scholarly journals Atypical gaze patterns in autism are heterogeneous across subjects but reliable within individuals

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Umit Keles ◽  
Dorit Kliemann ◽  
Lisa Byrge ◽  
Heini Saarimaki ◽  
Lynn K. Paul ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Eye Tracking ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Visual Images ◽  
Visual Features ◽  
Genetic Studies ◽  
Complex Disorder ◽  
Gaze Patterns ◽  
Within Subjects ◽  
Competing Hypotheses ◽  
Over Time

People with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have atypical gaze onto both static visual images and dynamic videos that could be leveraged for diagnostic purposes. Eye tracking is important for characterizing ASD across the lifespan and nowadays feasible at home (e.g., from smartphones). Yet gaze-based classification has been difficult to achieve, due to sources of variance both across and within subjects. Here we test three competing hypotheses: (a) that ASD could be successfully classified from the fact that gaze patterns are less reliable or noisier than in controls, (b) that gaze patterns are atypical and heterogeneous across ASD subjects but reliable over time within a subject, or (c) that gaze patterns are individually reliable and also homogenous among individuals with ASD. Leveraging dense eye tracking data from two different full-length television sitcom episodes in a total of over 150 subjects (N = 53 ASD, 107 controls) collected at two different sites, we demonstrate support for the second of these hypotheses. The findings pave the way for the investigation of autism subtypes, and for elucidating the specific visual features that best discriminate gaze patterns - directions that will also inform neuroimaging and genetic studies of this complex disorder.

scholarly journals Evaluation of an eye tracking setup for studying visual attention in face-to-face conversations

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonia Vehlen ◽  
Ines Spenthof ◽  
Daniel Tönsing ◽  
Markus Heinrichs ◽  
Gregor Domes
Keyword(s):  
Eye Tracking ◽  
Data Quality ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Independent Study ◽  
Facial Features ◽  
Gaze Behavior ◽  
Tracking Accuracy ◽  
Attentional Processing ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Gaze Patterns

AbstractMany eye tracking studies use facial stimuli presented on a display to investigate attentional processing of social stimuli. To introduce a more realistic approach that allows interaction between two real people, we evaluated a new eye tracking setup in three independent studies in terms of data quality, short-term reliability and feasibility. Study 1 measured the robustness, precision and accuracy for calibration stimuli compared to a classical display-based setup. Study 2 used the identical measures with an independent study sample to compare the data quality for a photograph of a face (2D) and the face of the real person (3D). Study 3 evaluated data quality over the course of a real face-to-face conversation and examined the gaze behavior on the facial features of the conversation partner. Study 1 provides evidence that quality indices for the scene-based setup were comparable to those of a classical display-based setup. Average accuracy was better than 0.4° visual angle. Study 2 demonstrates that eye tracking quality is sufficient for 3D stimuli and robust against short interruptions without re-calibration. Study 3 confirms the long-term stability of tracking accuracy during a face-to-face interaction and demonstrates typical gaze patterns for facial features. Thus, the eye tracking setup presented here seems feasible for studying gaze behavior in dyadic face-to-face interactions. Eye tracking data obtained with this setup achieves an accuracy that is sufficient for investigating behavior such as eye contact in social interactions in a range of populations including clinical conditions, such as autism spectrum and social phobia.

scholarly journals A Constellation of Eye-Tracking Measures Reveals Social Attention Differences in ASD and the Broad Autism Phenotype

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kritika Nayar ◽  
Frederick Shic ◽  
Molly Winston ◽  
Molly Losh
Keyword(s):  
Visual Attention ◽  
Eye Tracking ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Social Attention ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Factor Scores ◽  
Total Fixation ◽  
Parent Groups ◽  
And Control ◽  
Over Time

