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Kim NY, He J, Wu Q, Dai N, Kohlhoff K, Turner J, Paul LK, Kennedy DP, Adolphs R, Navalpakkam V. Smartphone-based gaze estimation for in-home autism research. Autism Res 2024; 17:1140-1148. [PMID: 38660935 DOI: 10.1002/aur.3140] [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: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Atypical gaze patterns are a promising biomarker of autism spectrum disorder. To measure gaze accurately, however, it typically requires highly controlled studies in the laboratory using specialized equipment that is often expensive, thereby limiting the scalability of these approaches. Here we test whether a recently developed smartphone-based gaze estimation method could overcome such limitations and take advantage of the ubiquity of smartphones. As a proof-of-principle, we measured gaze while a small sample of well-assessed autistic participants and controls watched videos on a smartphone, both in the laboratory (with lab personnel) and in remote home settings (alone). We demonstrate that gaze data can be efficiently collected, in-home and longitudinally by participants themselves, with sufficiently high accuracy (gaze estimation error below 1° visual angle on average) for quantitative, feature-based analysis. Using this approach, we show that autistic individuals have reduced gaze time on human faces and longer gaze time on non-social features in the background, thereby reproducing established findings in autism using just smartphones and no additional hardware. Our approach provides a foundation for scaling future research with larger and more representative participant groups at vastly reduced cost, also enabling better inclusion of underserved communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na Yeon Kim
- Division of the Humanities and Social Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
| | - Junfeng He
- Google Research, Mountain View, California, USA
| | - Qianying Wu
- Division of the Humanities and Social Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
| | - Na Dai
- Google Research, Mountain View, California, USA
| | | | - Jasmin Turner
- Division of the Humanities and Social Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
| | - Lynn K Paul
- Division of the Humanities and Social Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
| | - Daniel P Kennedy
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, USA
| | - Ralph Adolphs
- Division of the Humanities and Social Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
- Chen Neuroscience Institute, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
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2
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Ambarchi Z, Boulton KA, Thapa R, Arciuli J, DeMayo MM, Hickie IB, Thomas EE, Guastella AJ. Social and joint attention during shared book reading in young autistic children: a potential marker for social development. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2024. [PMID: 38659350 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.13993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Atypical patterns of social engagement and joint attention behaviors are diagnostic criteria for people with autism spectrum disorder. Experimental tasks using eye-tracking methodologies have, however, shown inconsistent results. The development of tasks with greater ecological validity and relevance for developmentally appropriate social milestones has been identified as important for the field. METHODS We developed a novel, dynamic eye-tracking task emulating a shared book reading (SBR) scenario. Four SBR videos of an adult reader engaging with the viewer while reading a children's picture book and including sequenced bids for joint attention were developed. Participants included 90 children (N = 56 autistic children, N = 34 neurotypical children; aged 3-12). Social attention was also measured in a live free play task between participants and an experimenter. RESULTS Compared to neurotypical children, autistic children displayed reduced attention to socially salient stimuli including the reader's face and picture book across SBR videos and during joint attention bids specifically. In contrast, they showed increased attention to nonsalient background stimuli compared to their neurotypical peers. These attention patterns in autistic children were associated with reduced verbal and nonverbal cognitive skills and increased symptoms associated with autism. Interestingly, positive correlations in the frequency of eye gaze between SBR and free play suggested a potential predictive value for social attention in live social interactions. CONCLUSIONS Findings highlight the utility of SBR eye-tracking tasks in understanding underlying divergences in social engagement and joint attention between autistic and neurotypical children. This commonly practiced early childhood activity may provide insights into the relationship between social engagement and learning to reveal how such attentional patterns might influence broader developmental and educational outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahava Ambarchi
- Clinic for Autism and Neurodevelopment Research (CAN Research), Brain and Mind Centre, Sydney Children's Hospital Westmead Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Kelsie A Boulton
- Clinic for Autism and Neurodevelopment Research (CAN Research), Brain and Mind Centre, Sydney Children's Hospital Westmead Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Rinku Thapa
- Clinic for Autism and Neurodevelopment Research (CAN Research), Brain and Mind Centre, Sydney Children's Hospital Westmead Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Joanne Arciuli
- Caring Futures Institute, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Marilena M DeMayo
- Clinic for Autism and Neurodevelopment Research (CAN Research), Brain and Mind Centre, Sydney Children's Hospital Westmead Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Ian B Hickie
- Clinic for Autism and Neurodevelopment Research (CAN Research), Brain and Mind Centre, Sydney Children's Hospital Westmead Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Emma E Thomas
- Clinic for Autism and Neurodevelopment Research (CAN Research), Brain and Mind Centre, Sydney Children's Hospital Westmead Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Adam J Guastella
- Clinic for Autism and Neurodevelopment Research (CAN Research), Brain and Mind Centre, Sydney Children's Hospital Westmead Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
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Thorsson M, Galazka MA, Åsberg Johnels J, Hadjikhani N. Influence of autistic traits and communication role on eye contact behavior during face-to-face interaction. Sci Rep 2024; 14:8162. [PMID: 38589489 PMCID: PMC11001951 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-58701-8] [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: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Eye contact is a central component in face-to-face interactions. It is important in structuring communicative exchanges and offers critical insights into others' interests and intentions. To better understand eye contact in face-to-face interactions, we applied a novel, non-intrusive deep-learning-based dual-camera system and investigated associations between eye contact and autistic traits as well as self-reported eye contact discomfort during a referential communication task, where participants and the experimenter had to guess, in turn, a word known by the other individual. Corroborating previous research, we found that participants' eye gaze and mutual eye contact were inversely related to autistic traits. In addition, our findings revealed different behaviors depending on the role in the dyad: listening and guessing were associated with increased eye contact compared with describing words. In the listening and guessing condition, only a subgroup who reported eye contact discomfort had a lower amount of eye gaze and eye contact. When describing words, higher autistic traits were associated with reduced eye gaze and eye contact. Our data indicate that eye contact is inversely associated with autistic traits when describing words, and that eye gaze is modulated by the communicative role in a conversation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Max Thorsson
- Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
| | - Martyna A Galazka
- Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Division of Cognition and Communication, Department of Applied Information Technology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Jakob Åsberg Johnels
- Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Section of Speech and Language Pathology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Nouchine Hadjikhani
- Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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4
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Congiu S, Doneddu G, Fadda R. Attention toward Social and Non-Social Stimuli in Preschool Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Paired Preference Eye-Tracking Study. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2024; 21:421. [PMID: 38673332 PMCID: PMC11050167 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph21040421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2024] [Revised: 03/24/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Different dimensions of visual attention to social (human faces) and non-social stimuli (objects) were assessed in 19 preschool children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and 19 typically developing (TD) age, gender, and IQ-matched controls through an original paired preference eye-tracking paradigm. The present study found a significantly reduced attentional bias toward human faces in children with ASD compared to TD controls. The analysis of the total fixation time showed a significantly reduced preference for faces in children with ASD compared to TD children. Moreover, while TD children showed a significant preference for the face over the object, children in the ASD group observed the two paired pictures for a similar amount of time, thus showing no preference. Besides, children with ASD paid significantly more sustained attention to the objects than TD children. Children in the TD group paid greater sustained attention to the faces over the objects, while children in the ASD group did not differentiate between objects and faces. Finally, an age effect was found in ASD, as younger children in the group tended to prefer objects and to show more sustained attention towards them. Overall, these findings add to the literature on anomalies in attention toward social and non-social stimuli in young children with ASD compared to their TD counterparts. These results are discussed in the light of previous studies and suggest possible directions for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Congiu
- Department of Pedagogy, Psychology, Philosophy, University of Cagliari, 09126 Cagliari, Italy;
| | - Giuseppe Doneddu
- Center for Autism and Related Disorder, Nuovo Centro Fisioterapico Sardo, 09131 Cagliari, Italy;
| | - Roberta Fadda
- Department of Pedagogy, Psychology, Philosophy, University of Cagliari, 09126 Cagliari, Italy;
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5
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Yoon CD, Xia Y, Terol AK, Meadan H, Lee JD. Correlation Between Gaze Behaviors and Social Communication Skills of Young Autistic Children: A Meta-Analysis of Eye-Tracking Studies. J Autism Dev Disord 2024:10.1007/s10803-024-06257-x. [PMID: 38400896 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-024-06257-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/26/2024]
Abstract
This meta-analysis examined correlations between eye-tracking measures of gaze behaviors manifested during dynamic salient social stimuli and behavioral assessment measures of social communication skills of young autistic children. We employed a multilevel model with random effects to perform three separate meta-analyses for correlation between social communication skills and (a) all gaze behaviors, (b) gaze duration, and (c) gaze transition. Subsequently, we performed meta-regression to assess the role of four moderators, including age, continuum of naturalness of stimuli, gaze metric, and area of interest, on correlation effect sizes that were heterogeneous at the population level. A total of 111 correlation coefficients from 17 studies for 1132 young autistic children or children with high-likelihood for autism (Mage range = 6-95 months) were included in this meta-analysis. The correlation effect sizes for all three meta-analyses were significant, supporting the relation between improved gaze behaviors and better social communication skills. In addition, age, gaze metric, and area of interest were significant moderators. This suggests the importance of identifying meaningful gaze behaviors related to social communication skills and the increasingly influential role of gaze behaviors in shaping social communication skills as young autistic children progress through the early childhood stage. The continuum of naturalness of stimuli, however, was revealed to trend towards having a significant moderating effect. Lastly, it is important to note the evidence of potential publication bias. Our findings are discussed in the context of early identification and intervention and unraveling the complex nature of autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christy D Yoon
- Department of Special Education, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 1310 South Sixth Street, Champaign, IL, 61820, USA.
