Abstract
The amplitude of the auditory N1 component of the event‐related potential (ERP) is typically attenuated for self‐initiated sounds, compared to sounds with identical acoustic and temporal features that are triggered externally. This effect has been ascribed to internal forward models predicting the sensory consequences of one's own motor actions. The predictive coding account of autistic symptomatology states that individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have difficulties anticipating upcoming sensory stimulation due to a decreased ability to infer the probabilistic structure of their environment. Without precise internal forward prediction models to rely on, perception in ASD could be less affected by prior expectations and more driven by sensory input. Following this reasoning, one would expect diminished attenuation of the auditory N1 due to self‐initiation in individuals with ASD. Here, we tested this hypothesis by comparing the neural response to self‐ versus externally‐initiated tones between a group of individuals with ASD and a group of age matched neurotypical controls. ERPs evoked by tones initiated via button‐presses were compared with ERPs evoked by the same tones replayed at identical pace. Significant N1 attenuation effects were only found in the TD group. Self‐initiation of the tones did not attenuate the auditory N1 in the ASD group, indicating that they may be unable to anticipate the auditory sensory consequences of their own motor actions. These results show that individuals with ASD have alterations in sensory attenuation of self‐initiated sounds, and support the notion of impaired predictive coding as a core deficit underlying autistic symptomatology. Autism Res 2019, 12: 589–599. © 2019 The Authors. Autism Research published by International Society for Autism Research published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.Lay SummaryMany individuals with ASD experience difficulties in processing sensory information (for example, increased sensitivity to sound). Here we show that these difficulties may be related to an inability to anticipate upcoming sensory stimulation. Our findings contribute to a better understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying the different sensory perception experienced by individuals with ASD.
Highlights
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a pervasive neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in social communication and social interaction and restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests or activities [American Psychiatric Association, 2013; Robertson & Baron-Cohen, 2017]
Significant N1 attenuation effects were found in the TD group, indicating that a forward model predicted the auditory consequences of their motor actions
The results showed an even larger N1 attenuation effect for self-initiated sounds than typically observed in a blocked N1 suppression paradigm, indicating that N1 attenuation for self- versus externally-initiated sounds is independent of attention
Summary
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a pervasive neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in social communication and social interaction and restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests or activities [American Psychiatric Association, 2013; Robertson & Baron-Cohen, 2017]. A key element of the predictive coding theory is the assumption that our brain is constantly generating predictions about the current state of our environment based on previous sensory experience These predictions—or prior expectations, in Bayesian terms— form our internal representation of the world [Friston, 2005; Mumford, 1992]. The predictive coding account of ASD states that individuals with ASD have a decreased ability to infer the probabilistic structure of their environment [Lawson et al, 2014; Pellicano & Burr, 2012; van Boxtel & Lu, 2013; Van de Cruys et al, 2014] As a result, they do not possess a precise internal predictive representation of the world around them and may fail to contextualize sensory information in an optimal fashion. Given that statistical learning is vital for acquisition of sensory associations and multisensory integration [Mitchel, Christiansen, & Weiss, 2014; Mitchel & Weiss, 2011; Seitz, Kim, Van Wassenhove, & Shams, 2007], impairments in this process will likely have cascading effects on sensory processing, perception, and social interaction
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