornelia de Lange (CdLS) and fragile X (FXS) syndromes. AIMS To compare profiles of 1) visual attention to the eye region at critical points of the attention direction process, 2) whether children follow the gaze cue to the object, and 3) participant looking time to the target object following the gaze cue between groups and conditions. MATERIALS AND METHODS Children with CdLS (N = 11) and FXS (N = 8) and autistic (N = 22) and neurotypical (N = 15) children took part in a passive viewing paradigm adapted from Senju and Csibra (2008), in which videos of a central cue (ball/cartoon face/human face) directed attention towards one of two objects. Visual attention patterns were recorded via eye tracking technology. RESULTS Neurotypical children were used as a reference group against which the autistic, CdLS and FXS groups were compared. Although autistic children looked at the eye region for significantly less time, they looked at the target object as frequently and for a similar duration as neurotypical children. Children with FXS looked at the target as frequently as neurotypical children but looked at it for comparatively less time. Both neurotypical children and children with CdLS frequently looked at the eye region, but children with CdLS were less likely to look at the target than neurotypical children. CONCLUSIONS Findings provide preliminary evidence of unique patterns of visual attention and gaze following strategies in children with CdLS, children with FXS and autistic children. These unique gaze following patterns may underpin the distinct profiles of social and communication autistic traits observed between these groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine Ellis
- School of Psychology, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK; Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK.
| | - Sarah White
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK.
| | - Malwina Dziwisz
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK.
| | - Paridhi Agarwal
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK.
| | - Jo Moss
- School of Psychology, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK.
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2
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Hou W, Li X, Yang Y, Li J. Joint intention understanding in children with autism spectrum disorder. Autism Res 2023; 16:1707-1718. [PMID: 37283253 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
This study examined the ability of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to generate joint intention-based action prediction in a joint action task. Children were presented with a series of videos in which two actors either played with blocks based on joint intention (social condition) or played with blocks independently (nonsocial condition). In the familiarization stage, two actors demonstrated how they played with blocks three times. In the test stage, one actor left the scene, and another actor grasped a block and asked where she should place it. Children's gaze behavior was assessed by an eye tracker. After watching videos, children were asked to answer two questions: an action prediction question and an intention understanding question. The results showed that in the implicit eye movement task, children with ASD and typically developing (TD) children exhibited location-based anticipatory gaze under both conditions. However, in terms of explicit behavioral responses, TD children showed higher accuracy in response to action prediction questions and intention understanding questions than children with ASD in the social condition, while no significant group difference was found in the nonsocial condition. These results indicate that children with ASD have difficulty understanding joint intention and that their action prediction is primarily driven by bottom-up sensory inputs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenwen Hou
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Child Language Lab, School of Foreign Languages, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Xue Li
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Peking University, Peking University Sixth Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Yunmei Yang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jing Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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3
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Wang H, Zhao X, Yu D. Nonlinear features of gaze behavior during joint attention in children with autism spectrum disorder. Autism Res 2023; 16:1786-1798. [PMID: 37530201 DOI: 10.1002/aur.3000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023]
Abstract
Since children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) might exhibit a variety of aberrant response to joint attention (RJA) behaviors, there is growing interest in identifying robust, reliable and valid eye-tracking metrics for determining differences in RJA behaviors between typically developing (TD) children and those with ASD. Previous eye-tracking studies have not been deeply investigated nonlinear features of gaze time-series during RJA. As a main motivation, this study aimed to extract three nonlinear features (i.e., complexity, long-range correlation, and local instability) of gaze time-series during RJA in children with ASD, which can be measured by fractal dimension (FD), Hurst exponent (H), and largest Lyapunov exponent (LLE), respectively. To illustrate our idea, this study adopted a publicly accessible database, including eye-tracking data collected during RJA from 19 children with ASD (7.74 ± 2.73) and 30 TD children (8.02 ± 2.89), and conducted a battery of nonparametric analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), where gender was used as covariable. Findings showed that gaze time-series during RJA in autistic children may generally have greater FD but lower H than that in TD controls. This implies that children with ASD possess more complex and unpredictable gaze behaviors during RJA than TD children. Furthermore, nonlinear metrics outperformed traditional eye-tracking metrics in obtaining higher identification performance with an accuracy of 82% and an AUC value of 0.81, distinguishing the differences between successful and failed RJA trails, and predicting the severity of ASD symptoms. Findings might bring some new insights into the understanding of the impairments in RJA behaviors for children with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Child Development and Learning Science of Ministry of Education, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xin Zhao