| | - Yan Xia
- Department of Educational Psychology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 1310 South Sixth Street, Champaign, IL, 61820, USA
| | - Adriana Kaori Terol
- Department of Special Education, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 1310 South Sixth Street, Champaign, IL, 61820, USA
| | - Hedda Meadan
- Department of Special Education, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 1310 South Sixth Street, Champaign, IL, 61820, USA
| | - James D Lee
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, 6901 Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA, 98115, USA
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Dubois-Sage M, Jacquet B, Jamet F, Baratgin J. People with Autism Spectrum Disorder Could Interact More Easily with a Robot than with a Human: Reasons and Limits. Behav Sci (Basel) 2024; 14:131. [PMID: 38392485 PMCID: PMC10886012 DOI: 10.3390/bs14020131] [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: 12/29/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 02/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder show deficits in communication and social interaction, as well as repetitive behaviors and restricted interests. Interacting with robots could bring benefits to this population, notably by fostering communication and social interaction. Studies even suggest that people with Autism Spectrum Disorder could interact more easily with a robot partner rather than a human partner. We will be looking at the benefits of robots and the reasons put forward to explain these results. The interest regarding robots would mainly be due to three of their characteristics: they can act as motivational tools, and they are simplified agents whose behavior is more predictable than that of a human. Nevertheless, there are still many challenges to be met in specifying the optimum conditions for using robots with individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marion Dubois-Sage
- Laboratoire Cognitions Humaine et Artificielle, RNSR 200515259U, UFR de Psychologie, Université Paris 8, 93526 Saint-Denis, France
| | - Baptiste Jacquet
- Laboratoire Cognitions Humaine et Artificielle, RNSR 200515259U, UFR de Psychologie, Université Paris 8, 93526 Saint-Denis, France
- Association P-A-R-I-S, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Frank Jamet
- Laboratoire Cognitions Humaine et Artificielle, RNSR 200515259U, UFR de Psychologie, Université Paris 8, 93526 Saint-Denis, France
- Association P-A-R-I-S, 75005 Paris, France
- UFR d'Éducation, CY Cergy Paris Université, 95000 Cergy-Pontoise, France
| | - Jean Baratgin
- Laboratoire Cognitions Humaine et Artificielle, RNSR 200515259U, UFR de Psychologie, Université Paris 8, 93526 Saint-Denis, France
- Association P-A-R-I-S, 75005 Paris, France
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Ziv I, Avni I, Dinstein I, Meiri G, Bonneh YS. Oculomotor randomness is higher in autistic children and increases with the severity of symptoms. Autism Res 2024; 17:249-265. [PMID: 38189581 DOI: 10.1002/aur.3083] [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: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 12/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
A variety of studies have suggested that at least some children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) view the world differently. Differences in gaze patterns as measured by eye tracking have been demonstrated during visual exploration of images and natural viewing of movies with social content. Here we analyzed the temporal randomness of saccades and blinks during natural viewing of movies, inspired by a recent measure of "randomness" applied to micro-movements of the hand and head in ASD (Torres et al., 2013; Torres & Denisova, 2016). We analyzed a large eye-tracking dataset of 189 ASD and 41 typically developing (TD) children (1-11 years old) who watched three movie clips with social content, each repeated twice. We found that oculomotor measures of randomness, obtained from gamma parameters of inter-saccade intervals (ISI) and blink duration distributions, were significantly higher in the ASD group compared with the TD group and were correlated with the ADOS comparison score, reflecting increased "randomness" in more severe cases. Moreover, these measures of randomness decreased with age, as well as with higher cognitive scores in both groups and were consistent across repeated viewing of each movie clip. Highly "random" eye movements in ASD children could be associated with high "neural variability" or noise, poor sensory-motor control, or weak engagement with the movies. These findings could contribute to the future development of oculomotor biomarkers as part of an integrative diagnostic tool for ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inbal Ziv
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, Faculty of Life Science, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Inbar Avni
- Cognitive and Brain Sciences Department, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva, Israel
- Azrieli National Centre for Autism and Neurodevelopment Research, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva, Israel
| | - Ilan Dinstein
- Cognitive and Brain Sciences Department, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva, Israel
- Azrieli National Centre for Autism and Neurodevelopment Research, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva, Israel
- Psychology Department, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva, Israel
| | - Gal Meiri
- Azrieli National Centre for Autism and Neurodevelopment Research, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Be'er Sheva, Israel
- Pre-school Psychiatry Unit, Soroka Medical Center, Be'er Sheva, Israel
| | - Yoram S Bonneh
- School of Optometry and Vision Science, Faculty of Life Science, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
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Mori T, Tsuchiya KJ, Harada T, Nakayasu C, Okumura A, Nishimura T, Katayama T, Endo M. Autism symptoms, functional impairments, and gaze fixation measured using an eye-tracker in 6-year-old children. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1250763. [PMID: 37850106 PMCID: PMC10577268 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1250763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder clinically characterized by abnormalities in eye contact during social exchanges. We aimed to clarify whether the amount of gaze fixation, measured at the age of 6 years using Gazefinder, which is an established eye-tracking device, is associated with ASD symptoms and functioning. Methods The current study included 742 participants from the Hamamatsu Birth Cohort Study. Autistic symptoms were evaluated according to the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition (ADOS-2), and the functioning of the participating children in real life was assessed using the Japanese version of the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, Second Edition (VABS-II). The Gazefinder system was used for gaze fixation rates; two areas of interest (eyes and mouth) were defined in a talking movie clip, and eye gaze positions were calculated through corneal reflection techniques. Results The participants had an average age of 6.06 ± 0.14 years (males: 384; 52%). According to ADOS, 617 (83%) children were assessed as having none/mild ASD and 51 (7%) as severe. The average VABS-II scores were approximately 100 (standard deviation = 12). A higher gaze fixation rate on the eyes was associated with a significantly lower likelihood of the child being assigned to the severe ADOS group after controlling for covariates (odds ratio [OR], 0.02; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.002-0.38). The gaze fixation rate on the mouth was not associated with ASD symptoms. A higher gaze fixation rate on the mouth was associated with a significantly lower likelihood of the child being assigned to the low score group in VABS-II socialization after controlling for covariates (OR, 0.18; 95% CI, 0.04-0.85). The gaze fixation rate on the eyes was not associated with functioning. Conclusion We found that children with low gaze fixation rates on the eyes were likely to have more ASD symptoms, and children with low gaze fixation rates on the mouth were likely to demonstrate poorer functioning in socialization. Hence, preschool children could be independently assessed in the general population for clinically relevant endophenotypes predictive of ASD symptoms and functional impairments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toko Mori
- Faculty of Nursing, Shijonawate Gakuen University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Kenji J. Tsuchiya
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan
- Department of Child Development, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Kanazawa University, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Chiba University, and University of Fukui, Osaka, Japan
| | - Taeko Harada
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan
- Department of Child Development, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Kanazawa University, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Chiba University, and University of Fukui, Osaka, Japan
| | - Chikako Nakayasu
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan
| | - Akemi Okumura
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan
- Department of Child Development, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Kanazawa University, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Chiba University, and University of Fukui, Osaka, Japan
| | - Tomoko Nishimura
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan
- Department of Child Development, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Kanazawa University, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Chiba University, and University of Fukui, Osaka, Japan
| | - Taiichi Katayama
- Department of Child Development, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Kanazawa University, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Chiba University, and University of Fukui, Osaka, Japan
| | - Masayuki Endo
- Division of Health Sciences, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
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Viktorsson C, Bölte S, Falck-Ytter T. How 18-month-olds with Later Autism Look at Other Children Interacting: The Timing of Gaze Allocation. J Autism Dev Disord 2023:10.1007/s10803-023-06118-z. [PMID: 37642874 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-023-06118-z] [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: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
When observing other people during naturally paced and dynamic interactions, it is essential to look at specific locations at the right time to extract a maximum of socially informative content. In this study, we aimed to investigate the looking behavior of typically developing toddlers and toddlers later diagnosed with autism when observing other children interact. The sample consisted of 98 toddlers; 22 in a low-likelihood of autism group, 60 in an elevated likelihood of autism group who did not receive a subsequent diagnosis, and 16 in an elevated likelihood group who did receive an autism diagnosis. Participants performed an eye tracking task at 18 months of age and were assessed for diagnostic outcome at 36 months. The video stimuli consisted of two children interacting, where a boy reaches out for a toy and a girl refuses to give it to him. The low likelihood group showed an expected increase in ratio of looking at the girl's face after the boy requested the toy, as compared to before (t(21) = -3.337, p = .003). Toddlers with later autism showed a significantly lower ratio of looking at the girl's face during this time window, as compared to the other groups (F(2,91) = 3.698, p = .029). These findings provide new leads on how social gaze may be different in children with autism in everyday life (e.g., kindergarten), and highlight the need of studying the dynamics of gaze on short time scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Viktorsson
- Development and Neurodiversity Lab, Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Sven Bölte
- Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (KIND), Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Autism Research Group (CARG), Curtin School of Allied Health, Curtin University, Perth, Australia
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Stockholm Health Care Services, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Terje Falck-Ytter
- Development and Neurodiversity Lab, Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (KIND), Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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Prillinger K, Radev ST, Amador de Lara G, Werneck-Rohrer S, Plener PL, Poustka L, Konicar L. Effects of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Social Attention Patterns and Emotion Recognition Ability in Male Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Clin Med 2023; 12:5570. [PMID: 37685637 PMCID: PMC10489141 DOI: 10.3390/jcm12175570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Revised: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterized by impairments in social cognition including emotion recognition (ER) abilities. Common symptoms include unusual patterns of visual social attention, which are investigated as early developmental biomarkers for ASD. Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) has shown promising results in influencing social functioning in individuals with ASD. However, the effects of tDCS on social attention patterns and ER ability in adolescents with ASD remain unclear. This double-blind, sham-controlled, randomized clinical trial examined the effects of repeated sessions of tDCS on gaze behavior and ER ability in 22 male adolescents diagnosed with ASD. Participants received either 20 min of 2 mA active tDCS or sham stimulation for 10 days and an intra-stimulation training. Social allocation patterns were assessed using eye-tracking paradigms, including ER tasks. Our results indicated no tDCS-specific effects. Both groups showed improvements in ER and more frequent, faster, and longer fixations on the eyes than the mouth, and on social than nonsocial areas. In tasks with low social content, fixating the mouth seemed to increase ER accuracy. Understanding the effects of tDCS on social functioning in adolescents with ASD holds promise for the development of targeted interventions to improve their social cognition abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karin Prillinger
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics (CCP), Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Stefan T. Radev
- Cluster of Excellence STRUCTURES, Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany;
| | - Gabriel Amador de Lara
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics (CCP), Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Sonja Werneck-Rohrer
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics (CCP), Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Paul L. Plener
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics (CCP), Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Ulm, 89073 Ulm, Germany
| | - Luise Poustka
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Lilian Konicar
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- Comprehensive Center for Pediatrics (CCP), Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
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Minor GN, Hannula DE, Gordon A, Ragland JD, Iosif AM, Solomon M. Relational memory weakness in autism despite the use of a controlled encoding task. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1210259. [PMID: 37691809 PMCID: PMC10484720 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1210259] [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: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Recent work challenged past findings that documented relational memory impairments in autism. Previous studies often relied solely on explicit behavioral responses to assess relational memory integrity, but successful performance on behavioral tasks may rely on other cognitive abilities (e.g., executive functioning) that are impacted in some autistic individuals. Eye-tracking tasks do not require explicit behavioral responses, and, further, eye movements provide an indirect measure of memory. The current study examined whether memory-specific viewing patterns toward scenes differ between autistic and non-autistic individuals. Methods Using a long-term memory paradigm that equated for complexity between item and relational memory tasks, participants studied a series of scenes. Following the initial study phase, scenes were re-presented, accompanied by an orienting question that directed participants to attend to either features of an item (i.e., in the item condition) or spatial relationships between items (i.e., in the relational condition) that might be subsequently modified during test. At test, participants viewed scenes that were unchanged (i.e., repeated from study), scenes that underwent an "item" modification (an exemplar switch) or a "relational" modification (a location switch), and scenes that had not been presented before. Eye movements were recorded throughout. Results During study, there were no significant group differences in viewing directed to regions of scenes that might be manipulated at test, suggesting comparable processing of scene details during encoding. However, there was a group difference in explicit recognition accuracy for scenes that underwent a relational change. Marginal group differences in the expression of memory-based viewing effects during test for relational scenes were consistent with this behavioral outcome, particularly when analyses were limited to scenes recognized correctly with high confidence. Group differences were also evident in correlational analyses that examined the association between study phase viewing and recognition accuracy and between performance on the Picture Sequence Memory Test and recognition accuracy. Discussion Together, our findings suggest differences in the integrity of relational memory representations and/or in the relationships between subcomponents of memory in autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Greta N. Minor
