Enhanced Fine-Form Perception Does Not Contribute to Gestalt Face Perception in Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Takao Yamasaki,Naomi Takamiya,Shozo Tobimatsu,Toshihiko Maekawa,Yuka Miyanaga,Kenji Takahashi,Katsuya Ogata,Hisao Nishijo

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0170239

Takao Yamasaki, Naomi Takamiya + Show 6 more

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https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0170239

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Abstract

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) show superior performance in processing fine detail, but often exhibit impaired gestalt face perception. The ventral visual stream from the primary visual cortex (V1) to the fusiform gyrus (V4) plays an important role in form (including faces) and color perception. The aim of this study was to investigate how the ventral stream is functionally altered in ASD. Visual evoked potentials were recorded in high-functioning ASD adults (n = 14) and typically developing (TD) adults (n = 14). We used three types of visual stimuli as follows: isoluminant chromatic (red/green, RG) gratings, high-contrast achromatic (black/white, BW) gratings with high spatial frequency (HSF, 5.3 cycles/degree), and face (neutral, happy, and angry faces) stimuli. Compared with TD controls, ASD adults exhibited longer N1 latency for RG, shorter N1 latency for BW, and shorter P1 latency, but prolonged N170 latency, for face stimuli. Moreover, a greater difference in latency between P1 and N170, or between N1 for BW and N170 (i.e., the prolongation of cortico-cortical conduction time between V1 and V4) was observed in ASD adults. These findings indicate that ASD adults have enhanced fine-form (local HSF) processing, but impaired color processing at V1. In addition, they exhibit impaired gestalt face processing due to deficits in integration of multiple local HSF facial information at V4. Thus, altered ventral stream function may contribute to abnormal social processing in ASD.

Highlights

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by alterations in social communication and interaction, co-occurring with restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests or activities [1]
There was no significant difference in intelligence quotient (IQ) scores between ASD and typically developing (TD) participants (Table 1)
With regard to behavior for RG- and BW-Visual evoked potentials (VEPs), after the VEP sessions, all participants correctly selected the cartoon characters that appeared during VEP recordings

Summary

Introduction

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by alterations in social communication and interaction, co-occurring with restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests or activities [1]. In addition to these core deficits, individuals with ASD display atypical perceptual processing (i.e., enhanced simple and lower-level processing, but impaired complex and higher-level processing) during visual [2] and auditory behavioral tasks [3]. ASD is associated with superior performance in detailed form. Altered Ventral Stream Function in ASD the Center of Developmental Education and Research (CODER) (http://www.coder.or.jp/) to TY

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