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Processing of Emotion Words by Patients with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Evidence from Reaction Times and EEG

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Abstract

This study investigated processing of emotion words in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) using reaction times and event-related potentials (ERP). Adults with (n = 21) and without (n = 20) ASD performed a lexical decision task on emotion and neutral words while their brain activity was recorded. Both groups showed faster responses to emotion words compared to neutral, suggesting intact early processing of emotion in ASD. In the ERPs, the control group showed a typical late positive component (LPC) at 400–600 ms for emotion words compared to neutral, while the ASD group showed no LPC. The between-group difference in LPC amplitude was significant, suggesting that emotion words were processed differently by individuals with ASD, although their behavioral performance was similar to that of typical individuals.

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Acknowledgments

We are very grateful to all people with ASD who participated in this study. This work was supported by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research under the Top Talent Donders Graduate School grant 243301-24000246. Finally, we would like to acknowledge Dr Eelke Visser for his assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Geert Grooteplein Noord 21, 6525 EZ, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

    Alina Lartseva & Jan K. Buitelaar

  2. Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, Montessorilaan 3, 6525 HR, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

    Ton Dijkstra

  3. International Max Planck Research School for Language Sciences, Wundtlaan 1, 6525 XD, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

    Alina Lartseva

  4. Department of Psychiatry, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Reinier Postlaan 4, 6525 GC, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

    Cornelis C. Kan

  5. Karakter Child and Adolescent Psychiatry University Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

    Jan K. Buitelaar

  6. Kapittelweg 29, 6525, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

    Alina Lartseva

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  1. Alina Lartseva
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  2. Ton Dijkstra
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Correspondence to Alina Lartseva.

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Lartseva, A., Dijkstra, T., Kan, C.C. et al. Processing of Emotion Words by Patients with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Evidence from Reaction Times and EEG. J Autism Dev Disord 44, 2882–2894 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-014-2149-z

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