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, United States
| | - Deborah E. Hannula
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, United States
| | - Andrew Gordon
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - J. Daniel Ragland
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Ana-Maria Iosif
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Marjorie Solomon
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
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12
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Leharanger M, Rodriguez Martinez EA, Balédent O, Vandromme L. Familiarization with Mixed Reality for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder: An Eye Tracking Study. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 23:6304. [PMID: 37514598 PMCID: PMC10383879 DOI: 10.3390/s23146304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
Mixed Reality (MR) technology is experiencing significant growth in the industrial and healthcare sectors. The headset HoloLens 2 displays virtual objects (in the form of holograms) in the user's environment in real-time. Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) exhibit, according to the DSM-5, persistent deficits in communication and social interaction, as well as a different sensitivity compared to neurotypical (NT) individuals. This study aims to propose a method for familiarizing eleven individuals with severe ASD with the HoloLens 2 headset and the use of MR technology through a tutorial. The secondary objective is to obtain quantitative learning indicators in MR, such as execution speed and eye tracking (ET), by comparing individuals with ASD to neurotypical individuals. We observed that 81.81% of individuals with ASD successfully familiarized themselves with MR after several sessions. Furthermore, the visual activity of individuals with ASD did not differ from that of neurotypical individuals when they successfully familiarized themselves. This study thus offers new perspectives on skill acquisition indicators useful for supporting neurodevelopmental disorders. It contributes to a better understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying learning in MR for individuals with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maxime Leharanger
- UR 7516 Laboratory CHIMERE, University of Picardie Jules Verne, 80000 Amiens, France
- Institut Faire Face, CHU Amiens, 80054 Amiens, France
| | - Eder Alejandro Rodriguez Martinez
- UR 7516 Laboratory CHIMERE, University of Picardie Jules Verne, 80000 Amiens, France
- Institut Faire Face, CHU Amiens, 80054 Amiens, France
| | - Olivier Balédent
- UR 7516 Laboratory CHIMERE, University of Picardie Jules Verne, 80000 Amiens, France
- Institut Faire Face, CHU Amiens, 80054 Amiens, France
| | - Luc Vandromme
- UR 7516 Laboratory CHIMERE, University of Picardie Jules Verne, 80000 Amiens, France
- Institut Faire Face, CHU Amiens, 80054 Amiens, France
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13
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Thorsson M, Galazka MA, Åsberg Johnels J, Hadjikhani N. A novel end-to-end dual-camera system for eye gaze synchrony assessment in face-to-face interaction. Atten Percept Psychophys 2023:10.3758/s13414-023-02679-4. [PMID: 37099200 DOI: 10.3758/s13414-023-02679-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/11/2023] [Indexed: 04/27/2023]
Abstract
Quantification of face-to-face interaction can provide highly relevant information in cognitive and psychological science research. Current commercial glint-dependent solutions suffer from several disadvantages and limitations when applied in face-to-face interaction, including data loss, parallax errors, the inconvenience and distracting effect of wearables, and/or the need for several cameras to capture each person. Here we present a novel eye-tracking solution, consisting of a dual-camera system used in conjunction with an individually optimized deep learning approach that aims to overcome some of these limitations. Our data show that this system can accurately classify gaze location within different areas of the face of two interlocutors, and capture subtle differences in interpersonal gaze synchrony between two individuals during a (semi-)naturalistic face-to-face interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Max Thorsson
- Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
| | - Martyna A Galazka
- Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Jakob Åsberg Johnels
- Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Section of Speech and Language Pathology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Nouchine Hadjikhani
- Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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14
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Viktorsson C, Portugal AM, Li D, Rudling M, Siqueiros Sanchez M, Tammimies K, Taylor MJ, Ronald A, Falck-Ytter T. Preferential looking to eyes versus mouth in early infancy: heritability and link to concurrent and later development. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2023; 64:311-319. [PMID: 36426800 PMCID: PMC10100106 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.13724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND From birth, infants orient preferentially to faces, and when looking at the face, they attend primarily to eyes and mouth. These areas convey different types of information, and earlier research suggests that genetic factors influence the preference for one or the other in young children. METHODS In a sample of 535 5-month-old infant twins, we assessed eye (relative to mouth) preference in early infancy, i.e., before neural systems for social communication and language are fully developed. We investigated the contribution of genetic and environmental factors to the preference for looking at eyes, and the association with concurrent traits and follow-up measures. RESULTS Eye preference was independent from all other concurrent traits measured, and had a moderate-to-high contribution from genetic influences (A = 0.57; 95% CI: 0.45, 0.66). Preference for eyes at 5 months was associated with higher parent ratings of receptive vocabulary at 14 months. No statistically significant association with later autistic traits was found. Preference for eyes was strikingly stable across different stimulus types (e.g., dynamic vs. still), suggesting that infants' preference at this age does not reflect sensitivity to low-level visual cues. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that individual differences in infants' preferential looking to eyes versus mouth to a substantial degree reflect genetic variation. The findings provide new leads on both the perceptual basis and the developmental consequences of these attentional biases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Viktorsson
- Development and Neurodiversity Lab, Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ana Maria Portugal
- Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (KIND), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Danyang Li
- Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (KIND), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.,Astrid Lindgren Children's Hospital, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Maja Rudling
- Development and Neurodiversity Lab, Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Monica Siqueiros Sanchez
- Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (KIND), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences, Center for Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences Research, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Kristiina Tammimies
- Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (KIND), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.,Astrid Lindgren Children's Hospital, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Mark J Taylor
- Department of Medical Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Angelica Ronald
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK
| | - Terje Falck-Ytter
- Development and Neurodiversity Lab, Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.,Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Women's and Children's Health, Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (KIND), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.,Swedish Collegium for Advanced Study, Uppsala, Sweden
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15
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Makov S, Pinto D, Har-Shai Yahav P, Miller LM, Zion Golumbic E. "Unattended, distracting or irrelevant": Theoretical implications of terminological choices in auditory selective attention research. Cognition 2023; 231:105313. [PMID: 36344304 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2022.105313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Revised: 09/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
For seventy years, auditory selective attention research has focused on studying the cognitive mechanisms of prioritizing the processing a 'main' task-relevant stimulus, in the presence of 'other' stimuli. However, a closer look at this body of literature reveals deep empirical inconsistencies and theoretical confusion regarding the extent to which this 'other' stimulus is processed. We argue that many key debates regarding attention arise, at least in part, from inappropriate terminological choices for experimental variables that may not accurately map onto the cognitive constructs they are meant to describe. Here we critically review the more common or disruptive terminological ambiguities, differentiate between methodology-based and theory-derived terms, and unpack the theoretical assumptions underlying different terminological choices. Particularly, we offer an in-depth analysis of the terms 'unattended' and 'distractor' and demonstrate how their use can lead to conflicting theoretical inferences. We also offer a framework for thinking about terminology in a more productive and precise way, in hope of fostering more productive debates and promoting more nuanced and accurate cognitive models of selective attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiri Makov
- The Gonda Multidisciplinary Center for Brain Research, Bar Ilan University, Israel
| | - Danna Pinto
- The Gonda Multidisciplinary Center for Brain Research, Bar Ilan University, Israel
| | - Paz Har-Shai Yahav
- The Gonda Multidisciplinary Center for Brain Research, Bar Ilan University, Israel
| | - Lee M Miller
- The Center for Mind and Brain, University of California, Davis, CA, United States of America; Department of Neurobiology, Physiology, & Behavior, University of California, Davis, CA, United States of America; Department of Otolaryngology / Head and Neck Surgery, University of California, Davis, CA, United States of America
| | - Elana Zion Golumbic
- The Gonda Multidisciplinary Center for Brain Research, Bar Ilan University, Israel.
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16
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Berlijn AM, Hildebrandt LK, Gamer M. Idiosyncratic viewing patterns of social scenes reflect individual preferences. J Vis 2022; 22:10. [PMID: 36583910 PMCID: PMC9807181 DOI: 10.1167/jov.22.13.10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
In general, humans preferentially look at conspecifics in naturalistic images. However, such group-based effects might conceal systematic individual differences concerning the preference for social information. Here, we investigated to what degree fixations on social features occur consistently within observers and whether this preference generalizes to other measures of social prioritization in the laboratory as well as the real world. Participants carried out a free viewing task, a relevance taps task that required them to actively select image regions that are crucial for understanding a given scene, and they were asked to freely take photographs outside the laboratory that were later classified regarding their social content. We observed stable individual differences in the fixation and active selection of human heads and faces that were correlated across tasks and partly predicted the social content of self-taken photographs. Such relationship was not observed for human bodies indicating that different social elements need to be dissociated. These findings suggest that idiosyncrasies in the visual exploration and interpretation of social features exist and predict real-world behavior. Future studies should further characterize these preferences and elucidate how they shape perception and interpretation of social contexts in healthy participants and patients with mental disorders that affect social functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam M. Berlijn
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany,Institute of Clinical Neuroscience and Medical Psychology, Medical Faculty, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany,Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany,Department of Psychology, Julius-Maximilians-University Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany,
| | - Lea K. Hildebrandt
- Department of Psychology, Julius-Maximilians-University Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany,
| | - Matthias Gamer
- Department of Psychology, Julius-Maximilians-University Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany,
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17
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Haskins AJ, Mentch J, Botch TL, Garcia BD, Burrows AL, Robertson CE. Reduced social attention in autism is magnified by perceptual load in naturalistic environments. Autism Res 2022; 15:2310-2323. [PMID: 36207799 PMCID: PMC10092155 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2829] [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: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Individuals with autism spectrum conditions (ASC) describe differences in both social cognition and sensory processing, but little is known about the causal relationship between these disparate functional domains. In the present study, we sought to understand how a core characteristic of autism-reduced social attention-is impacted by the complex multisensory signals present in real-world environments. We tested the hypothesis that reductions in social attention associated with autism would be magnified by increasing perceptual load (e.g., motion, multisensory cues). Adult participants (N = 40; 19 ASC) explored a diverse set of 360° real-world scenes in a naturalistic, active viewing paradigm (immersive virtual reality + eyetracking). Across three conditions, we systematically varied perceptual load while holding the social and semantic information present in each scene constant. We demonstrate that reduced social attention is not a static signature of the autistic phenotype. Rather, group differences in social attention emerged with increasing perceptual load in naturalistic environments, and the susceptibility of social attention to perceptual load predicted continuous measures of autistic traits across groups. Crucially, this pattern was specific to the social domain: we did not observe differential impacts of perceptual load on attention directed toward nonsocial semantic (i.e., object, place) information or low-level fixation behavior (i.e., overall fixation frequency or duration). This study provides a direct link between social and sensory processing in autism. Moreover, reduced social attention may be an inaccurate characterization of autism. Instead, our results suggest that social attention in autism is better explained by "social vulnerability," particularly to the perceptual load of real-world environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda J Haskins
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Jeff Mentch
- Speech and Hearing Bioscience and Technology, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,McGovern Institute for Brain Research, MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Thomas L Botch
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Brenda D Garcia
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Alexandra L Burrows
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Caroline E Robertson
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
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18
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Eye Tracking Study of Social Intensity on Social Orientation of Autistic Children. Behav Sci (Basel) 2022; 12:bs12090322. [PMID: 36135126 PMCID: PMC9495327 DOI: 10.3390/bs12090322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2022] [Revised: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Some previous studies indicate that impaired social attention mainly results in social disorders in autistic children. In the social attention mode of autistic children, social orientation and joint attention are particularly important. The influence of different social intensity and ecological validity on them are worthy of further study. This study used realistic paintings with moderate ecological validity as experimental materials, to design isolated individual scene and social interaction scene, and to explore the impact of social interaction on the social orientation of autistic children. It found that in the scenes without social interaction, the attention patterns of autistic children and typical developing children were the same, while the attention patterns of autistic children were abnormal in the scenes with social interaction. From the eye tracking data, it was shown that the gaze processing process of autistic children was not as smooth as that of typical developing children. Compared with cartoons and other social scenes with low ecological validity, realistic painting could better restore the proportion of real scenes. Moreover, it could reduce the complexity of information which could not be done in real scenes. The findings of this study provide support for training and education of autistic children. Intervention with realistic paintings is conducive to the migration of autistic children.