Abstract Background: Social attention differences, expressed through gaze patterns, have been documented in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), with subtle differences also reported among first-degree relatives, suggesting a shared genetic link. Findings have mostly been derived from standard eye-tracking methods (total fixation count or total fixation duration). Given the dynamics of visual attention, these standard methods may obscure subtle, yet core, differences in visual attention mechanisms, particularly those presenting sub-clinically. This study applied a constellation of eye-tracking analyses to gaze data from individuals with ASD and their parents. Methods: This study included n=156 participants across groups, including ASD (n=24) and control (n=32) groups, and parents of individuals with ASD (n=61) and control parents (n=39). A complex scene with social/non-social elements was displayed and gaze tracked via an eye tracker. Eleven analytic methods from the following categories were analyzed: 1) standard variables, 2) temporal dynamics (e.g., gaze over time), 3) fixation patterns (e.g., perseverative or regressive fixations), 4) first fixations, and 5) distribution patterns. MANOVAs, growth curve analyses, and Chi-squared tests were applied to examine group differences. Finally, group differences were examined on factor scores derived from a principal component analysis (PCA) that reduced variables to distinct dimensions.Results: No group differences emerged among standard, first fixation, and distribution pattern variables. Both the ASD and ASD parent groups demonstrated reduced social attention over time and atypical perseverative fixations. Lower social attention factor scores derived from PCA strongly differentiated the ASD and ASD parent groups from controls, with parent findings driven by the subset of parents demonstrating the broad autism phenotype.Limitations: To generalize these findings, larger sample sizes, extended viewing contexts (e.g., dynamic stimuli), and even more eye-tracking analytical methods are needed. Conclusions: Fixations over time and perseverative fixations differentiated ASD and the ASD parent groups from controls, with the PCA most robustly capturing social attention differences. Findings highlight their methodological utility in studies of the (broad) autism spectrum to capture nuanced visual attention differences that may relate to clinical symptoms in ASD, and reflect genetic liability in clinically unaffected relatives. This proof-of-concept study may inform future studies using eye tracking across populations where social attention is impacted.

scholarly journals Combined frequency-tagging EEG and eye-tracking measures provide no support for the “excess mouth/diminished eye attention” hypothesis in autism

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sofie Vettori ◽  
Stephanie Van der Donck ◽  
Jannes Nys ◽  
Pieter Moors ◽  
Tim Van Wesemael ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Eye Tracking ◽  
Clinical Symptoms ◽  
Eye Gaze ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Covert Attention ◽  
Neural Responses ◽  
Lower Face ◽  
Facial Region ◽  
Gaze Patterns ◽  
The Face

Abstract Background Scanning faces is important for social interactions. Difficulty with the social use of eye contact constitutes one of the clinical symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). It has been suggested that individuals with ASD look less at the eyes and more at the mouth than typically developing (TD) individuals, possibly due to gaze aversion or gaze indifference. However, eye-tracking evidence for this hypothesis is mixed. While gaze patterns convey information about overt orienting processes, it is unclear how this is manifested at the neural level and how relative covert attention to the eyes and mouth of faces might be affected in ASD. Methods We used frequency-tagging EEG in combination with eye tracking, while participants watched fast flickering faces for 1-min stimulation sequences. The upper and lower halves of the faces were presented at 6 Hz and 7.5 Hz or vice versa in different stimulation sequences, allowing to objectively disentangle the neural saliency of the eyes versus mouth region of a perceived face. We tested 21 boys with ASD (8–12 years old) and 21 TD control boys, matched for age and IQ. Results Both groups looked longer at the eyes than the mouth, without any group difference in relative fixation duration to these features. TD boys looked significantly more to the nose, while the ASD boys looked more outside the face. EEG neural saliency data partly followed this pattern: neural responses to the upper or lower face half were not different between groups, but in the TD group, neural responses to the lower face halves were larger than responses to the upper part. Face exploration dynamics showed that TD individuals mostly maintained fixations within the same facial region, whereas individuals with ASD switched more often between the face parts. Limitations Replication in large and independent samples may be needed to validate exploratory results. Conclusions Combined eye-tracking and frequency-tagged neural responses show no support for the excess mouth/diminished eye gaze hypothesis in ASD. The more exploratory face scanning style observed in ASD might be related to their increased feature-based face processing style.

scholarly journals Autistic differences in the temporal dynamics of social attention

Autism ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 136236132199857
Author(s):  
Nicholas Hedger ◽  
Bhismadev Chakrabarti
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Eye Tracking ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Social Attention ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Initial Increase ◽  
Social Stimuli ◽  
Gaze Behaviour ◽  
Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Over Time

