Eye Contact Neural Patterns and Social Function in Autism
Publication Title: Neural correlates of eye contact and social function in autism spectrum disorder
Summary
- Question
- This study examined the neural and behavioral differences in eye contact during live, face-to-face interactions in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) compared to typically developed (TD) adults. The researchers aimed to understand how eye contact affects brain activity and social functioning in ASD.
- Why it Matters
- Eye contact is a fundamental aspect of social communication, and reluctance to engage in eye contact is a hallmark feature of ASD. Understanding the neural mechanisms underlying this behavior can help improve diagnostic tools and inform interventions that support social functioning in individuals with ASD. This research provides insights into how live social interactions differ in ASD and their implications for understanding the condition.
- Methods
- The researchers recruited 17 adults with ASD and 19 TD adults and conducted live eye-to-eye contact experiments using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), a neuroimaging technique that measures brain activity. Participants engaged in both live interactions and video-based eye-gaze tasks while eye-tracking and pupillometry (measuring pupil size changes) data were recorded. Social functioning was assessed using standardized clinical tools like the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS-2) and the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS-2).
- Key Findings
- Individuals with ASD showed reduced activity in the right dorsal-parietal brain regions (linked to spatial attention and social processing) during live eye contact compared to TD participants. Instead, increased activity was observed in ventral occipital-temporal areas, suggesting alternative neural pathways for processing faces. Higher ADOS-2 and SRS-2 scores, indicating greater social difficulties, were correlated with decreased neural activity in the dorsal-parietal regions. Additionally, participants with ASD exhibited greater variability in gaze and heightened pupil dilation during live interactions, pointing to altered visual sensing and increased arousal.
- Implications
- These findings highlight distinct neural and behavioral mechanisms in ASD during live social interactions. The observed hypoactivity in dorsal-parietal regions suggests potential targets for interventions aimed at improving face-to-face communication. Furthermore, the study underscores the importance of using naturalistic, two-person paradigms to better understand social deficits in ASD and develop more accurate biomarkers for diagnosis and treatment.
- Next Steps
- The researchers recommend further exploration of how neural activity in dorsal and ventral brain regions contributes to social impairments in ASD. Larger sample sizes and longitudinal studies could provide deeper insights into the development of these neural mechanisms over time. Future work could also investigate how interventions targeting these neural pathways might improve social functioning in individuals with ASD.
- Funding Information
- This research was supported by the National Institute of Mental Health (awards R01MH111629, R01MH107513, R01MH119430, U19MH108206, and R01MH100173) and the National Institutes of Health (award T32GM007205). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. Yale University also provided funding and support for this research.
Full Citation
Hirsch J, Zhang X, Noah J, Dravida S, Naples A, Tiede M, Wolf J, McPartland J. Neural correlates of eye contact and social function in autism spectrum disorder. PLOS ONE 2022, 17: e0265798. PMID: 36350848, PMCID: PMC9645655, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0265798.
This AI-assisted summary has been reviewed and approved by at least one of the study's authors to ensure it accurately reflects the research.
Authors
Joy Hirsch, PhD
First AuthorElizabeth Mears and House Jameson Professor of Psychiatry and Professor of Comparative Medicine and of Neuroscience
James McPartland, PhD
Last AuthorHarris Professor in the Child Study Center