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19
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Dollion N, Grandgeorge M, Saint-Amour D, Hosein Poitras Loewen A, François N, Fontaine NMG, Champagne N, Plusquellec P. Emotion Facial Processing in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Pilot Study of the Impact of Service Dogs. Front Psychol 2022; 13:869452. [PMID: 35668968 PMCID: PMC9165718 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.869452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Processing and recognizing facial expressions are key factors in human social interaction. Past research suggests that individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) present difficulties to decode facial expressions. Those difficulties are notably attributed to altered strategies in the visual scanning of expressive faces. Numerous studies have demonstrated the multiple benefits of exposure to pet dogs and service dogs on the interaction skills and psychosocial development of children with ASD. However, no study has investigated if those benefits also extend to the processing of facial expressions. The aim of this study was to investigate if having a service dog had an influence on facial expression processing skills of children with ASD. Two groups of 15 children with ASD, with and without a service dog, were compared using a facial expression recognition computer task while their ocular movements were measured using an eye-tracker. While the two groups did not differ in their accuracy and reaction time, results highlighted that children with ASD owning a service dog directed less attention toward areas that were not relevant to facial expression processing. They also displayed a more differentiated scanning of relevant facial features according to the displayed emotion (i.e., they spent more time on the mouth for joy than for anger, and vice versa for the eyes area). Results from the present study suggest that having a service dog and interacting with it on a daily basis may promote the development of specific visual exploration strategies for the processing of human faces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Dollion
- Univ Rennes, Normandie Univ., CNRS, EthoS (Éthologie Animale et Humaine) - UMR 6552, Rennes, France.,Laboratoire d'Observation et d'Éthologie Humaine du Québec, Montréal Mental Health University Institute, Centre Intégré Universitaire de Santé et de Services Sociaux de l'Est-de-l'Île-de-Montréal (CIUSSS Est), Montréal, QC, Canada.,School of Psychoeducation, University of Montreal, Montréal, QC, Canada.,Mira Foundation Inc., Sainte-Madeleine, QC, Canada
| | - Marine Grandgeorge
- Univ Rennes, Normandie Univ., CNRS, EthoS (Éthologie Animale et Humaine) - UMR 6552, Rennes, France
| | - Dave Saint-Amour
- Department of Psychology, Centre de Recherche en Neuroscience Cognitives, NeuroQAM, Université du Quebec à Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Anthony Hosein Poitras Loewen
- Department of Psychology, Centre de Recherche en Neuroscience Cognitives, NeuroQAM, Université du Quebec à Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | | | - Nathalie M G Fontaine
- School of Criminology, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada.,Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherche sur le Cerveau et l'Apprentissage, University of Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | | | - Pierrich Plusquellec
- Laboratoire d'Observation et d'Éthologie Humaine du Québec, Montréal Mental Health University Institute, Centre Intégré Universitaire de Santé et de Services Sociaux de l'Est-de-l'Île-de-Montréal (CIUSSS Est), Montréal, QC, Canada.,School of Psychoeducation, University of Montreal, Montréal, QC, Canada.,Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherche sur le Cerveau et l'Apprentissage, University of Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
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20
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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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21
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Cai XE, Le J, Shou XJ, Wu-Yun GW, Wang XX, Han SP, Han JS, Kendrick KM, Zhang R. The salience of competing nonsocial objects reduces gaze toward social stimuli, but not the eyes, more in typically developing than autistic boys. Autism Res 2022; 15:1043-1055. [PMID: 35357777 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2714] [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: 02/19/2021] [Revised: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Decreased attention to social information is considered an early emerging symptom of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), although the underlying causes remain controversial. Here we explored the impact of nonsocial object salience on reduced attention to social stimuli in male ASD compared with typically developing (TD) children. Correlations with blood concentrations of neuropeptides linked with social cognition were also investigated. Eye-tracking was performed in 102 preschool-aged boys (50 ASD, 52 TD) using a paradigm with social (faces) versus nonsocial (objects) stimuli presented in pairs in two conditions where nonsocial stimulus salience was varied. Basal oxytocin (OXT) and vasopressin concentrations were measured in blood. Compared with TD boys those with ASD viewed social stimuli less only when they were paired with low-salience nonsocial objects. Additionally, boys with ASD spent less time than TD ones viewing facial features, particularly the eyes. In TD boys, OXT concentrations and cognitive development scores were positively associated with time spent viewing the eye region, whereas for boys with ASD associations with time spent viewing faces were negative. Reduced gaze toward social stimuli in ASD relative to TD individuals may therefore be influenced by how salient the paired nonsocial objects are for the latter. On the other hand, reduced interest in the eyes of faces in boys with ASD is not influenced by how salient competing nonsocial stimuli are. Basal OXT concentrations and cognitive development scores are predictive of time spent viewing social stimuli in TD boys (eyes) and those with ASD (faces) but in the opposite direction. LAY SUMMARY: Children with autism exhibit reduced attention to social paired with nonsocial stimuli compared to typically developing children. Using eye-tracking we show this difference is due to typically developing rather than autistic boys being more influenced by how interesting competing nonsocial objects are. On the other hand, reduced time looking at the eyes in autistic relative to typically developing boys is unaffected by nonsocial object salience. Time spent viewing social stimuli is associated with cognitive development and blood levels of oxytocin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-E Cai
- Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Department of Neurobiology, Department of Integration of Chinese and Western Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Health, Beijing, China.,Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Beijing Tsinghua Changgung Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Jiao Le
- Chengdu Women's and Children's Central Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.,Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiao-Jing Shou
- Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Department of Neurobiology, Department of Integration of Chinese and Western Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Health, Beijing, China.,State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics and IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Gao-Wa Wu-Yun
- Department of Preschool Education, Teachers' College of Beijing Union University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiao-Xi Wang
- Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Department of Neurobiology, Department of Integration of Chinese and Western Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Health, Beijing, China.,Institute of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Song-Ping Han
- Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Department of Neurobiology, Department of Integration of Chinese and Western Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Health, Beijing, China
| | - Ji-Sheng Han
- Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Department of Neurobiology, Department of Integration of Chinese and Western Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Health, Beijing, China
| | - Keith M Kendrick
- Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Rong Zhang
- Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Department of Neurobiology, Department of Integration of Chinese and Western Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China.,Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory for Neuroscience, Ministry of Health, Beijing, China.,Autism Research Center, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing, China.,Department of Integration of Chinese and Western Medicine, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
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22
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Eye-Tracking Studies in Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. J Autism Dev Disord 2022; 53:2430-2443. [PMID: 35355174 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-022-05524-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/06/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Eye-tracking studies have shown potential in effectively discriminating between autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and non-ASD groups. The main objective of the present study was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of eye-tracking studies in adults with ASD. A total of 22 studies were included for meta-analysis. Eyes and Non-Social regions proved better for discriminating between ASD and non-ASD adults, while fixation duration seems to be the outcome to choose. Active engaged tasks seem to reduce differences between ASD and non-ASD adults, regardless of the emotional content of the stimuli/task. Proportional fixation duration on eyes and non-social areas in non-active tasks (e.g. free viewing) seems to be the best eye-tracking design for increasing the sensitivity and specificity in ASD adults.
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23
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Sou KL, Say A, Xu H. Unity Assumption in Audiovisual Emotion Perception. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:782318. [PMID: 35310087 PMCID: PMC8931414 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.782318] [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: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
We experience various sensory stimuli every day. How does this integration occur? What are the inherent mechanisms in this integration? The “unity assumption” proposes a perceiver’s belief of unity in individual unisensory information to modulate the degree of multisensory integration. However, this has yet to be verified or quantified in the context of semantic emotion integration. In the present study, we investigate the ability of subjects to judge the intensities and degrees of similarity in faces and voices of two emotions (angry and happy). We found more similar stimulus intensities to be associated with stronger likelihoods of the face and voice being integrated. More interestingly, multisensory integration in emotion perception was observed to follow a Gaussian distribution as a function of the emotion intensity difference between the face and voice—the optimal cut-off at about 2.50 points difference on a 7-point Likert scale. This provides a quantitative estimation of the multisensory integration function in audio-visual semantic emotion perception with regards to stimulus intensity. Moreover, to investigate the variation of multisensory integration across the population, we examined the effects of personality and autistic traits of participants. Here, we found no correlation of autistic traits with unisensory processing in a nonclinical population. Our findings shed light on the current understanding of multisensory integration mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ka Lon Sou
- Psychology, School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
- Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, Singapore University of Technology and Design, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Ashley Say
- Psychology, School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Hong Xu
- Psychology, School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
- *Correspondence: Hong Xu,
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24
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Integration of Facial Expression and Gaze Direction in Individuals with a High Level of Autistic Traits. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19052798. [PMID: 35270490 PMCID: PMC8910540 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19052798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Revised: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022]
Abstract
Background. We investigated whether individuals with high levels of autistic traits integrate relevant communicative signals, such as facial expression, when decoding eye-gaze direction. Methods. Students with high vs. low scores on the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) performed a task in which they responded to the eye directions of faces, presented on the left or the right side of a screen, portraying different emotional expressions. Results. In both groups, the identification of gaze direction was faster when the eyes were directed towards the center of the scene. However, in the low AQ group, this effect was larger for happy faces than for neutral faces or faces showing other emotional expressions, whereas participants from high AQ group were not affected by emotional expressions. Conclusions. These results suggest that individuals with more autistic traits may not integrate multiple communicative signals based on their emotional value.
