Gaze Following and Pupil Dilation as Objective Measures of Early Diagnosis of Children with ASD

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raquel Camero ◽  
Verónica Martínez ◽  
Carlos Gallego
Keyword(s):  
Early Detection ◽  
Early Diagnosis ◽  
Visual Attention ◽  
Eye Tracking ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Pupil Dilation ◽  
Gaze Following ◽  
Objective Measures ◽  
Human Face ◽  
Children With Asd

(1) Background: Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) show certain characteristics in visual attention which generate difficulties in the integration of relevant social information to set the basis of communication. Gaze following and pupil dilation could be used to identify signs for the early detection of ASD. Eye-tracking methodology allows objective measurement of these anomalies in visual attention. The aim is to determine whether measurements of gaze following and pupillary dilation in a linguistic interaction task, captured using eye-tracking methodology, are objective for early diagnosis of ASD. (2) Methods: 20 children between 17 and 24 months of age, made up of 10 neurotypical children and 10 children with ASD were paired together according to chronological age. A human face on a monitor pronounced pseudowords associated with pseudo-objects. Gaze following and pupil dilation was registered during the task. (3) Results: Significant statistical differences were found in the time of gaze fixation on the human face and on the object, as well as in the number of gazes. Also, there were significant differences in the maximum peak of pupil dilation, this being found in the neurotypical group at the moment of processing of the pseudoword, and in the ASD group in the baseline prior to the task (4) Conclusions: The registration and the duration of gaze, and the measurement of pupil dilation with ‘eye-tracker’ are objective measures for early detection of ASD.

scholarly journals Gaze Following and Pupil Dilation as Early Diagnostic Markers of Autism in Toddlers

Children ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 113
Author(s):  
Raquel Camero ◽  
Verónica Martínez ◽  
Carlos Gallego
Keyword(s):  
Early Detection ◽  
Early Diagnosis ◽  
Visual Attention ◽  
Eye Tracking ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Pupil Dilation ◽  
Objective Measurement ◽  
Gaze Following ◽  
Human Face ◽  
Learning Context

Background: Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) show certain characteristics in visual attention. These may generate differences with non-autistic children in the integration of relevant social information to set the basis of communication. Reliable and objective measurement of these characteristics in a language learning context could contribute to a more accurate early diagnosis of ASD. Gaze following and pupil dilation are being studied as possible reliable measures of visual attention for the early detection of ASD. The eye-tracking methodology allows objective measurement of these biomarkers. The aim of this study is to determine whether measurements of gaze following and pupillary dilation in a linguistic interaction task are potential objective biomarkers for the early diagnosis of ASD. Method: A group of 20 children between 17 and 24 months of age, made up of 10 neurotypical children (NT) and 10 children with an increased likelihood of developing ASD were paired together according to chronological age. A human face on a monitor pronounced pseudowords associated with pseudo-objects. Gaze following and pupil dilation were registered during the task These measurements were captured using eye-tracking methodology. Results: Significant statistical differences were found in the time of gaze fixation on the human face and on the object, as well as in the number of gazes. Children with an increased possibility of developing ASD showed a slightly higher pupil dilation than NT children. However, this difference was not statistically significant. Nevertheless, their pupil dilation was uniform throughout the different periods of the task while NT participants showed greater dilation on hearing the pseudoword. Conclusions: The fixing and the duration of gaze, objectively measured by a Tobii eye-tracking system, could be considered as potential biomarkers for early detection of ASD. Additionally, pupil dilation measurement could reflect differential activation patterns during word processing in possible ASD toddlers and NT toddlers.

scholarly journals Investigating eye movement patterns, language, and social ability in children with autism spectrum disorder

2014 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 529-537 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven D. Stagg ◽  
Karina J. Linnell ◽  
Pamela Heaton
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Visual Attention ◽  
Eye Tracking ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Language Ability ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Social Stimuli ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Language Onset