- Department of Radiology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Dongchuan Yu
- Key Laboratory of Child Development and Learning Science of Ministry of Education, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
- Henan Provincial Medical Key Lab of Child Developmental Behavior and Learning, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
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4
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de Belen RA, Pincham H, Hodge A, Silove N, Sowmya A, Bednarz T, Eapen V. Eye-tracking correlates of response to joint attention in preschool children with autism spectrum disorder. BMC Psychiatry 2023; 23:211. [PMID: 36991383 PMCID: PMC10061704 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-023-04585-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND A number of differences in joint attention behaviour between children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and typically developing (TD) individuals have previously been documented. METHOD We use eye-tracking technology to assess response to joint attention (RJA) behaviours in 77 children aged 31 to 73 months. We conducted a repeated-measures analysis of variance to identify differences between groups. In addition, we analysed correlations between eye-tracking and clinical measures using Spearman's correlation. RESULTS The children diagnosed with ASD were less likely to follow gaze compared to TD children. Children with ASD were less accurate at gaze following when only eye gaze information was available, compared to when eye gaze with head movement was observed. Higher accuracy gaze-following profiles were associated with better early cognition and more adaptive behaviours in children with ASD. Less accurate gaze-following profiles were associated with more severe ASD symptomatology. CONCLUSION There are differences in RJA behaviours between ASD and TD preschool children. Several eye-tracking measures of RJA behaviours in preschool children were found to be associated with clinical measures for ASD diagnosis. This study also highlights the construct validity of using eye-tracking measures as potential biomarkers in the assessment and diagnosis of ASD in preschool children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Anthony de Belen
- School of Computer Science and Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
| | - Hannah Pincham
- School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Antoinette Hodge
- Children's Hospital Westmead, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Natalie Silove
- Children's Hospital Westmead, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- School of Medicine, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Arcot Sowmya
- School of Computer Science and Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Tomasz Bednarz
- School of Art & Design, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Valsamma Eapen
- School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Academic Unit of Child Psychiatry South West Sydney, Ingham Institute, Liverpool Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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5
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Mathée-Scott J, Larson C, Venker C, Pomper R, Edwards J, Saffran J, Ellis Weismer S. Use of Mutual Exclusivity and its Relationship to Language Ability in Toddlers with Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Autism Dev Disord 2022; 52:4528-4539. [PMID: 34714426 PMCID: PMC9050963 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-021-05321-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
To efficiently learn new words, children use constraints such as mutual exclusivity (ME) to narrow the search for potential referents. The current study investigated the use of ME in toddlers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and neurotypical (NT) peers matched on nonverbal cognition. Thirty-two toddlers with ASD and 26 NT toddlers participated in a looking-while-listening task. Images of novel and familiar objects were presented along with a novel or familiar label. Overall, toddlers with ASD showed less efficient looking toward a novel referent when a novel label was presented compared to NT toddlers, controlling for age and familiar word knowledge. However, toddlers with ASD and higher language ability demonstrated more robust use of ME than those with lower language ability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janine Mathée-Scott
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders and Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 Highland Ave, Madison, WI, 53705, USA
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 Highland Ave., Madison, WI, 53705, USA
| | - Caroline Larson
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders and Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 Highland Ave, Madison, WI, 53705, USA
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, 406 Babbidge Road, U-1020, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA
| | - Courtney Venker
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 Highland Ave., Madison, WI, 53705, USA
- Department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders, Michigan State University, 1026 Red Cedar Road, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Ron Pomper
- Department of Psychology and Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 Highland Ave, Madison, WI, 53705, USA
- Boys Town National Research Hospital, 555 North 30th St, Omaha, NE, 68131, USA
| | - Jan Edwards
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders and Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 Highland Ave, Madison, WI, 53705, USA
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Maryland Language Science Center, University of Maryland-College Park, 0121 Taliaferro Hall, Chapel Drive, College Park, MD, 20724, USA
| | - Jenny Saffran
- Department of Psychology and Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 Highland Ave, Madison, WI, 53705, USA
| | - Susan Ellis Weismer
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders and Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 Highland Ave, Madison, WI, 53705, USA.