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25
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Bagherzadeh-Azbari S, Lau GKB, Ouyang G, Zhou C, Hildebrandt A, Sommer W, Lui M. Multimodal Evidence of Atypical Processing of Eye Gaze and Facial Emotion in Children With Autistic Traits. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 16:733852. [PMID: 35242018 PMCID: PMC8886727 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.733852] [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: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
According to the shared signal hypothesis (SSH) the impact of facial expressions on emotion processing partially depends on whether the gaze is directed toward or away from the observer. In autism spectrum disorder (ASD) several aspects of face processing have been found to be atypical, including attention to eye gaze and the identification of emotional expressions. However, there is little research on how gaze direction affects emotional expression processing in typically developing (TD) individuals and in those with ASD. This question is investigated here in two multimodal experiments. Experiment 1 required processing eye gaze direction while faces differed in emotional expression. Forty-seven children (aged 9–12 years) participated. Their Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) scores ranged from 0 to 6 in the experiment. Event-related potentials (ERPs) were sensitive to gaze direction and emotion, but emotion processing did not depend on gaze direction. However, for angry faces the gaze direction effect on the N170 amplitude, as typically observed in TD individuals, diminished with increasing ADOS score. For neutral expressions this correlation was not significant. Experiment 2 required explicit emotion classifications in a facial emotion composite task while eye gaze was manipulated incidentally. A group of 22 children with ASD was compared to a propensity score-matched group of TD children (mean age = 13 years). The same comparison was carried out for a subgroup of nine children with ASD who were less trained in social cognition, according to clinician’s report. The ASD group performed overall worse in emotion recognition than the TD group, independently of emotion or gaze direction. However, for disgust expressions, eye tracking data revealed that TD children fixated relatively longer on the eyes of the stimulus face with a direct gaze as compared with averted gaze. In children with ASD we observed no such modulation of fixation behavior as a function of gaze direction. Overall, the present findings from ERPs and eye tracking confirm the hypothesis of an impaired sensitivity to gaze direction in children with ASD or elevated autistic traits, at least for specific emotions. Therefore, we conclude that multimodal investigations of the interaction between emotional processing and stimulus gaze direction are promising to understand the characteristics of individuals differing along the autism trait dimension.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gilbert Ka Bo Lau
- Center for Child Development, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Guang Ouyang
- Faculty of Education, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Changsong Zhou
- Department of Physics, Centre for Nonlinear Studies, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Beijing-Hong Kong-Singapore Joint Centre for Nonlinear and Complex Systems, Institute of Computational and Theoretical Studies, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Andrea Hildebrandt
- Department of Psychology and Research Center Neurosensory Science, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
- *Correspondence: Andrea Hildebrandt,
| | - Werner Sommer
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Physics, Centre for Nonlinear Studies, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Department of Psychology, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
- Werner Sommer,
| | - Ming Lui
- Center for Child Development, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Department of Education Studies, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Ming Lui,
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26
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Vehlen A, Standard W, Domes G. How to choose the size of facial areas of interest in interactive eye tracking. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0263594. [PMID: 35120188 PMCID: PMC8815978 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0263594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Advances in eye tracking technology have enabled the development of interactive experimental setups to study social attention. Since these setups differ substantially from the eye tracker manufacturer's test conditions, validation is essential with regard to the quality of gaze data and other factors potentially threatening the validity of this signal. In this study, we evaluated the impact of accuracy and areas of interest (AOIs) size on the classification of simulated gaze (fixation) data. We defined AOIs of different sizes using the Limited-Radius Voronoi-Tessellation (LRVT) method, and simulated gaze data for facial target points with varying accuracy. As hypothesized, we found that accuracy and AOI size had strong effects on gaze classification. In addition, these effects were not independent and differed in falsely classified gaze inside AOIs (Type I errors; false alarms) and falsely classified gaze outside the predefined AOIs (Type II errors; misses). Our results indicate that smaller AOIs generally minimize false classifications as long as accuracy is good enough. For studies with lower accuracy, Type II errors can still be compensated to some extent by using larger AOIs, but at the cost of more probable Type I errors. Proper estimation of accuracy is therefore essential for making informed decisions regarding the size of AOIs in eye tracking research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonia Vehlen
- Department of Psychology, Biological and Clinical Psychology, University of Trier, Trier, Germany
| | - William Standard
- Department of Psychology, Biological and Clinical Psychology, University of Trier, Trier, Germany
| | - Gregor Domes
- Department of Psychology, Biological and Clinical Psychology, University of Trier, Trier, Germany
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27
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Perkovich E, Sun L, Mire S, Laakman A, Sakhuja U, Yoshida H. What children with and without ASD see: Similar visual experiences with different pathways through parental attention strategies. AUTISM & DEVELOPMENTAL LANGUAGE IMPAIRMENTS 2022; 7:23969415221137293. [PMID: 36518657 PMCID: PMC9742584 DOI: 10.1177/23969415221137293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Although young children's gaze behaviors in experimental task contexts have been shown to be potential biobehavioral markers relevant to autism spectrum disorder (ASD), we know little about their everyday gaze behaviors. The present study aims (1) to document early gaze behaviors that occur within a live, social interactive context among children with and without ASD and their parents, and (2) to examine how children's and parents' gaze behaviors are related for ASD and typically developing (TD) groups. A head-mounted eye-tracking system was used to record the frequency and duration of a set of gaze behaviors (such as sustained attention [SA] and joint attention [JA]) that are relevant to early cognitive and language development. METHODS Twenty-six parent-child dyads (ASD group = 13, TD group = 13) participated. Children were between the ages of 3 and 8 years old. We placed head-mounted eye trackers on parents and children to record their parent- and child-centered views, and we also recorded their interactive parent-child object play scene from both a wall- and ceiling-mounted camera. We then annotated the frequency and duration of gaze behaviors (saccades, fixation, SA, and JA) for different regions of interest (object, face, and hands), and attention shifting. Independent group t-tests and ANOVAs were used to observe group comparisons, and linear regression was used to test the predictiveness of parent gaze behaviors for JA. RESULTS The present study found no differences in visual experiences between children with and without ASD. Interestingly, however, significant group differences were found for parent gaze behaviors. Compared to parents of ASD children, parents of TD children focused on objects and shifted their attention between objects and their children's faces more. In contrast, parents of ASD children were more likely to shift their attention between their own hands and their children. JA experiences were also predicted differently, depending on the group: among parents of TD children, attention to objects predicted JA, but among parents of ASD children, attention to their children predicted JA. CONCLUSION Although no differences were found between gaze behaviors of autistic and TD children in this study, there were significant group differences in parents' looking behaviors. This suggests potentially differential pathways for the scaffolding effect of parental gaze for ASD children compared with TD children. IMPLICATIONS The present study revealed the impact of everyday life, social interactive context on early visual experiences, and point to potentially different pathways by which parental looking behaviors guide the looking behaviors of children with and without ASD. Identifying parental social input relevant to early attention development (e.g., JA) among autistic children has implications for mechanisms that could support socially mediated attention behaviors that have been documented to facilitate early cognitive and language development and implications for the development of parent-mediated interventions for young children with or at risk for ASD.Note: This paper uses a combination of person-first and identity-first language, an intentional decision aligning with comments put forth by Vivanti (Vivanti, 2020), recognizing the complexities of known and unknown preferences of those in the larger autism community.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Perkovich
- Elizabeth Perkovich, Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA.
| | - Lichao Sun
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Sarah Mire
- Educational Psychology Department, Baylor University, Waco, TX, USA
| | - Anna Laakman
- Department of Psychological Health and Learning Sciences, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Urvi Sakhuja
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Hanako Yoshida
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
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28
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The effects of direct and averted gazes on object-based attention. ACTA PSYCHOLOGICA SINICA 2022. [DOI: 10.3724/sp.j.1041.2022.00748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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29
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Masulli P, Galazka M, Eberhard D, Johnels JÅ, Gillberg C, Billstedt E, Hadjikhani N, Andersen TS. Data-driven analysis of gaze patterns in face perception: Methodological and clinical contributions. Cortex 2021; 147:9-23. [PMID: 34998084 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2021.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Revised: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Gaze patterns during face perception have been shown to relate to psychiatric symptoms. Standard analysis of gaze behavior includes calculating fixations within arbitrarily predetermined areas of interest. In contrast to this approach, we present an objective, data-driven method for the analysis of gaze patterns and their relation to diagnostic test scores. This method was applied to data acquired in an adult sample (N = 111) of psychiatry outpatients while they freely looked at images of human faces. Dimensional symptom scores of autism, attention deficit, and depression were collected. A linear regression model based on Principal Component Analysis coefficients computed for each participant was used to model symptom scores. We found that specific components of gaze patterns predicted autistic traits as well as depression symptoms. Gaze patterns shifted away from the eyes with increasing autism traits, a well-known effect. Additionally, the model revealed a lateralization component, with a reduction of the left visual field bias increasing with both autistic traits and depression symptoms independently. Taken together, our model provides a data-driven alternative for gaze data analysis, which can be applied to dimensionally-, rather than categorically-defined clinical subgroups within a variety of contexts. Methodological and clinical contribution of this approach are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Masulli
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science DTU Compute, Section of Cognitive Systems, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark; iMotions A/S, Copenhagen V, Denmark
| | - Martyna Galazka
- Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Center, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - David Eberhard
- Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Center, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
| | | | | | - Eva Billstedt
- Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Center, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Nouchine Hadjikhani
- Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Center, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden; Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA.
| | - Tobias S Andersen
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science DTU Compute, Section of Cognitive Systems, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
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30
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Alcañiz M, Chicchi-Giglioli IA, Carrasco-Ribelles LA, Marín-Morales J, Minissi ME, Teruel-García G, Sirera M, Abad L. Eye gaze as a biomarker in the recognition of autism spectrum disorder using virtual reality and machine learning: A proof of concept for diagnosis. Autism Res 2021; 15:131-145. [PMID: 34811930 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Revised: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The core symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) mainly relate to social communication and interactions. ASD assessment involves expert observations in neutral settings, which introduces limitations and biases related to lack of objectivity and does not capture performance in real-world settings. To overcome these limitations, advances in technologies (e.g., virtual reality) and sensors (e.g., eye-tracking tools) have been used to create realistic simulated environments and track eye movements, enriching assessments with more objective data than can be obtained via traditional measures. This study aimed to distinguish between autistic and typically developing children using visual attention behaviors through an eye-tracking paradigm in a virtual environment as a measure of attunement to and extraction of socially relevant information. The 55 children participated. Autistic children presented a higher number of frames, both overall and per scenario, and showed higher visual preferences for adults over children, as well as specific preferences for adults' rather than children's faces on which looked more at bodies. A set of multivariate supervised machine learning models were developed using recursive feature selection to recognize ASD based on extracted eye gaze features. The models achieved up to 86% accuracy (sensitivity = 91%) in recognizing autistic children. Our results should be taken as preliminary due to the relatively small sample size and the lack of an external replication dataset. However, to our knowledge, this constitutes a first proof of concept in the combined use of virtual reality, eye-tracking tools, and machine learning for ASD recognition. LAY SUMMARY: Core symptoms in children with ASD involve social communication and interaction. ASD assessment includes expert observations in neutral settings, which show limitations and biases related to lack of objectivity and do not capture performance in real settings. To overcome these limitations, this work aimed to distinguish between autistic and typically developing children in visual attention behaviors through an eye-tracking paradigm in a virtual environment as a measure of attunement to, and extraction of, socially relevant information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariano Alcañiz
- Instituto de Investigación e Innovación en Bioingeniería (i3B), Universitat Politécnica de Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Irene Alice Chicchi-Giglioli
- Instituto de Investigación e Innovación en Bioingeniería (i3B), Universitat Politécnica de Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Lucía A Carrasco-Ribelles
- Instituto de Investigación e Innovación en Bioingeniería (i3B), Universitat Politécnica de Valencia, Valencia, Spain.,Fundació Institut Universitari per a la Recerca a l'Atenció Primària de Salut Jordi Gol i Gurina (IDIAPJGol), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Javier Marín-Morales
- Instituto de Investigación e Innovación en Bioingeniería (i3B), Universitat Politécnica de Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Maria Eleonora Minissi
- Instituto de Investigación e Innovación en Bioingeniería (i3B), Universitat Politécnica de Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Gonzalo Teruel-García
- Instituto de Investigación e Innovación en Bioingeniería (i3B), Universitat Politécnica de Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Marian Sirera
- Red Cenit, Centros de Desarrollo Cognitivo, Valencia, Spain
| | - Luis Abad
- Red Cenit, Centros de Desarrollo Cognitivo, Valencia, Spain
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31
