Enhanced Access to Early Visual Processing of Perceptual Simultaneity in Autism Spectrum Disorders.
- Resource Type
- Article
- Authors
- Falter, Christine, ; Braeutigam, Sven; Nathan, Roger; Carrington, Sarah; Bailey, Anthony
- Source
- Journal of Autism & Developmental Disorders; Aug2013, Vol. 43 Issue 8, p1857-1866, 10p, 2 Color Photographs, 2 Charts
- Subject
- Autism
Visual perception
Data analysis
Analysis of variance
Chi-squared test
Neurologic examination
Research funding
Statistics
Temporal lobe
U-statistics
Data analysis software
Descriptive statistics
Disease complications
- Language
- ISSN
- 01623257
We compared judgements of the simultaneity or asynchrony of visual stimuli in individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and typically-developing controls using Magnetoencephalography (MEG). Two vertical bars were presented simultaneously or non-simultaneously with two different stimulus onset delays. Participants with ASD distinguished significantly better between real simultaneity (0 ms delay between two stimuli) and apparent simultaneity (17 ms delay between two stimuli) than controls. In line with the increased sensitivity, event-related MEG activity showed increased differential responses for simultaneity versus apparent simultaneity. The strongest evoked potentials, observed over occipital cortices at about 130 ms, were correlated with performance differences in the ASD group only. Superior access to early visual brain processes in ASD might underlie increased resolution of visual events in perception. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]