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Enhanced Access to Early Visual Processing of Perceptual Simultaneity in Autism Spectrum Disorders

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Abstract

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.

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Acknowledgments

We thank all participants for their time and commitment and the Baily Thomas Charitable Trust for financial support. CMF was supported by a German Research Council (DFG) Fellowship.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical and Developmental Neuropsychology, University of Groningen, Grote Kruisstraat 2/1, 9712 TS, Groningen, The Netherlands

    Christine M. Falter

  2. Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK

    Christine M. Falter & Roger Nathan

  3. Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity (OHBA), University of Oxford, Oxford, UK

    Sven Braeutigam

  4. Wales Autism Research Centre, School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK

    Sarah Carrington

  5. UBC Institute of Mental Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada

    Anthony J. Bailey

Authors
  1. Christine M. Falter
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  2. Sven Braeutigam
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  3. Roger Nathan
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  4. Sarah Carrington
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  5. Anthony J. Bailey
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Correspondence to Christine M. Falter.

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Falter, C.M., Braeutigam, S., Nathan, R. et al. Enhanced Access to Early Visual Processing of Perceptual Simultaneity in Autism Spectrum Disorders. J Autism Dev Disord 43, 1857–1866 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-012-1735-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-012-1735-1

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