AbstractAlthough all intellectually high-functioning children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) display core social and communication deficits, some develop language within a normative timescale and others experience significant delays and subsequent language impairment. Early attention to social stimuli plays an important role in the emergence of language, and reduced attention to faces has been documented in infants later diagnosed with ASD. We investigated the extent to which patterns of attention to social stimuli would differentiate early and late language onset groups. Children with ASD (mean age = 10 years) differing on language onset timing (late/normal) and a typically developing comparison group completed a task in which visual attention to interacting and noninteracting human figures was mapped using eye tracking. Correlations on visual attention data and results from tests measuring current social and language ability were conducted. Patterns of visual attention did not distinguish typically developing children and ASD children with normal language onset. Children with ASD and late language onset showed significantly reduced attention to salient social stimuli. Associations between current language ability and social attention were observed. Delay in language onset is associated with current language skills as well as with specific eye-tracking patterns.

A Statistical Physics Perspective to Understand Social Visual Attention in Autism Spectrum Disorder

Perception ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 46 (8) ◽  
pp. 889-913 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessio Liberati ◽  
Roberta Fadda ◽  
Giuseppe Doneddu ◽  
Sara Congiu ◽  
Marco A. Javarone ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Eye Movements ◽  
Visual Attention ◽  
Eye Tracking ◽  
Statistical Physics ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Visual Exploration ◽  
Subjective Expectations ◽  
Children With Asd

This study investigated social visual attention in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and with typical development (TD) in the light of Brockmann and Geisel’s model of visual attention. The probability distribution of gaze movements and clustering of gaze points, registered with eye-tracking technology, was studied during a free visual exploration of a gaze stimulus. A data-driven analysis of the distribution of eye movements was chosen to overcome any possible methodological problems related to the subjective expectations of the experimenters about the informative contents of the image in addition to a computational model to simulate group differences. Analysis of the eye-tracking data indicated that the scanpaths of children with TD and ASD were characterized by eye movements geometrically equivalent to Lévy flights. Children with ASD showed a higher frequency of long saccadic amplitudes compared with controls. A clustering analysis revealed a greater dispersion of eye movements for these children. Modeling of the results indicated higher values of the model parameter modulating the dispersion of eye movements for children with ASD. Together, the experimental results and the model point to a greater dispersion of gaze points in ASD.

scholarly journals Using head-mounted eye tracking to examine visual and manual exploration during naturalistic toy play in children with and without autism spectrum disorder

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia R. Yurkovic ◽  
Grace Lisandrelli ◽  
Rebecca C. Shaffer ◽  
Kelli C. Dominick ◽  
Ernest V. Pedapati ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Visual Attention ◽  
Eye Tracking ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Manual Exploration ◽  
Toy Play ◽  
Ability And Willingness

AbstractMultimodal exploration of objects during toy play is important for a child’s development and is suggested to be abnormal in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) due to either atypical attention or atypical action. However, little is known about how children with ASD coordinate their visual attention and manual actions during toy play. The current study aims to understand if and in what ways children with ASD generate exploratory behaviors to toys in natural, unconstrained contexts by utilizing head-mounted eye tracking to quantify moment-by-moment attention. We found no differences in how 24- to 48-mo children with and without ASD distribute their visual attention, generate manual action, or coordinate their visual and manual behaviors during toy play with a parent. Our findings suggest an intact ability and willingness of children with ASD to explore toys and suggest that context is important when studying child behavior.

scholarly journals Eye gaze differences in school scenes between preschool children and adolescents with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder and those with typical development

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuko Ishizaki ◽  
Takahiro Higuchi ◽  
Yoshitoki Yanagimoto ◽  
Hodaka Kobayashi ◽  
Atsushi Noritake ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Preschool Children ◽  
Children And Adolescents ◽  
Eye Gaze ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Typical Development ◽  
Human Face ◽  
Gaze Behavior ◽  
Psychosomatic Symptoms ◽  
Children With Asd

