Face identity recognition in autism spectrum disorders: A review of behavioral studies

Weigelt, Sarah; Koldewyn, Kami; Kanwisher, Nancy

doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2011.12.008

Cited by 418 publications

(491 citation statements)

References 90 publications

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“…In particular, because we and others have found a selective deficit in face recognition in autism (reviewed in ref. 13), and people with congenital face recognition deficits have reduced FA in the rILF (12), we predicted that individuals with ASD might have reduced FA in the rILF. It remains a puzzle why reduced FA in the rILF does not produce across-the-board impairments in object recognition (in congenital prosopagnosia or ASD), given that this tract carries information from many extrastriate visual areas, not just face processing regions.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Differences in the right inferior longitudinal fasciculus but no general disruption of white matter tracts in children with autism spectrum disorder

Koldewyn

Yendiki

Weigelt

et al. 2014

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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One of the most widely cited features of the neural phenotype of autism is reduced "integrity" of long-range white matter tracts, a claim based primarily on diffusion imaging studies. However, many prior studies have small sample sizes and/or fail to address differences in data quality between those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and typical participants, and there is little consensus on which tracts are affected. To overcome these problems, we scanned a large sample of children with autism (n = 52) and typically developing children (n = 73). Data quality was variable, and worse in the ASD group, with some scans unusable because of head motion artifacts. When we follow standard data analysis practices (i.e., without matching head motion between groups), we replicate the finding of lower fractional anisotropy (FA) in multiple white matter tracts. However, when we carefully match data quality between groups, all these effects disappear except in one tract, the right inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF). Additional analyses showed the expected developmental increases in the FA of fiber tracts within ASD and typical groups individually, demonstrating that we had sufficient statistical power to detect known group differences. Our data challenge the widely claimed general disruption of white matter tracts in autism, instead implicating only one tract, the right ILF, in the ASD phenotype.diffusion-weighted imaging | connectivity W hat is the key difference in the brains of individuals with autism that accounts for the distinctive cognitive profile of this disorder? One of the most widely claimed brain signatures of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), reported in dozens of papers that used diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), is reduced integrity of long-range fiber tracts (1). This finding has been taken as evidence that autism is fundamentally a "disconnection" syndrome, in which the core cognitive deficits result from reduced integration of information at the neural and cognitive levels (2-5). For example, it has been argued that the characteristic deficits in social cognition and language arise because these functions require rapid integration of information across spatially distant brain areas (3, 6, 7), which would likely be affected if major white matter tracts are compromised.Evidence for a general reduction in the "integrity"* of white matter in autism has come primarily from diffusion imaging studies that report reduced directionality of the diffusion of water molecules, or fractional anisotropy (FA), and increased speed of diffusion, or mean diffusivity (MD) of many major fiber bundles. However, the literature reveals little actual agreement on the existence and direction of group differences in diffusion parameters (reviewed in ref. 1). White-matter differences have been reported in various brain regions in positive and negative directions. Possible reasons for these inconsistent findings include small sample sizes [mean of ∼20 in each group, with 40% of studies scanning 15 or fewer participants with ASD (1)...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Differences in the right inferior longitudinal fasciculus but no general disruption of white matter tracts in children with autism spectrum disorder

Koldewyn

Yendiki

Weigelt

et al. 2014

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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“…Moreover, many individuals with ASD often exhibit reduced sensitivity to illusions induced by contextual influence (Behrmann, Thomas, & Humphreys, 2006;Simmons et al, 2009). Research examining composite face effects in ASD has yielded mixed results (Weigelt, Koldewyn, & Kanwisher, 2012). High-functioning adults with ASD showed broadly typical composite face effects to age-and IQ-matched controls on a sequential matching task (Nishimura, Rutherford, & Maurer, 2008).…”

Section: Autism Spectrum Disordermentioning

confidence: 99%

The composite face illusion

2016

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Few findings in cognitive science have proved as influential as the composite face effect. When the top half of one face is aligned with the bottom half of another, and presented upright, the resulting composite arrangement induces a compelling percept of a novel facial configuration. Findings obtained using composite face procedures have contributed significantly to our understanding of holistic face processing, the detrimental effects of face inversion, the development of face perception, and aberrant face perception in clinical populations. Composite paradigms continue to advance our knowledge of face perception, as exemplified by their recent use for investigating the perceptual mechanisms underlying dynamic face processing. However, the paradigm has been the subject of intense scrutiny, particularly over the last decade, and there is a growing sense that the composite face illusion, whilst easy to illustrate, is deceptively difficult to measure and interpret. In this review, we provide a focussed overview of the existing composite face literature, and identify six priorities for future research. Addressing these gaps in our knowledge will aid the evaluation and refinement of theoretical accounts of the illusion.

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“…Relative to typically developing individuals, differences and difficulties have been reported in processing of emotional expressions (see Harms, Martin, & Wallace, 2010) and social cues such as eye gaze (Nation & Penny, 2008; Senju & Johnson, 2009) (note—here and elsewhere we make use of preferred, identity-first terminology; Kenny et al, 2015). Atypicalities are also reported in the discrimination and recognition of face identity (Behrmann et al, 2006; Boucher, Lewis, & Collis, 1998; Croydon, Pimperton, Ewing, Duchaine, & Pellicano, 2014; Gepner, de Gelder, & de Schonen, 1996; Hauck, Fein, Maltby, Waterhouse, & Feinstein, 1998; Klin et al, 1999; Tantam, Monaghan, Nicholson, & Stirling, 1989; Wallace, Coleman, & Bailey, 2008), particularly when tasks involve a memory component or careful processing of the eyes (see, Weigelt, Koldewyn, & Kanwisher, 2012). These identity-processing difficulties are rarely as functionally debilitating as those deficits observed in “face blind” individuals with prosopagnosia (Behrmann & Avidan 2005; Yardley, McDermott, Pisarski, Duchaine, & Nakayama, 2008) but may nevertheless importantly contribute to the social communication and interaction difficulties characteristic of autism (Weigelt et al, 2012).…”

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confidence: 99%

Atypical information-use in children with autism spectrum disorder during judgments of child and adult face identity

Ewing

Pellicano

King

et al. 2018

Developmental Neuropsychology

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Unusual patterns of fixation behavior in individuals with autism spectrum disorder during face tasks hint at atypical processing strategies that could contribute to diminished face expertise in this group. Here, we use the Bubbles reverse correlation technique to directly examine face-processing strategies during identity judgments in children with and without autism, and typical adults. Results support a qualitative atypicality in autistic face processing. We identify clear differences not only in the specific features relied upon for face judgments, but also more generally in the extent to which they demonstrate a flexible and adaptive profile of information use.

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Face identity recognition in autism spectrum disorders: A review of behavioral studies

Cited by 418 publications

References 90 publications

Differences in the right inferior longitudinal fasciculus but no general disruption of white matter tracts in children with autism spectrum disorder

Differences in the right inferior longitudinal fasciculus but no general disruption of white matter tracts in children with autism spectrum disorder

The composite face illusion

Atypical information-use in children with autism spectrum disorder during judgments of child and adult face identity

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