We investigated the association between gait perception and autistic traits in a real-life setting. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by difficulties in visual motion perception. To clarify the difficulty in daily situations caused by ASD motion perception problems, we recorded event related potentials (ERPs) in university students and investigated whether the perception of walking motion displayed by a virtual avatar differs depending on participants’ scores of autistic traits. ERPs were measured in 30 young adults in response to walking motion while passing someone. Videos of a life-sized virtual character approaching and retreating while walking were presented as visual stimuli. ERP components (N170 and P200) were identified in the occipito-temporal region of most participants. Adults with higher autistic traits had longer latencies and smaller P200 amplitudes for the approaching virtual character in the occipito-temporal region. These findings indicate that adults with autistic traits have delayed and less sensitive motion perception of an approaching person; suggesting that adults with autistic traits have atypical motion perception in daily life. This study may contribute to elucidating autistic traits, such as atypical gait and movement disorders, from the perspective of motion perception in an environment close to daily life.

We investigated the association between autistic traits in neurotypical adults and the visual processing of an approaching life-size avatar’s gait. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder and is reported to be related to difficulties in visual processing of human motion, such as biological motion and gestures. It has been reported that neurotypical adults with higher autistic traits were clumsier than those with lower autistic traits when passing by others. To clarify such atypical visual motion processing along with higher autistic traits in daily life, we analyzed the Subthreshold Autistism Trait Questionanaire (SATQ) score, a 24-item self-reported scale of ASD and event-related potentials (ERPs), for 26 neurotypical adults, in response to walking motion while passing the avatar. Videos of a walking life-sized virtual avatar approaching and retreating were presented as visual stimuli. The association between participants' scores of autistic traits and the latencies and amplitudes of ERPs was examined. ERP components (N170 and P200) were identified in the occipito-temporal region. As a result, adults with higher autistic traits had longer latencies and smaller amplitudes of P200 for the approaching avatar in the occipito-temporal region than those with lower autistic traits. These findings indicate that adults with higher autistic traits have delayed and less sensitive visual processing of the approaching avatar. It suggests that while passing by another person, these individulas have atypical visual processing of another person’s approach. This study may contribute to elucidating autistic traits from the perspective of visual processing in an environment mimicking daily life.

We investigated the association between autistic traits in neurotypical adults and the visual processing of an approaching life-size avatar’s gait. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder and is reported to be related to difficulties in visual processing of human motion, such as biological motion and gestures. It has been reported that neurotypical adults with higher autistic traits were clumsier than those with lower autistic traits when passing by others. To clarify such atypical visual motion processing along with higher autistic traits in daily life, we analyzed the Subthreshold Autistism Trait Questionanaire (SATQ) score, a 24-item self-reported scale of ASD and event-related potentials (ERPs), for 26 neurotypical adults, in response to walking motion while passing the avatar. Videos of a walking life-sized virtual avatar approaching and retreating were presented as visual stimuli. The association between participants' scores of autistic traits and the latencies and amplitudes of ERPs was examined. ERP components (N170 and P200) were identified in the occipito-temporal region. As a result, adults with higher autistic traits had longer latencies and smaller amplitudes of P200 for the approaching avatar in the occipito-temporal region than those with lower autistic traits. These findings indicate that adults with higher autistic traits have delayed and less sensitive visual processing of the approaching avatar. It suggests that while passing by another person, these individulas have atypical visual processing of another person’s approach. This study may contribute to elucidating autistic traits from the perspective of visual processing in an environment mimicking daily life.

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