Abstract Background Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may experience difficulty adapting to daily life in a preschool or school settings and are likely to develop psychosomatic symptoms. For a better understanding of the difficulties experienced daily by preschool children and adolescents with ASD, this study investigated differences in eye gaze behavior in the classroom environment between children with ASD and those with typical development (TD). Methods The study evaluated 30 children with ASD and 49 children with TD. Participants were presented with images of a human face and a classroom scene. While they gazed at specific regions of visual stimuli, eye tracking with an iView X system was used to evaluate and compare the duration of gaze time between the two groups. Results Compared with preschool children with TD, preschool children with ASD spent less time gazing at the eyes of the human face and the object at which the teacher pointed in the classroom image. Preschool children with TD who had no classroom experience tended to look at the object the teacher pointed at in the classroom image. Conclusion Children with ASD did not look at the human eyes in the facial image or the object pointed at in the classroom image, which may indicate their inability to analyze situations, understand instruction in a classroom, or act appropriately in a group. This suggests that this gaze behavior of children with ASD causes social maladaptation and psychosomatic symptoms. A therapeutic approach that focuses on joint attention is desirable for improving the ability of children with ASD to adapt to their social environment.

scholarly journals A Unique Visual Attention Profile Associated With the FMR1 Premutation

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Molly Winston ◽  
Kritika Nayar ◽  
Emily Landau ◽  
Nell Maltman ◽  
John Sideris ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Visual Attention ◽  
Eye Tracking ◽  
Picture Book ◽  
Fragile X ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Social Stimuli ◽  
Fmr1 Premutation ◽  
Tracking Tasks ◽  
Neurocognitive Profile ◽  
Areas Of Interest

Atypical visual attention patterns have been observed among carriers of the fragile X mental retardation gene (FMR1) premutation (PM), with some similarities to visual attention patterns observed in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and among clinically unaffected relatives of individuals with ASD. Patterns of visual attention could constitute biomarkers that can help to inform the neurocognitive profile of the PM, and that potentially span diagnostic boundaries. This study examined patterns of eye movement across an array of fixation measurements from three distinct eye-tracking tasks in order to investigate potentially overlapping profiles of visual attention among PM carriers, ASD parents, and parent controls. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine whether variables constituting a PM-specific looking profile were able to effectively predict group membership. Participants included 65PM female carriers, 188 ASD parents, and 84 parent controls. Analyses of fixations across the eye-tracking tasks, and their corresponding areas of interest, revealed a distinct visual attention pattern in carriers of the FMR1 PM, characterized by increased fixations on the mouth when viewing faces, more intense focus on bodies in socially complex scenes, and decreased fixations on salient characters and faces while narrating a wordless picture book. This set of variables was able to successfully differentiate individuals with the PM from controls (Sensitivity = 0.76, Specificity = 0.85, Accuracy = 0.77) as well as from ASD parents (Sensitivity = 0.70, Specificity = 0.80, Accuracy = 0.72), but did not show a strong distinction between ASD parents and controls (Accuracy = 0.62), indicating that this set of variables comprises a profile that is unique to PM carriers. Regarding predictive power, fixations toward the mouth when viewing faces was able to differentiate PM carriers from both ASD parents and controls, whereas fixations toward other social stimuli did not differentiate PM carriers from ASD parents, highlighting some overlap in visual attention patterns that could point toward shared neurobiological mechanisms. Results demonstrate a profile of visual attention that appears strongly associated with the FMR1 PM in women, and may constitute a meaningful biomarker.

scholarly journals LA ACTUACION SANITARIA EN ATENCIÓN TEMPRANA PARA PERSONAS CON TRASTORNO DE ESPECTRO AUTISTA (TEA): UNA EXPERIENCIA EN ANDALUCÍA

2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 463
Author(s):  
Mª Araceli Sánchez Raya
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Autism Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Early Intervention ◽  
Early Detection ◽  
Functional Recovery ◽  
Developmental Disorders ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Theoretical Interest ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Spectrum Disorders

Abstract.It is undeniable the importance of early detection in all developmental disorders, in children with ASD as well, for an early intervention in children and their families. An early intervention is a very important predictor in their functional recovery. That, put together with the growing incidence and prevalence of this kind of disorders, makes of our study field a matter of an increasing scientific and theoretical interest. In the current paper we deal with earlydetection, evaluation and intervention in children between 0 and 6 years with autism spectrum disorders in andalusian health care system.Resumen.Es innegable la importancia que tiene la detección precoz de cualquier trastorno del desarrollo –y por ende del TEA- para la intervención temprana con los menores y sus familias. Una intervención temprana constituye un importante predictor en la recuperación funcional de estos menores, y esto unido a la creciente incidencia y prevalencia de estos trastornos, hace de nuestro objeto de estudio un tema creciente de gran interés científico y teórico. En la presente comunicación abordamos el circuito de detección, evaluación e intervención temprana en niñas y niños de 0 a 6 años con trastorno del espectro autista en la sanidad andaluza.

