Neurotypicals with Higher Autistic Traits have Delayed Visual Processing of an Approaching Life-size Avatar’s gait: An Event-Related Potentials Study

Abstract

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.

Neurotypicals with higher autistic traits have delayed visual processing of an approaching life-sized avatar’s gait: an event-related potentials study

“…We would like to acknowledge Editage for the English language editing of this manuscript (www.editage.com). The pre-print of this article has been released on Research Square (Inokuchi et al, 2022b).…”