The main aim of the present study is to examine eye-tracking based markers for social processing deficits in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). To this end a battery of five eye-tracking paradigms will be administered to young children with ASD and typically developing children. To additionally evaluate the specificity of the eye-tracking markers a group of children with disorders of delayed development other than ASD will be included.
During an initial screening session all participants will undergo the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS). ASD-related symptomatology and levels of impairments will be further characterized using the Social Responsibilities Scale 2 (SRS 2), Caregiver Strain Questionnaire (CSQ), Aberrant Behavior Checklist (ABC), Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ), and Repetitive Behaviour Scale Revised (RBS-R). Subsequently all participants will be administered the following eye-tracking paradigms: (1) dynamic social and non-social visual preference paradigm during which dynamic geometric images (DGI) and dynamic social images (DSI) will be presented, (2) non-biological versus biological motion paradigm, (3) social attention and sharing of enjoyment paradigm, (4) preference for real versus schematic emotional face stimuli paradigm during which photographs of human faces and emoticons will be presented, (5) shared social attention and gaze direction paradigm.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
70
All subjects will undergo the battery of five eye-tracking paradigms to determine potential markers for autism.
School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Chengdu, Sichuan, China
Global eye-gaze characteristics
Global eye-gaze patterns between the three groups will be compared to determine ASD specific alterations
Time frame: Single assessment, total duration 20 minutes
Feature-specific eye-gaze characteristics
Localized feature-specific eye-gaze patterns will be compared between the three groups to determine ASD specific alterations
Time frame: Single assessment, total duration 20 minutes
Global eye-gaze characteristics and associations with symptom severity
Associations between global eye-gaze characteristics and severity of ASD symptoms
Time frame: Single assessment, total duration 20 minutes
Feature-specific eye-gaze characteristics and associations with symptom severity
Associations between localized feature-specific eye-gaze patterns and severity of ASD symptoms
Time frame: Single assessment, total duration 20 minutes
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