Automatic Detection and Assessment of Autism Spectrum Disorder

2021 ◽  
pp. 396-425
Author(s):  
Thanga Aarthy M. ◽  
Menaka R. ◽  
Karthik R.
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Early Detection ◽  
Early Diagnosis ◽  
Neurodevelopmental Disorders ◽  
Pathological Condition ◽  
Neurodevelopmental Disorder ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder ◽  
Clinical Methods

Children with neurodevelopmental disorders are increasing gradually every year. One in 100 children are diagnosed with brain function disorder. There are wide categories of disorder such as attention deficit hyperactive disorder, learning, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), etc. In this work, the focus is on ASD, its clinical methods, and analysis in various research works. ASD is a neurodevelopmental disorder which affects the intellectual functioning, social interaction (adaptive behavior), and has a specific obsessive interest. At present, there is no known cure for ASD, but the level of the pathological condition can be reduced when it is detected early. Early detection is tough and challenging till date. Many researches were carried out to ease the early detection for clinicians. Each method has its own merits and demerits. This chapter reviews and condenses various research works and their efficacy in analysis for the early diagnosis and improvement in children with autism.

Reducing facial dynamics’ speed during speech enhances attention to mouth in children with autism spectrum disorder: An eye-tracking study

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Bruno Gepner ◽  
Anaïs Godde ◽  
Aurore Charrier ◽  
Nicolas Carvalho ◽  
Carole Tardif
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Eye Tracking ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Therapeutic Potential ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Visual Exploration ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
The Face ◽  
Visual Fixations

Abstract Facial movements of others during verbal and social interaction are often too rapid to be faced and/or processed in time by numerous children and adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), which could contribute to their face-to-face interaction peculiarities. We wish here to measure the effect of reducing the speed of one's facial dynamics on the visual exploration of the face by children with ASD. Twenty-three children with ASD and 29 typically-developing control children matched for chronological age passively viewed a video of a speaker telling a story at various velocities, i.e., a real-time speed and two slowed-down speeds. The visual scene was divided into four areas of interest (AOI): face, mouth, eyes, and outside the face. With an eye-tracking system, we measured the percentage of total fixation duration per AOI and the number and mean duration of the visual fixations made on each AOI. In children with ASD, the mean duration of visual fixations on the mouth region, which correlated with their verbal level, increased at slowed-down velocity compared with the real-time one, a finding which parallels a result also found in the control children. These findings strengthen the therapeutic potential of slowness for enhancing verbal and language abilities in children with ASD.

scholarly journals Context Modulates Attention to Faces in Dynamic Social Scenes in Children and Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dzmitry A. Kaliukhovich ◽  
Nikolay V. Manyakov ◽  
Abigail Bangerter ◽  
Gahan Pandina
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Visual Attention ◽  
Eye Tracking ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Social Orientation ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Social Stimuli ◽  
Adults With Autism ◽  
Social Scenes

AbstractIndividuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have been found to view social scenes differently compared to typically developing (TD) peers, but results can vary depending on context and age. We used eye-tracking in children and adults (age 6–63) to assess allocation of visual attention in a dynamic social orientation paradigm previously used only in younger children. The ASD group (n = 94) looked less at the actor’s face compared to TD (n = 38) when they were engaged in activity (mean percentage of looking time, ASD = 30.7% vs TD = 34.9%; Cohen’s d = 0.56; p value < 0.03) or looking at a moving toy (24.5% vs 33.2%; d = 0.65; p value < 0.001). Findings indicate that there are qualitative differences in allocation of visual attention to social stimuli across ages in ASD.ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02668991.

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