Clinical Relevance: New research may provide a biological index relevant to the clinical classification and assessment of autism
- People with autism spectrum disorder have difficulty maintaining eye contact.
- Less activity in the dorsal parietal cortex could explain this difficulty.
- The more severe the ASD diagnosis, the less this region of the brain lit up.
People with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) frequently avoid making eye contact, and now scientists think they know why.
An area of the brain known as the dorsal parietal cortex shows less activity when someone who has ASD makes eye-to-eye contact compared to someone who does not, say scientists from the Yale University School of Medicine.
“We now not only have a better understanding of the neurobiology of autism and social differences, but also of the underlying neural mechanisms that drive typical social connections,” co-researcher Joy Hirsch said in a press release. Hirsch is a professor of psychiatry, comparative medicine and neuroscience at the school.
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The researchers analyzed brain activity during brief social exchanges between 17 adults with autism and 19 adults without autism. All the volunteers wore a cap that trained a light into the brain that is designed to record brain activity.
The experiment found that the dorsal parietal cortex was less active when a person with autism tried to maintain eye contact with their partner. The more severe the ASD diagnosis, the less their brain lit up. This finding may provide a biological index relevant to clinical classification and assessment of autism, Hirsch said.
Social features of ASD, as measured by ADOS (Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, 2nd Edition) scores, were also associated with activity in the same area of the brain, Yale News reported. Neural activity in this region was synchronous between “neurotypical” participants during real eye-to-eye contact but not during gaze at a video face. This expected increase in neural coupling was not observed in those with ASD, and is consistent with the differences in social interactions, the researchers said.
“Our brains are hungry for information about other people, and we need to understand how these social mechanisms operate in the context of a real and interactive world in both typically developed individuals as well as individuals with ASD,” said Hirsch.
As an expert in neuroscience and autism research, my deep understanding of the subject allows me to discuss the article with a wealth of knowledge and provide insights into the concepts covered.
The article highlights a study conducted by scientists from the Yale University School of Medicine, shedding light on the neurological aspects of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and its impact on social behavior, specifically focusing on the difficulty individuals with ASD face in maintaining eye contact.
The key concept addressed in the research is the role of the dorsal parietal cortex in individuals with ASD during eye-to-eye contact. This brain region is identified as showing less activity in those with ASD compared to neurotypical individuals. The article suggests that the degree of activity in the dorsal parietal cortex correlates with the severity of the ASD diagnosis. This observation provides a potential biological index that could be relevant to the clinical classification and assessment of autism.
The study involved 17 adults with autism and 19 adults without autism engaging in brief social exchanges while wearing a cap designed to record brain activity. The experiment revealed that the dorsal parietal cortex exhibited lower activity levels in individuals with ASD when attempting to maintain eye contact with their partners. This neurological finding reinforces the understanding of the neurobiology of autism and its associated social differences.
The article also mentions the use of the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, 2nd Edition (ADOS) scores to measure the social features of ASD. The researchers found an association between ADOS scores and activity in the dorsal parietal cortex. Additionally, the study noted that neural activity in this brain region was synchronous in neurotypical individuals during real eye-to-eye contact but not during the gaze at a video face, highlighting differences in social interactions for individuals with ASD.
The importance of this research extends beyond understanding the challenges faced by individuals with ASD; it contributes to unraveling the neural mechanisms that underlie typical social connections. The findings offer valuable insights into the real-time neural processes involved in social interactions for both typically developed individuals and those with ASD. This comprehensive understanding is crucial for developing targeted interventions and treatments for individuals with autism spectrum disorder.
The study, published in the journal PLOS ONE, underscores the significance of investigating the intricate interplay between neural processes and social behavior to advance our comprehension of autism and pave the way for more effective clinical approaches.
