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Yale neuroscientists now report that the brains of autistic children process human faces differently than previously thought. In addition, some of these differences begin earlier in the brain's visual processing system than researchers had recognized.
The findings come from a study involving about 400 autistic and neurotypical children that now appears in the journal Nature Mental Health. The investigators used 128-electrode electroencephalography, EEG, to record electrical activity across the scalp while children viewed photographs of human faces and everyday objects. They used AI to identify resultant patterns.
The data shows that electrical activity associated with recognizing faces is less distinct in autistic children than in neurotypical children. In addition, as neurotypical children grow older, their neural responses to faces become increasingly complex and effective. This same age-related change fails to occur in autistic children. The neural systems involved in processing faces appeared to follow different developmental trajectories for autistic versus neurotypical children. In addition, these differences appear to begin earlier in life than usually thought.
These findings are key, since facial recognition provides information that helps people identify others, interpret expressions and understand social interactions. Some autistic people experience difficulty remembering faces, interpreting facial expressions or identifying emotional cues. These new findings help explain some of the neurological differences that cause these issues.
In summary: this research suggests that autism-related differences in face processing are more extensive and begin earlier in the brain's visual processing circuitry than previously recognized. These new insights into the brain development of those with autism spectrum disorders could some day help guide earlier, more individualized support.
The researchers to emphasize that these EEG differences are not a diagnostic test for autism.
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#Autism #BrainResearch #YaleMedicine #Neuroscience #ChildDevelopment