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Ma X, Gu H, Zhao J. Atypical gaze patterns to facial feature areas in autism spectrum disorders reveal age and culture effects: A meta-analysis of eye-tracking studies. Autism Res 2021; 14:2625-2639. [PMID: 34542246 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2021] [Revised: 08/07/2021] [Accepted: 08/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Children and adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often present with atypical gaze patterns to others' faces, a finding substantiated throughout the literature. Yet, a quantification of atypical gaze patterns to different facial regions (e.g., eyes versus mouth) in ASD remains controversial. Also few study has investigated how age and culture impacted the pattern of gaze abnormalities in ASD. This research therefore conducted a meta-analysis of eye-tracking studies to evaluate age and culture effect on atypical gaze patterns of face processing in ASD. A total of 75 articles (91 studies) and 4209 individuals (ASD: 2027; controls: 2182) across all age ranges (i.e., childhood through to adulthood) from both Eastern and Western cultures were included in this meta-analysis. Individuals with ASD yielded shorter fixation durations to the eyes than individuals without ASD. Group differences in the time spent fixating on the eyes were not modulated by age, but affected by culture. Effect size in the eastern culture was larger than that in the western culture. In contrast, group differences on time spent looking at the mouth were not significant, but changed with age and modulated by culture. Relative to the neurotypical controls, Western individuals with ASD spent more time looking at the mouth from school age, whereas Eastern individuals with ASD did not gaze longer on mouth until adulthood. These results add to the body of evidence supporting atypical gaze behaviors to eyes in ASD and provide new insights into a potential mouth compensation strategy that develops with age in ASD. LAY SUMMARY: Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often show atypical gaze patterns when looking at others' faces compared to neurotypical individuals. This paper examines the role of age and culture on pattern of gaze abnormalities in individuals with ASD. Results show that reduction of gaze on eyes in ASD is stable across all ages and cultures, while increase of gaze on mouth emerges as individuals with ASD get older. The findings provide a developmental insight to the gaze patterns on the autism spectrum across culture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue'er Ma
- School of Psychology, Shaanxi Normal University, Shaanxi Provincial Key Research Center of Child Mental and Behavioral Health, Xi'an, China
| | - Haixia Gu
- School of Psychology, Shaanxi Normal University, Shaanxi Provincial Key Research Center of Child Mental and Behavioral Health, Xi'an, China
| | - Jingjing Zhao
- School of Psychology, Shaanxi Normal University, Shaanxi Provincial Key Research Center of Child Mental and Behavioral Health, Xi'an, China
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32
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Avni I, Meiri G, Michaelovski A, Menashe I, Shmuelof L, Dinstein I. Basic oculomotor function is similar in young children with ASD and typically developing controls. Autism Res 2021; 14:2580-2591. [PMID: 34405961 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2020] [Revised: 06/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
A variety of eye tracking studies have demonstrated that young children with ASD gaze at images and movies of social interactions differently than typically developing children. These findings have supported the hypothesis that gaze behavior differences are generated by a weaker preference for social stimuli in ASD children. The hypothesis assumes that gaze differences are not caused by abnormalities in oculomotor function including saccade frequency and kinematics. Previous studies of oculomotor function have mostly been performed with school-age children, adolescents, and adults using visual search, anti-saccade, and gap saccade tasks that are less suitable for young pre-school children. Here, we examined oculomotor function in 144 children (90 with ASD and 54 controls), 1-10-years-old, as they watched two animated movies interleaved with the presentation of multiple salient stimuli that elicited saccades-to-targets. The results revealed that the number of fixations, fixation duration, number of saccades, saccade duration, saccade accuracy, and saccade latency did not differ significantly across groups. Minor initial differences in saccade peak velocity were not supported by analysis with a linear mixed model. These findings suggest that most children with ASD exhibit similar oculomotor function to that of controls, when performing saccades-to-targets or freely viewing child-friendly movies. This suggests that previously reported gaze abnormalities in children with ASD are not due to underlying oculomotor deficiencies. LAY SUMMARY: This study demonstrates that children with ASD perform similar eye movements to those of controls when freely observing movies or making eye movements to targets. Similar results were apparent across groups in the number of eye movements, their accuracy, duration, and other measures that assess eye movement control. These findings are important for interpreting previously reported differences in gaze behavior of children with ASD, which are likely due to atypical social preferences rather than impaired control of eye movements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inbar Avni
- Cognitive and Brain Sciences Department, Ben Gurion University, Beer Sheva, Israel.,National Autism Research Center of Israel, Ben Gurion University, Beer Sheva, Israel
| | - Gal Meiri
- National Autism Research Center of Israel, Ben Gurion University, Beer Sheva, Israel.,Pre-school Psychiatry Unit, Soroka University Medical Center, Beer Sheba, Israel
| | - Analya Michaelovski
- National Autism Research Center of Israel, Ben Gurion University, Beer Sheva, Israel.,Zusman Child Development Center, Soroka University Medical Center, Beer Sheva, Israel
| | - Idan Menashe
- National Autism Research Center of Israel, Ben Gurion University, Beer Sheva, Israel.,Public Health Department, Ben-Gurion University, Beer Sheva, Israel
| | - Lior Shmuelof
- Cognitive and Brain Sciences Department, Ben Gurion University, Beer Sheva, Israel
| | - Ilan Dinstein
- Cognitive and Brain Sciences Department, Ben Gurion University, Beer Sheva, Israel.,National Autism Research Center of Israel, Ben Gurion University, Beer Sheva, Israel.,Psychology Department, Ben Gurion University, Beer Sheva, Israel
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33
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Vacas J, Antolí A, Sánchez-Raya A, Pérez-Dueñas C, Cuadrado F. Visual preference for social vs. non-social images in young children with autism spectrum disorders. An eye tracking study. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0252795. [PMID: 34086803 PMCID: PMC8177541 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0252795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are associated to social attention (SA) impairments. A gaze bias to non-social objects over faces has been proposed as an early marker of ASD. This bias may be related to the concomitant circumscribed interests (CI), which question the role of competing objects in this atypical visual behavior. The aim of this study was to compare visual attention patterns to social and non-social images in young children with ASD and matched typical controls (N = 36; age range 41-73 months) assessing the role of emotion in facial stimuli and the type of competing object. A paired preference task was designed pairing happy, angry, and neutral faces with two types of objects (related or not related to autism CI). Eye tracking data were collected, and three indexes were considered as dependent variables: prioritization (attentional orientation), preference, and duration (sustained attention). Results showed that both groups had similar visual pattern to faces (prioritization, more attention and longer visits to faces paired with objects non-related to their CI); however, the ASD group attended to faces significantly less than controls. Children with ASD showed an emotional bias (late orientation to angry faces and typical preference for happy faces). Finally, objects related to their CI captured attention in both groups, significantly reducing SA in children with ASD. Atypical SA is present in young children with ASD regardless the competing non-social object. Identifying strengths and difficulties in SA in this population may have substantial repercussion for early diagnosis, intervention, and ultimately prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Vacas
- Department of Psychology, University of Cordoba, Cordoba, Andalusia, Spain
- Maimonides Biomedical Research Institute of Cordoba (IMIBIC), Cordoba, Andalusia, Spain
- Reina Sofía University Hospital of Cordoba, Cordoba, Andalusia, Spain
| | - Adoración Antolí
- Department of Psychology, University of Cordoba, Cordoba, Andalusia, Spain
- Maimonides Biomedical Research Institute of Cordoba (IMIBIC), Cordoba, Andalusia, Spain
- Reina Sofía University Hospital of Cordoba, Cordoba, Andalusia, Spain
- Early Childhood Care Centre, University of Cordoba, Cordoba, Andalusia, Spain
| | - Araceli Sánchez-Raya
- Department of Psychology, University of Cordoba, Cordoba, Andalusia, Spain
- Maimonides Biomedical Research Institute of Cordoba (IMIBIC), Cordoba, Andalusia, Spain
- Reina Sofía University Hospital of Cordoba, Cordoba, Andalusia, Spain
- Early Childhood Care Centre, University of Cordoba, Cordoba, Andalusia, Spain
| | - Carolina Pérez-Dueñas
- Department of Psychology, University of Cordoba, Cordoba, Andalusia, Spain
- Maimonides Biomedical Research Institute of Cordoba (IMIBIC), Cordoba, Andalusia, Spain
- Reina Sofía University Hospital of Cordoba, Cordoba, Andalusia, Spain
| | - Fátima Cuadrado
- Department of Psychology, University of Cordoba, Cordoba, Andalusia, Spain
- Maimonides Biomedical Research Institute of Cordoba (IMIBIC), Cordoba, Andalusia, Spain
- Reina Sofía University Hospital of Cordoba, Cordoba, Andalusia, Spain
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Frazier TW, Uljarevic M, Ghazal I, Klingemier EW, Langfus J, Youngstrom EA, Aldosari M, Al-Shammari H, El-Hag S, Tolefat M, Ali M, Al-Shaban FA. Social attention as a cross-cultural transdiagnostic neurodevelopmental risk marker. Autism Res 2021; 14:1873-1885. [PMID: 33991069 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Revised: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The primary objectives of this study were to evaluate the structure and age-related stability of social attention in English and Arabic-speaking youth and to compare social attention between children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), other developmental disabilities (DD), and typically-developing controls. Eye-tracking data were collected from US (N = 270) and Qatari (N = 242) youth ages 1-17, including children evaluated for possible ASD. Participants viewed 44 stimuli from seven social paradigms. Fixation was computed for areas of interest within each stimulus. Latent variable models examined the structure of social attention. Generalized estimating equation models examined the effect of age, sex, culture, and diagnostic group on social attention. The best-fitting model included a general social attention factor and six specific factors. Cultural differences in social attention were minimal and social attention was stable across age (r = 0.03), but females showed significantly greater social attention than males (d = 0.28). Social attention was weaker in DD (d = -0.17) and lowest in ASD (d = -0.38) relative to controls. Differences were of sufficient magnitude across areas-of-interest to reliably differentiate DD from controls (AUC = 0.80) and ASD-only from all other cases (AUC = 0.76). A social attention dimension that represents an early-life preference for socially salient information was identified. This preference was cross-culturally consistent and stable across development but stronger in females and weaker in DD, especially ASD. Given rapid and easy-to-collect remote eye tracking administration, social attention measurement may be useful for developmental monitoring. Acquisition of population norms, analogous to height/weight/head circumference, might enhance early screening and tracking of neurodevelopment. LAY SUMMARY: This research found that social attention is a single dimension of behavior that represents a strong preference for social stimuli, is consistent across cultures, stable across age, and stronger in females. Children with developmental disabilities had lower levels of social attention than neurotypical children and children with autism spectrum disorder had the lowest levels of social attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas W Frazier
- Department of Psychology, John Carroll University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.,Autism Speaks, New York, New York, USA.,Center for Autism, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Mirko Uljarevic
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Iman Ghazal
- Neurological Disorders Research Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar
| | | | - Joshua Langfus
- Al Shafallah Center for Persons with Disability, Al Shafallah Center for Persons with Disability, Doha, Qatar
| | - Eric A Youngstrom
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | | | - Hawraa Al-Shammari
- Neurological Disorders Research Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Saba El-Hag
- Neurological Disorders Research Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar
| | - Mohamed Tolefat
- Al Shafallah Center for Persons with Disability, Al Shafallah Center for Persons with Disability, Doha, Qatar
| | - Mogahed Ali
- Al Shafallah Center for Persons with Disability, Al Shafallah Center for Persons with Disability, Doha, Qatar
| | - Fouad A Al-Shaban
- Neurological Disorders Research Center, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar Foundation, Doha, Qatar
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35
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Liu H, Liu H, Li F, Han B, Wang C. Effect of Cognitive Control on Attentional Processing of Emotional Information Among Older Adults: Evidence From an Eye-Tracking Study. Front Aging Neurosci 2021; 13:644379. [PMID: 33994995 PMCID: PMC8116557 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2021.644379] [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] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Although numerous studies have suggested that the gradually increasing selective preference for positive information over negative information in older adults depends on cognitive control processes, few have reported the characteristics of different attention stages in the emotional processing of older individuals. The present study used a real-time eye-tracking technique to disentangle the attentional engagement and disengagement processes involved in age-related positivity effect (PE). Methods: Eye movement data from a spatial-cueing task were obtained for 32 older and 32 younger healthy participants. The spatial-cueing task with varied cognitive loads appeared to be an effective way to explore the role of cognitive control during the attention engagement and disengagement stages of emotion processing. Results: Compared with younger adults, older participants showed more positive gaze preferences when cognitive resources were sufficient for face processing at the attention engagement stage. However, the age-related PE was not observed at the attention disengagement stage because older adults had more difficulty disengaging from fearful faces than did the younger adults due to the consumption of attention by the explicit target judgment. Conclusion: The present study highlights how cognitive control moderates positive gaze preferences at different attention processing stages. These findings may have far-reaching implications for understanding, preventing, and intervening in unsuccessful aging and, thus, in promoting active and healthy aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haining Liu
- Psychology Department, Chengde Medical University, Chengde, China
- Hebei Key Laboratory of Nerve Injury and Repair, Chengde Medical University, Chengde, China
| | - Haihong Liu
- Psychology Department, Chengde Medical University, Chengde, China
- Centre for Research in Psychology and Human Well Being Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, The National University of Malaysia, Bangi, Malaysia
| | - Feng Li
- School of Statistics, Jiangxi University of Finance and Economics, Nanchang, China
- Research Center of Applied Statistics, Jiangxi University of Finance and Economics, Nanchang, China
| | - Buxin Han
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Cuili Wang
- School of Nursing, Peking University, Beijing, China
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36
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Yurkovic JR, Lisandrelli G, Shaffer RC, Dominick KC, Pedapati EV, Erickson CA, Kennedy DP, Yu C. Using head-mounted eye tracking to examine visual and manual exploration during naturalistic toy play in children with and without autism spectrum disorder. Sci Rep 2021; 11:3578. [PMID: 33574367 PMCID: PMC7878779 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-81102-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Multimodal exploration of objects during toy play is important for a child's development and is suggested to be abnormal in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) due to either atypical attention or atypical action. However, little is known about how children with ASD coordinate their visual attention and manual actions during toy play. The current study aims to understand if and in what ways children with ASD generate exploratory behaviors to toys in natural, unconstrained contexts by utilizing head-mounted eye tracking to quantify moment-by-moment attention. We found no differences in how 24- to 48-mo children with and without ASD distribute their visual attention, generate manual action, or coordinate their visual and manual behaviors during toy play with a parent. Our findings suggest an intact ability and willingness of children with ASD to explore toys and suggest that context is important when studying child behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia R Yurkovic
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 47401, USA.
| | - Grace Lisandrelli
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 47401, USA
| | - Rebecca C Shaffer
- Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
- School of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
| | - Kelli C Dominick
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
- School of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
| | - Ernest V Pedapati
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
- School of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
| | - Craig A Erickson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
- School of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45229, USA
| | - Daniel P Kennedy
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 47401, USA.
| | - Chen Yu
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 47401, USA.