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6
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Riddiford JA, Enticott PG, Lavale A, Gurvich C. Gaze and social functioning associations in autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Autism Res 2022; 15:1380-1446. [PMID: 35593039 PMCID: PMC9543973 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2021] [Revised: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by significant social functioning impairments, including (but not limited to) emotion recognition, mentalizing, and joint attention. Despite extensive investigation into the correlates of social functioning in ASD, only recently has there been focus on the role of low‐level sensory input, particularly visual processing. Extensive gaze deficits have been described in ASD, from basic saccadic function through to social attention and the processing of complex biological motion. Given that social functioning often relies on accurately processing visual information, inefficient visual processing may contribute to the emergence and sustainment of social functioning difficulties in ASD. To explore the association between measures of gaze and social functioning in ASD, a systematic review and meta‐analysis was conducted. A total of 95 studies were identified from a search of CINAHL Plus, Embase, OVID Medline, and psycINFO databases in July 2021. Findings support associations between increased gaze to the face/head and eye regions with improved social functioning and reduced autism symptom severity. However, gaze allocation to the mouth appears dependent on social and emotional content of scenes and the cognitive profile of participants. This review supports the investigation of gaze variables as potential biomarkers of ASD, although future longitudinal studies are required to investigate the developmental progression of this relationship and to explore the influence of heterogeneity in ASD clinical characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline A Riddiford
- Department of Psychiatry, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria
| | - Peter G Enticott
- Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, School of Psychology, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
| | - Alex Lavale
- Department of Psychiatry, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria
| | - Caroline Gurvich
- Department of Psychiatry, Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria
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7
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Lin XB, Lim CG, Lee TS. Social Deficits or Interactional Differences? Interrogating Perspectives on Social Functioning in Autism. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:823736. [PMID: 35546922 PMCID: PMC9084456 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.823736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Social dysfunction is a key characteristic of autism. Determining and treating autism-related social deficits have been challenging. The medical model views interpersonal difficulties in autism as a localized set of deficits to be managed, whereas the neurodiversity movement calls for the accommodation of differences by the larger community. One common assumption underlying these perspectives is a misalignment in social behaviors between autistic individuals and neurotypicals. This paper reviews and interrogates current perspectives on social functioning in autism to uncover the intricacies of such a notion. Even though extant literature has alluded to a misalignment in social behaviors between autistic and neurotypical individuals, it is uncertain where this disparity lies. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangting Bernice Lin
- Neuroscience and Behavioral Disorders Program, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore.,School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Choon Guan Lim
- Neuroscience and Behavioral Disorders Program, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore.,School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore.,Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Tih-Shih Lee
- Neuroscience and Behavioral Disorders Program, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore.,Department of Psychiatry, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
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8
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Thorup E, Nyström P, Bölte S, Falck-Ytter T. What are you looking at? Gaze following with and without target objects in ASD and typical development. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2021; 26:1668-1680. [PMID: 34903076 PMCID: PMC9483193 DOI: 10.1177/13623613211061940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
LAY ABSTRACT During the first year of life, infants start to align their attention with that of other people. This ability is called joint attention and facilitates social learning and language development. Although children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are known to engage less in joint attention compared to other children, several experimental studies have shown that they follow other's gaze (a requirement for visual joint attention) to the same extent as other children. In this study, infants' eye movements were measured at age 10, 14, and 18 months while watching another person look in a certain direction. A target object was either present or absent in the direction of the other person's gaze. Some of the infants were at elevated likelihood of ASD, due to having an older autistic sibling. At age 3 years, infants were assessed for a diagnosis of ASD. Results showed that infants who met diagnostic criteria at 3 years followed gaze to the same extent as other infants. However, they then looked back at the model faster than typically developing infants when no target object was present. When a target object was present, there was no difference between groups. These results may be in line with the view that directly after gaze following, infants with later ASD are less influenced by other people's gaze when processing the common attentional focus. The study adds to our understanding of both the similarities and differences in looking behaviors between infants who later receive an ASD diagnosis and other infants.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Sven Bölte
