Abstract
Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often have difficulty with social-emotional cues. This study examined the
neural, behavioral, and autonomic correlates of emotional face processing in adolescents with ASD and typical development
(TD) using eye-tracking and event-related potentials (ERPs) across two different paradigms. Scanning of faces was similar
across groups in the first task, but the second task found that face-sensitive ERPs varied with emotional expressions only
in TD. Further, ASD showed enhanced neural responding to non-social stimuli. In TD only, attention to eyes during eye-tracking
related to faster face-sensitive ERPs in a separate task; in ASD, a significant positive association was found between autonomic
activity and attention to mouths. Overall, ASD showed an atypical pattern of emotional face processing, with reduced neural
differentiation between emotions and a reduced relationship between gaze behavior and neural processing of faces.
neural, behavioral, and autonomic correlates of emotional face processing in adolescents with ASD and typical development
(TD) using eye-tracking and event-related potentials (ERPs) across two different paradigms. Scanning of faces was similar
across groups in the first task, but the second task found that face-sensitive ERPs varied with emotional expressions only
in TD. Further, ASD showed enhanced neural responding to non-social stimuli. In TD only, attention to eyes during eye-tracking
related to faster face-sensitive ERPs in a separate task; in ASD, a significant positive association was found between autonomic
activity and attention to mouths. Overall, ASD showed an atypical pattern of emotional face processing, with reduced neural
differentiation between emotions and a reduced relationship between gaze behavior and neural processing of faces.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Category Original Paper
- Pages 1-12
- DOI 10.1007/s10803-012-1565-1
- Authors
- Jennifer B. Wagner, Laboratories of Cognitive Neuroscience, Division of Developmental Medicine, Children’s Hospital Boston, 1 Autumn Street, 6th Floor, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Suzanna B. Hirsch, Laboratories of Cognitive Neuroscience, Division of Developmental Medicine, Children’s Hospital Boston, 1 Autumn Street, 6th Floor, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Vanessa K. Vogel-Farley, Laboratories of Cognitive Neuroscience, Division of Developmental Medicine, Children’s Hospital Boston, 1 Autumn Street, 6th Floor, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Elizabeth Redcay, Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
- Charles A. Nelson, Laboratories of Cognitive Neuroscience, Division of Developmental Medicine, Children’s Hospital Boston, 1 Autumn Street, 6th Floor, Boston, MA 02215, USA
- Journal Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
- Online ISSN 1573-3432
- Print ISSN 0162-3257