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, 78712, USA.
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37
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Vehlen A, Spenthof I, Tönsing D, Heinrichs M, Domes G. Evaluation of an eye tracking setup for studying visual attention in face-to-face conversations. Sci Rep 2021; 11:2661. [PMID: 33514767 PMCID: PMC7846602 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-81987-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2020] [Accepted: 01/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Many eye tracking studies use facial stimuli presented on a display to investigate attentional processing of social stimuli. To introduce a more realistic approach that allows interaction between two real people, we evaluated a new eye tracking setup in three independent studies in terms of data quality, short-term reliability and feasibility. Study 1 measured the robustness, precision and accuracy for calibration stimuli compared to a classical display-based setup. Study 2 used the identical measures with an independent study sample to compare the data quality for a photograph of a face (2D) and the face of the real person (3D). Study 3 evaluated data quality over the course of a real face-to-face conversation and examined the gaze behavior on the facial features of the conversation partner. Study 1 provides evidence that quality indices for the scene-based setup were comparable to those of a classical display-based setup. Average accuracy was better than 0.4° visual angle. Study 2 demonstrates that eye tracking quality is sufficient for 3D stimuli and robust against short interruptions without re-calibration. Study 3 confirms the long-term stability of tracking accuracy during a face-to-face interaction and demonstrates typical gaze patterns for facial features. Thus, the eye tracking setup presented here seems feasible for studying gaze behavior in dyadic face-to-face interactions. Eye tracking data obtained with this setup achieves an accuracy that is sufficient for investigating behavior such as eye contact in social interactions in a range of populations including clinical conditions, such as autism spectrum and social phobia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonia Vehlen
- Department of Biological and Clinical Psychology, University of Trier, Johanniterufer 15, 54290, Trier, Germany
| | - Ines Spenthof
- Department of Psychology, Laboratory for Biological and Personality Psychology, Albert-Ludwigs-University of Freiburg, Stefan-Meier-Str. 8, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Daniel Tönsing
- Department of Psychology, Laboratory for Biological and Personality Psychology, Albert-Ludwigs-University of Freiburg, Stefan-Meier-Str. 8, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Markus Heinrichs
- Department of Psychology, Laboratory for Biological and Personality Psychology, Albert-Ludwigs-University of Freiburg, Stefan-Meier-Str. 8, 79104, Freiburg, Germany.
| | - Gregor Domes
- Department of Biological and Clinical Psychology, University of Trier, Johanniterufer 15, 54290, Trier, Germany.
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Tsuchiya KJ, Hakoshima S, Hara T, Ninomiya M, Saito M, Fujioka T, Kosaka H, Hirano Y, Matsuo M, Kikuchi M, Maegaki Y, Harada T, Nishimura T, Katayama T. Diagnosing Autism Spectrum Disorder Without Expertise: A Pilot Study of 5- to 17-Year-Old Individuals Using Gazefinder. Front Neurol 2021; 11:603085. [PMID: 33584502 PMCID: PMC7876254 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2020.603085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2020] [Accepted: 12/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Atypical eye gaze is an established clinical sign in the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We propose a computerized diagnostic algorithm for ASD, applicable to children and adolescents aged between 5 and 17 years using Gazefinder, a system where a set of devices to capture eye gaze patterns and stimulus movie clips are equipped in a personal computer with a monitor. We enrolled 222 individuals aged 5–17 years at seven research facilities in Japan. Among them, we extracted 39 individuals with ASD without any comorbid neurodevelopmental abnormalities (ASD group), 102 typically developing individuals (TD group), and an independent sample of 24 individuals (the second control group). All participants underwent psychoneurological and diagnostic assessments, including the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, second edition, and an examination with Gazefinder (2 min). To enhance the predictive validity, a best-fit diagnostic algorithm of computationally selected attributes originally extracted from Gazefinder was proposed. The inputs were classified automatically into either ASD or TD groups, based on the attribute values. We cross-validated the algorithm using the leave-one-out method in the ASD and TD groups and tested the predictability in the second control group. The best-fit algorithm showed an area under curve (AUC) of 0.84, and the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were 74, 80, and 78%, respectively. The AUC for the cross-validation was 0.74 and that for validation in the second control group was 0.91. We confirmed that the diagnostic performance of the best-fit algorithm is comparable to the diagnostic assessment tools for ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenji J Tsuchiya
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan.,Department of Child Development, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Kanazawa University, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Chiba University, and University of Fukui, Suita, Japan
| | - Shuji Hakoshima
- Healthcare Business Division, Development Center, JVCKENWOOD Corporation, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Takeshi Hara
- Center for Healthcare Information Technology, Tokai National Higher Education and Research System, Gifu, Japan.,Faculty of Engineering, Gifu University, Gifu, Japan
| | - Masaru Ninomiya
- Healthcare Business Division, Development Center, JVCKENWOOD Corporation, Yokohama, Japan
| | - Manabu Saito
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki University, Hirosaki, Japan.,Research Center for Child Mental Development, Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki University, Hirosaki, Japan
| | - Toru Fujioka
- Department of Child Development, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Kanazawa University, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Chiba University, and University of Fukui, Suita, Japan.,Department of Science of Human Development, Faculty of Education, Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan.,Research Center for Child Mental Development, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan
| | - Hirotaka Kosaka
- Department of Child Development, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Kanazawa University, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Chiba University, and University of Fukui, Suita, Japan.,Research Center for Child Mental Development, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan.,Department of Neuropsychiatry, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Fukui, Fukui, Japan
| | - Yoshiyuki Hirano
- Department of Child Development, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Kanazawa University, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Chiba University, and University of Fukui, Suita, Japan.,Research Center for Child Mental Development, Chiba University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Muneaki Matsuo
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Saga University, Saga, Japan
| | - Mitsuru Kikuchi
- Department of Child Development, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Kanazawa University, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Chiba University, and University of Fukui, Suita, Japan.,Department of Psychiatry and Neurobiology, Graduate School of Medical Science, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan.,Research Center for Child Mental Development, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
| | | | - Taeko Harada
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan.,Department of Child Development, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Kanazawa University, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Chiba University, and University of Fukui, Suita, Japan
| | - Tomoko Nishimura
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan.,Department of Child Development, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Kanazawa University, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Chiba University, and University of Fukui, Suita, Japan
| | - Taiichi Katayama
- Department of Child Development, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Kanazawa University, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Chiba University, and University of Fukui, Suita, Japan
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39
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Mouga S, Castelhano J, Café C, Sousa D, Duque F, Oliveira G, Castelo-Branco M. Social Attention Deficits in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Task Dependence of Objects vs. Faces Observation Bias. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:640599. [PMID: 33828495 PMCID: PMC8019800 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.640599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [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: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Social attention deficits represent a central impairment of patients suffering from autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but the nature of such deficits remains controversial. We compared visual attention regarding social (faces) vs. non-social stimuli (objects), in an ecological diagnostic context, in 46 children and adolescents divided in two groups: ASD (N = 23) and typical neurodevelopment (TD) (N = 23), matched for chronological age and intellectual performance. Eye-tracking measures of visual scanning, while exploring and describing scenes from three different tasks from the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS), were analyzed: "Description of a Picture," "Cartoons," and "Telling a Story from a Book." Our analyses revealed a three-way interaction between Group, Task, and Social vs. Object Stimuli. We found a striking main effect of group and a task dependence of attentional allocation: while the TD attended first and longer to faces, ASD participants became similar to TD when they were asked to look at pictures while telling a story. Our results suggest that social attention allocation is task dependent, raising the question whether spontaneous attention deficits can be rescued by guiding goal-directed actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susana Mouga
- CIBIT - Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,ICNAS - Institute of Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,CNC.IBILI - Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Life Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,Neurodevelopmental and Autism Unit From Child Developmental Centre, Hospital Pediátrico, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - João Castelhano
- CIBIT - Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,ICNAS - Institute of Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Cátia Café
- Neurodevelopmental and Autism Unit From Child Developmental Centre, Hospital Pediátrico, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Daniela Sousa
- CIBIT - Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,ICNAS - Institute of Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,Neurodevelopmental and Autism Unit From Child Developmental Centre, Hospital Pediátrico, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Frederico Duque
- CIBIT - Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,CNC.IBILI - Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Life Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,Neurodevelopmental and Autism Unit From Child Developmental Centre, Hospital Pediátrico, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,Centro de Investigação e Formação Clínica, Hospital Pediátrico, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,University Clinic of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Guiomar Oliveira
- CIBIT - Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,CNC.IBILI - Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Life Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,Neurodevelopmental and Autism Unit From Child Developmental Centre, Hospital Pediátrico, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,Centro de Investigação e Formação Clínica, Hospital Pediátrico, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,University Clinic of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Miguel Castelo-Branco
- CIBIT - Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,ICNAS - Institute of Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
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40
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Hedger N, Dubey I, Chakrabarti B. Social orienting and social seeking behaviors in ASD. A meta analytic investigation. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 119:376-395. [PMID: 33069686 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2020] [Revised: 10/02/2020] [Accepted: 10/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Social motivation accounts of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) posit that individuals with ASD find social stimuli less rewarding than neurotypical (NT) individuals. Behaviorally, this is proposed to manifest in reduced social orienting (individuals with ASD direct less attention towards social stimuli) and reduced social seeking (individuals with ASD invest less effort to receive social stimuli). In two meta-analyses, involving data from over 6000 participants, we review the available behavioral studies that assess social orienting and social seeking behaviors in ASD. We found robust evidence for reduced social orienting in ASD, across a range of paradigms, demographic variables and stimulus contexts. The most robust predictor of this effect was interactive content - effects were larger when the stimulus involved an interaction between people. By contrast, the evidence for reduced social seeking indicated weaker evidence for group differences, observed only under specific experimental conditions. The insights gained from this meta-analysis can inform design of relevant task measures for social reward responsivity and promote directions for further study on the ASD phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Hedger
- Centre for Autism, School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, RG6 6AL, UK.
| | - Indu Dubey
- School of Applied Social Sciences, De Montfort University, The Gateway, Leicester, LE1 9BH, UK
| | - Bhismadev Chakrabarti
- Centre for Autism, School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, RG6 6AL, UK
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41
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Carter BT, Luke SG. Best practices in eye tracking research. Int J Psychophysiol 2020; 155:49-62. [PMID: 32504653 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2020.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2019] [Revised: 05/26/2020] [Accepted: 05/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
This guide describes best practices in using eye tracking technology for research in a variety of disciplines. A basic outline of the anatomy and physiology of the eyes and of eye movements is provided, along with a description of the sorts of research questions eye tracking can address. We then explain how eye tracking technology works and what sorts of data it generates, and provide guidance on how to select and use an eye tracker as well as selecting appropriate eye tracking measures. Challenges to the validity of eye tracking studies are described, along with recommendations for overcoming these challenges. We then outline correct reporting standards for eye tracking studies.
