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Autonomic Arousal to Direct Gaze Correlates with Social Impairments Among Children with ASD

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Abstract

The present study investigated whether autonomic arousal to direct gaze is related to social impairments among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Arousal was measured through skin conductance responses (SCR) while the participants (15 children with ASD and 16 control children) viewed a live face of another person. Impairments in social skills was assessed with the Developmental, Dimensional and Diagnostic Interview. The level of arousal enhancement to direct gaze in comparison to arousal to faces with averted gaze or closed eyes was positively associated with impairments in social skills (use of language and other social communication skills and use of gesture and non-verbal play) among children with ASD. There was no similar association among children without ASD. The role of arousal-related factors in influencing eye contact behaviour in ASD is discussed.

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Acknowledgments

This study has been financially supported by the European Union (The GEBACO Project), The Medical Research Fund of Tampere University Hospital, The Child Psychiatric Research Foundation (Finland), The Emil Aaltonen Foundation, and the Academy of Finland (project n:o #1111850 and #131786 to J.K.H). We are very grateful to all the parents and children who participated in this study and made it possible.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Child Psychiatry, Tampere University Hospital and University of Tampere, Box 2000, 33521, Tampere, Finland

    Miia Kaartinen, Kaija Puura & Raili Salmelin

  2. Human Information Processing Laboratory, School of Social Sciences and Humanities, University of Tampere, 33014, Tampere, Finland

    Tiina Mäkelä, Mervi Rannisto & Jari K. Hietanen

  3. Tampere School of Health Sciences, University of Tampere, 33014, Tampere, Finland

    Riina Lemponen, Mika Helminen & Raili Salmelin

  4. Pirkanmaa Hospital District, Science Center, 33521, Tampere, Finland

    Mika Helminen

  5. Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Tampere University Hospital, Box 2000, 33521, Tampere, Finland

    Sari-Leena Himanen

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  1. Miia Kaartinen
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Correspondence to Miia Kaartinen or Jari K. Hietanen.

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Kaartinen, M., Puura, K., Mäkelä, T. et al. Autonomic Arousal to Direct Gaze Correlates with Social Impairments Among Children with ASD. J Autism Dev Disord 42, 1917–1927 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-011-1435-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-011-1435-2

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