2023 WNYISPW Presentation: Uncovering Neural Signatures of Sensory Processing in Autism

Biological motion imparts rich information related to the movement, actions, intentions and affective state of others, which can provide foundational support for various aspects of social cognition and behavior. Given that atypical social communication and cognition are hallmark symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), many have theorized that a potential source of this deficit may lie in dysfunctional neural mechanisms of biological motion processing. Synthesis of existing literature provides some support for biological motion processing deficits in autism spectrum disorder, although high study heterogeneity and inconsistent findings complicate interpretation. Here, we attempted to reconcile some of this residual controversy through the use of signal processing analysis. This methodology allowed us to undercover a previously unrecognized modulating role for attention in biological motion processing in ASD. We employed high-density electroencephalographic (EEG)
recordings while participants observed point-light displays of upright, inverted and scrambled biological motion under two task conditions to explore spatiotemporal dynamics of intentional and unintentional biological motion processing in children and adolescents with ASD (n=27), comparing them to a control cohort of neurotypical (NT) participants (n=35). Behaviorally, ASD participants were able to discriminate biological motion with similar accuracy to NT controls. However, electrophysiologic investigation revealed reduced automatic selective processing of upright biologic vs. scrambled motion stimuli in ASD relative to NT individuals, which was ameliorated when task demands required explicit attention to biological motion. Together, these data suggest that individuals with ASD are able to discriminate, with explicit attention, biological from non-biological motion but demonstrate diminished automatic neural specificity for biological motion processing. This may have cascading implications for the development of higher-order social cognition. The results highlight the superior sensitivity of neurophysiologic measurement
over behavioral measures in identification of differential neural network recruitment in clinical populations.

Speaker(s): Emily Knight

Bldg: RIT Student Development Center, Rochester, New York, United States, Virtual: https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/382038