- Karolinska Institutet, Sweden.,Stockholm Health Care Services, Region Stockholm, Sweden.,Curtin University, Australia
| | - Terje Falck-Ytter
- Uppsala University, Sweden.,Karolinska Institutet, Sweden.,Stockholm Health Care Services, Region Stockholm, Sweden.,Swedish Collegium for Advanced Study, Sweden
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9
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Liu Q, Wang Q, Li X, Gong X, Luo X, Yin T, Liu J, Yi L. Social synchronization during joint attention in children with autism spectrum disorder. Autism Res 2021; 14:2120-2130. [PMID: 34105871 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Revised: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 05/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
We explored the social synchronization of gaze-shift behaviors when responding to joint attention in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Forty-one children aged 5 to 8 with ASD and 43 typically developing (TD) children watched a video to complete the response to joint attention (RJA) tasks, during which their gaze data were collected. The synchronization of gaze-shift behaviors between children and the female model in the video was measured with the cross-recurrence quantification analysis (CRQA). Ultimately, we discovered that children with ASD had the ability to synchronize their gaze shifts with the female model in the video during RJA tasks. Compared to the TD children, they displayed lower levels of synchronization and longer latency in this synchronized behavior. These findings provide a new avenue to deepen our understanding of the impairments of social interaction in children with ASD. Notably, the analytic method can be further applied to explore the social synchronization of numerous other social interactive behaviors in ASD. LAY SUMMARY: This study explored how autistic children synchronized their gazed shifts with others' gaze cues during joint attention. We found that compared to typical children, autistic children synchronized their gazed shifts less and needed more time to follow others' gaze. These findings provide a new avenue to deepen our understanding of the impairments of social interaction in children with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qinyi Liu
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China
| | - Qiandong Wang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Psychology Education (Beijing Normal University), Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Xue Li
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoyun Gong
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China
| | - Xuerong Luo
- Department of Psychiatry, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, National Technology Institute on Mental Disorders, Hunan Key Laboratory of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Mental Health Institute of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Tingni Yin
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China
| | - Jing Liu
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), Beijing, China
| | - Li Yi
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences & Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, China.,IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research at PKU, Peking University, Beijing, China
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10
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Venker CE, Mathée J, Neumann D, Edwards J, Saffran J, Ellis Weismer S. Competing Perceptual Salience in a Visual Word Recognition Task Differentially Affects Children With and Without Autism Spectrum Disorder. Autism Res 2021; 14:1147-1162. [PMID: 33372400 PMCID: PMC8192461 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Revised: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Differences in visual attention have long been recognized as a central characteristic of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Regardless of social content, children with ASD show a strong preference for perceptual salience-how interesting (i.e., striking) certain stimuli are, based on their visual properties (e.g., color, geometric patterning). However, we do not know the extent to which attentional allocation preferences for perceptual salience persist when they compete with top-down, linguistic information. This study examined the impact of competing perceptual salience on visual word recognition in 17 children with ASD (mean age 31 months) and 17 children with typical development (mean age 20 months) matched on receptive language skills. A word recognition task presented two images on a screen, one of which was named (e.g., Find the bowl!). On Neutral trials, both images had high salience (i.e., were colorful and had geometric patterning). On Competing trials, the distracter image had high salience but the target image had low salience, creating competition between bottom-up (i.e., salience-driven) and top-down (i.e., language-driven) processes. Though both groups of children showed word recognition in an absolute sense, competing perceptual salience significantly decreased attention to the target only in the children with ASD. These findings indicate that perceptual properties of objects can disrupt attention to relevant information in children with ASD, which has implications for supporting their language development. Findings also demonstrate that perceptual salience affects attentional allocation preferences in children with ASD, even in the absence of social stimuli. LAY SUMMARY: This study found that visually striking objects distract young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) from looking at relevant (but less striking) objects named by an adult. Language-matched, younger children with typical development were not significantly affected by this visual distraction. Though visual distraction could have cascading negative effects on language development in children with ASD, learning opportunities that build on children's focus of attention are likely to support positive outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney E Venker
- Department of Communicative Sciences and Disorders, Michigan State University, Michigan, USA