Individuals with autism spectrum disorders typically exhibit reduced visual attention towards social stimuli relative to neurotypical individuals. Importantly, however, attention is not a static process, and it remains unclear how such effects may manifest over time. Exploring these momentary changes in gaze behaviour can more clearly illustrate how individuals respond to social stimuli and provide insight into the mechanisms underlying reduced social attention in autism spectrum disorder. Using a simple passive eye-tracking task with competing presentations of social and nonsocial stimuli, we examine the different ways in which attention to social stimuli evolves over time in neurotypical adults and adults with and autism spectrum disorders. Our temporal modelling of gaze behaviour revealed divergent temporal profiles of social attention in neurotypical and observers with autism. Neurotypical data showed an initial increase in social attention, a ‘decay’ and subsequent ‘recovery’ after prolonged viewing. By contrast, in individuals with autism spectrum disorder, social attention decayed over time in a linear fashion without recovery after prolonged viewing. We speculate that the ‘gaze cascade’ effect that maintains selection of social stimuli in neurotypical observers is disrupted in individuals with high autistic traits. Considering these temporal components of gaze behaviour may enhance behavioural phenotypes and theories of social attention in autism spectrum disorder. Lay abstract One behaviour often observed in individuals with autism is that they tend to look less towards social stimuli relative to neurotypical individuals. For instance, many eye-tracking studies have shown that individuals with autism will look less towards people and more towards objects in scenes. However, we currently know very little about how these behaviours change over time. Tracking these moment-to-moment changes in looking behaviour in individuals with autism can more clearly illustrate how they respond to social stimuli. In this study, adults with and without autism were presented with displays of social and non-social stimuli, while looking behaviours were measured by eye-tracking. We found large differences in how the two groups looked towards social stimuli over time. Neurotypical individuals initially showed a high probability of looking towards social stimuli, then a decline in probability, and a subsequent increase in probability after prolonged viewing. By contrast, individuals with autism showed an initial increase in probability, followed by a continuous decline in probability that did not recover. This pattern of results may indicate that individuals with autism exhibit reduced responsivity to the reward value of social stimuli. Moreover, our data suggest that exploring the temporal nature of gaze behaviours can lead to more precise explanatory theories of attention in autism.

scholarly journals Application of Eye Tracking Technology in Medicine: A Bibliometric Analysis

Vision ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 56
Author(s):  
Gianpaolo Zammarchi ◽  
Claudio Conversano
Keyword(s):  
Eye Tracking ◽  
Bibliometric Analysis ◽  
Quantitative Measure ◽  
R Package ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Scientific Production ◽  
Annual Scientific ◽  
Gaze Patterns ◽  
Production Growth ◽  
The Usa

Eye tracking provides a quantitative measure of eye movements during different activities. We report the results from a bibliometric analysis to investigate trends in eye tracking research applied to the study of different medical conditions. We conducted a search on the Web of Science Core Collection (WoS) database and analyzed the dataset of 2456 retrieved articles using VOSviewer and the Bibliometrix R package. The most represented area was psychiatry (503, 20.5%) followed by neuroscience (465, 18.9%) and psychology developmental (337, 13.7%). The annual scientific production growth was 11.14% and showed exponential growth with three main peaks in 2011, 2015 and 2017. Extensive collaboration networks were identified between the three countries with the highest scientific production, the USA (35.3%), the UK (9.5%) and Germany (7.3%). Based on term co-occurrence maps and analyses of sources of articles, we identified autism spectrum disorders as the most investigated condition and conducted specific analyses on 638 articles related to this topic which showed an annual scientific production growth of 16.52%. The majority of studies focused on autism used eye tracking to investigate gaze patterns with regards to stimuli related to social interaction. Our analysis highlights the widespread and increasing use of eye tracking in the study of different neurological and psychiatric conditions.

Social Cognition in Children Autism Spectrum Disorders: An Eye Tracking Study

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Galli ◽  
F. Gitti ◽  
M. Lanaro ◽  
A. Rizzi ◽  
M.A. Pavlova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Social Cognition ◽  
Eye Tracking ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorders

“Best Things”: Parents Describe Their Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Over Time

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine T. Cost ◽  
Anat Zaidman-Zait ◽  
Pat Mirenda ◽  
Eric Duku ◽  
Lonnie Zwaigenbaum ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Over Time

scholarly journals Investigating Gaze Behaviour of Children Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders in a Classroom Setting

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aideen McParland ◽  
Stephen Gallagher ◽  
Mickey Keenan
Keyword(s):  
Eye Tracking ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Classroom Setting ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Training Tool ◽  
Gaze Behaviour ◽  
Promising Application ◽  
Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Face Stimuli ◽  
Operant Training

AbstractA defining feature of ASD is atypical gaze behaviour, however, eye-tracking studies in ‘real-world’ settings are limited, and the possibility of improving gaze behaviour for ASD children is largely unexplored. This study investigated gaze behaviour of ASD and typically developing (TD) children in their classroom setting. Eye-tracking technology was used to develop and pilot an operant training tool to positively reinforce typical gaze behaviour towards faces. Visual and statistical analyses of eye-tracking data revealed different gaze behaviour patterns during live interactions for ASD and TD children depending on the interaction type. All children responded to operant training with longer looking times observed on face stimuli post training. The promising application of operant gaze training in ecologically valid settings is discussed.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document