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42
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Wegner-Clemens K, Rennig J, Beauchamp MS. A relationship between Autism-Spectrum Quotient and face viewing behavior in 98 participants. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0230866. [PMID: 32352984 PMCID: PMC7192493 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0230866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2019] [Accepted: 03/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Faces are one of the most important stimuli that we encounter, but humans vary dramatically in their behavior when viewing a face: some individuals preferentially fixate the eyes, others fixate the mouth, and still others show an intermediate pattern. The determinants of these large individual differences are unknown. However, individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) spend less time fixating the eyes of a viewed face than controls, suggesting the hypothesis that autistic traits in healthy adults might explain individual differences in face viewing behavior. Autistic traits were measured in 98 healthy adults recruited from an academic setting using the Autism-Spectrum Quotient, a validated 50-statement questionnaire. Fixations were measured using a video-based eye tracker while participants viewed two different types of audiovisual movies: short videos of talker speaking single syllables and longer videos of talkers speaking sentences in a social context. For both types of movies, there was a positive correlation between Autism-Spectrum Quotient score and percent of time fixating the lower half of the face that explained from 4% to 10% of the variance in individual face viewing behavior. This effect suggests that in healthy adults, autistic traits are one of many factors that contribute to individual differences in face viewing behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kira Wegner-Clemens
- Department of Neurosurgery and Core for Advanced MRI, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Johannes Rennig
- Department of Neurosurgery and Core for Advanced MRI, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Michael S. Beauchamp
- Department of Neurosurgery and Core for Advanced MRI, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
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Alcañiz Raya M, Chicchi Giglioli IA, Marín-Morales J, Higuera-Trujillo JL, Olmos E, Minissi ME, Teruel Garcia G, Sirera M, Abad L. Application of Supervised Machine Learning for Behavioral Biomarkers of Autism Spectrum Disorder Based on Electrodermal Activity and Virtual Reality. Front Hum Neurosci 2020; 14:90. [PMID: 32317949 PMCID: PMC7146061 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2020.00090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2019] [Accepted: 02/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Sensory processing is the ability to capture, elaborate, and integrate information through the five senses and is impaired in over 90% of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The ASD population shows hyper-hypo sensitiveness to sensory stimuli that can generate alteration in information processing, affecting cognitive and social responses to daily life situations. Structured and semi-structured interviews are generally used for ASD assessment, and the evaluation relies on the examiner's subjectivity and expertise, which can lead to misleading outcomes. Recently, there has been a growing need for more objective, reliable, and valid diagnostic measures, such as biomarkers, to distinguish typical from atypical functioning and to reliably track the progression of the illness, helping to diagnose ASD. Implicit measures and ecological valid settings have been showing high accuracy on predicting outcomes and correctly classifying populations in categories. METHODS Two experiments investigated whether sensory processing can discriminate between ASD and typical development (TD) populations using electrodermal activity (EDA) in two multimodal virtual environments (VE): forest VE and city VE. In the first experiment, 24 children with ASD diagnosis and 30 TDs participated in both virtual experiences, and changes in EDA have been recorded before and during the presentation of visual, auditive, and olfactive stimuli. In the second experiment, 40 children have been added to test the model of experiment 1. RESULTS The first exploratory results on EDA comparison models showed that the integration of visual, auditive, and olfactive stimuli in the forest environment provided higher accuracy (90.3%) on sensory dysfunction discrimination than specific stimuli. In the second experiment, 92 subjects experienced the forest VE, and results on 72 subjects showed that stimuli integration achieved an accuracy of 83.33%. The final confirmatory test set (n = 20) achieved 85% accuracy, simulating a real application of the models. Further relevant result concerns the visual stimuli condition in the first experiment, which achieved 84.6% of accuracy in recognizing ASD sensory dysfunction. CONCLUSION According to our studies' results, implicit measures, such as EDA, and ecological valid settings can represent valid quantitative methods, along with traditional assessment measures, to classify ASD population, enhancing knowledge on the development of relevant specific treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariano Alcañiz Raya
- Instituto de Investigación e Innovación en Bioingeniería, Universitat Politécnica de Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | | | - Javier Marín-Morales
- Instituto de Investigación e Innovación en Bioingeniería, Universitat Politécnica de Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Juan L. Higuera-Trujillo
- Instituto de Investigación e Innovación en Bioingeniería, Universitat Politécnica de Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Elena Olmos
- Instituto de Investigación e Innovación en Bioingeniería, Universitat Politécnica de Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Maria E. Minissi
- Instituto de Investigación e Innovación en Bioingeniería, Universitat Politécnica de Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Gonzalo Teruel Garcia
- Instituto de Investigación e Innovación en Bioingeniería, Universitat Politécnica de Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Marian Sirera
- Red Cenit, Centros de Desarrollo Cognitivo, Valencia, Spain
| | - Luis Abad
- Red Cenit, Centros de Desarrollo Cognitivo, Valencia, Spain
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The application of meta-analytic (multi-level) models with multiple random effects: A systematic review. Behav Res Methods 2020; 52:2031-2052. [DOI: 10.3758/s13428-020-01373-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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45
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Reisinger DL, Shaffer RC, Horn PS, Hong MP, Pedapati EV, Dominick KC, Erickson CA. Atypical Social Attention and Emotional Face Processing in Autism Spectrum Disorder: Insights From Face Scanning and Pupillometry. Front Integr Neurosci 2020; 13:76. [PMID: 32116580 PMCID: PMC7026501 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2019.00076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2019] [Accepted: 12/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Social attention deficits are a hallmark characteristic within autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and have been hypothesized to have cascading effects on emotion recognition. Eye-tracking methodology has emerged as a potentially reliable, feasible, and sensitive biomarker for examining core phenotypic features of ASD; however, these findings are mixed with regards to measuring treatment change in clinical trials. The present study aimed to assess the utility of an eye-tracking paradigm to discriminate between clinical groups in social attention and emotion recognition through face scanning and pupillometry. The present study also assessed the reliability of this paradigm within the ASD sample to further our understanding of the utility of eye-tracking for future clinical trials. Participants included 42 individuals with ASD, 29 developmental disability (DD) controls, and 62 typically developing (TD) controls between 3 and 25 years of age. An emotional faces eye-tracking paradigm was administered to all participants, with the ASD group completing the paradigm a second time approximately 2 months later. Participants' average proportion of looking and number of fixations to specific areas of interest (AOI) were examined along with changes in pupil reactivity while viewing different emotional faces. Results suggest atypical face-scanning through a reduced proportion of looking and the number of fixations toward the eyes in the ASD group regardless of the emotion that was presented. Further, pupillometry measures were able to detect increases in pupil dilation to happy faces in the ASD group. Lastly, test-retest reliability coefficients varied between the poor and excellent range based on the mechanism assessed, with the proportion of looking demonstrating the highest reliability coefficients. These findings build on the promise of eye-tracking as a feasible and reliable biomarker for identifying social attention and emotion recognition deficits in ASD. Detecting differences in emotion recognition explicitly through facial scanning was not as clear. Specific mechanisms within the eye-tracking paradigm may be viable options for assessing treatment-specific outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debra L. Reisinger
- Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Rebecca C. Shaffer
- Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Paul S. Horn
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, United States
- Division of Neurology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Michael P. Hong
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Ernest V. Pedapati
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, United States
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Kelli C. Dominick
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Craig A. Erickson
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, United States
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46
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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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Wegner-Clemens K, Rennig J, Magnotti JF, Beauchamp MS. Using principal component analysis to characterize eye movement fixation patterns during face viewing. J Vis 2019; 19:2. [PMID: 31689715 PMCID: PMC6833982 DOI: 10.1167/19.13.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2019] [Accepted: 08/23/2019] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Human faces contain dozens of visual features, but viewers preferentially fixate just two of them: the eyes and the mouth. Face-viewing behavior is usually studied by manually drawing regions of interest (ROIs) on the eyes, mouth, and other facial features. ROI analyses are problematic as they require arbitrary experimenter decisions about the location and number of ROIs, and they discard data because all fixations within each ROI are treated identically and fixations outside of any ROI are ignored. We introduce a data-driven method that uses principal component analysis (PCA) to characterize human face-viewing behavior. All fixations are entered into a PCA, and the resulting eigenimages provide a quantitative measure of variability in face-viewing behavior. In fixation data from 41 participants viewing four face exemplars under three stimulus and task conditions, the first principal component (PC1) separated the eye and mouth regions of the face. PC1 scores varied widely across participants, revealing large individual differences in preference for eye or mouth fixation, and PC1 scores varied by condition, revealing the importance of behavioral task in determining fixation location. Linear mixed effects modeling of the PC1 scores demonstrated that task condition accounted for 41% of the variance, individual differences accounted for 28% of the variance, and stimulus exemplar for less than 1% of the variance. Fixation eigenimages provide a useful tool for investigating the relative importance of the different factors that drive human face-viewing behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kira Wegner-Clemens
- Department of Neurosurgery and Core for Advanced MRI, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
| | - Johannes Rennig
- Department of Neurosurgery and Core for Advanced MRI, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
| | - John F Magnotti
- Department of Neurosurgery and Core for Advanced MRI, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
| | - Michael S Beauchamp
- Department of Neurosurgery and Core for Advanced MRI, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
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48
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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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49
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Ostashchenko E, Deliens G, Durrleman S, Kissine M. An eye-tracking study of selective trust development in children with and without autism spectrum disorder. J Exp Child Psychol 2019; 189:104697. [PMID: 31561149 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2019.104697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2019] [Revised: 07/29/2019] [Accepted: 08/15/2019] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to explore whether children with autism display selectivity in social learning. We investigated the processing of word mappings provided by speakers who differed on previously demonstrated accuracy and on potential degree of reliability in three groups of children (children with autism spectrum disorder, children with developmental language disorder, and typically developing children) aged 4-9 years. In Task 1, one speaker consistently misnamed familiar objects and the second speaker consistently gave correct names. In Task 2, both speakers provided correct information but differed on how they could achieve this accuracy. We analyzed how the speakers' profiles influenced children's decisions to rely on them in order to learn novel words. We also examined how children attended to the speakers' testimony by tracking their eye movements and comparing children' gaze distribution across speakers' faces and objects of their choice. Results show that children rely on associative trait attribution heuristics to selectively learn from accurate speakers. In Task 1, children in all groups preferred the novel object selected by accurate speakers and directly avoided information provided by previously inaccurate speakers, as revealed by the eye-tracking data. In Task 2, where more sophisticated reasoning about speakers' reliability was required, only children in the typically developing group performed above chance. Nonverbal intelligence score emerged as a predictor of children's preference for more reliable informational sources. In addition, children with autism exhibited reduced attention to speakers' faces compared with children in the comparison groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ekaterina Ostashchenko
- ACTE at Center of Research in Linguistics and ULB Neurosciences Institute, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 1050 Brussels, Belgium.
| | - Gaétane Deliens
- ACTE at Center of Research in Linguistics and ULB Neurosciences Institute, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | | | - Mikhail Kissine
- ACTE at Center of Research in Linguistics and ULB Neurosciences Institute, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
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50
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Kojovic N, Ben Hadid L, Franchini M, Schaer M. Sensory Processing Issues and Their Association with Social Difficulties in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. J Clin Med 2019; 8:E1508. [PMID: 31547076 PMCID: PMC6833094 DOI: 10.3390/jcm8101508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2019] [Revised: 09/11/2019] [Accepted: 09/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Sensory processing issues have been frequently reported in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), but their relationship with social and overall adaptive functioning has not been extensively characterized to date. Here, we investigate how sensory processing atypicalities relate with deficits in social skills, impaired social cognition, and general adaptive functioning in a group of preschoolers with ASD. Sixty-four children with ASD aged 3 to 6 were included in this study, along with 36 age-matched typically-developing (TD) peers. Parent-reported measures of sensory processing, social difficulties and overall adaptive functioning were collected for all children. We also obtained precise measures of social attention deployment using a custom-design eye-tracking task depicting naturalistic social scenes. Within the group of children with ASD, higher intensities of sensory issues were associated with more prominent social difficulties and lower adaptive functioning. We also found that children with ASD who had more sensory issues showed visual exploration patterns of social scenes that strongly deviated from the one seen in the TD group. The association of sensory processing atypicalities with "higher-order" functional domains such as social and adaptive functioning in children with ASD stresses the importance of further research on sensory symptoms in autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nada Kojovic
- University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland (M.S.)
| | | | | | - Marie Schaer
- University of Geneva, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland (M.S.)
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