| | - Janine Mathée
- Waisman Center and Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Dominik Neumann
- College of Communication Arts and Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Jan Edwards
- Waisman Center and Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences, Maryland Science Center, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Jenny Saffran
- Waisman Center and Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Susan Ellis Weismer
- Waisman Center and Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
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11
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Eye Tracking Methodology for Studying Emotional Competence in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Specific Language Impairment (SLI): a Comparative Research Review. REVIEW JOURNAL OF AUTISM AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s40489-021-00261-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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12
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Ambrose D, MacKenzie DE, Ghanouni P. The impact of person–environment–occupation transactions on joint attention in children with autism spectrum disorder: A scoping review. Br J Occup Ther 2020. [DOI: 10.1177/0308022620902681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Introduction Individuals with autism spectrum disorder demonstrate difficulty with joint attention, affecting social and occupational performance. Studies of joint attention in children with autism spectrum disorder employ a variety of instrumentation, environments and occupations. From the occupational therapy perspective, current literature lacks a rigorous analysis of the transactions of person, environment and occupation embedded within the procedures of these studies. The goal of this scoping review was to investigate how these components transact to affect occupational performance. Method Using the Person–Environment–Occupation model as an evaluative lens, a scoping review was completed to summarize person, environment and occupation transactions in studies examining joint attention in children aged 6–12 years with autism spectrum disorder. Results Six studies were included. Findings indicated that simplified social environments and demonstrations of joint attention promoted higher joint attention performance in children with autism spectrum disorder, at the cost of ecological validity. Maintaining ecological validity in complex social environments resulted in lower joint attention performance. Conclusion The Person–Environment–Occupation model can be used to develop an occupational therapy perspective on literature from outside the discipline. There is a relationship between the person, environment, occupation transactions and joint attention in children with autism spectrum disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Diane E MacKenzie
- School of Occupational Therapy, Dalhousie University, Halifax NS, Canada
| | - Parisa Ghanouni
- School of Occupational Therapy, Dalhousie University, Halifax NS, Canada
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13
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Parsons JP, Bedford R, Jones EJH, Charman T, Johnson MH, Gliga T. Gaze Following and Attention to Objects in Infants at Familial Risk for ASD. Front Psychol 2019; 10:1799. [PMID: 31481909 PMCID: PMC6710391 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2019] [Accepted: 07/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Reduced gaze following has been associated previously with lower language scores in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Here, we use eye-tracking in a controlled experimental setting to investigate whether gaze following and attention distribution during a word learning task associate with later developmental and clinical outcomes in a population of infants at familial risk for ASD. Fifteen-month-old infants (n = 124; n = 101 with familial risk) watched an actress repeatedly gaze toward and label one of two objects present in front of her. We show that infants who later developed ASD followed gaze as frequently as typically developing peers but spent less time engaged with either object. Moreover, more time spent on faces and less on objects was associated with lower concurrent or later verbal abilities, but not with later symptom severity. No outcome group showed evidence for word learning. Thus, atypical distribution of attention rather than poor gaze following is a limiting factor for language development in infants at familial risk for ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janet P. Parsons
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Rachael Bedford
- Biostatistics Department, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Emily J. H. Jones
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Tony Charman
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Mark H. Johnson
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Teodora Gliga
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Psychology, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom
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Del Bianco T, Falck‐Ytter T, Thorup E, Gredebäck G. The Developmental Origins of Gaze‐Following in Human Infants. INFANCY 2018; 24:433-454. [DOI: 10.1111/infa.12276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2018] [Revised: 10/29/2018] [Accepted: 11/19/2018] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Del Bianco
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science University of Trento
- Department of Psychological Sciences Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development Birkbeck University of London
| | - Terje Falck‐Ytter
- Uppsala Child and Babylab Department of Psychology Uppsala University
- Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (KIND) Karolinska Institutet
| | - Emilia Thorup
- Uppsala Child and Babylab Department of Psychology Uppsala University
| | - Gustaf Gredebäck
- Uppsala Child and Babylab Department of Psychology Uppsala University
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15
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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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