Using Time Perception to Explore Implicit Sensitivity to Emotional Stimuli in Autism Spectrum Disorder

Abstract

Establishing whether implicit responses to emotional cues are intact in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is fundamental to ascertaining why their emotional understanding is compromised. We used a temporal bisection task to assess for responsiveness to face and wildlife images that varied in emotional salience. There were no significant differences between an adult ASD and comparison group, with both showing implicit overestimation of emotional stimuli. Further, there was no correlation between overestimation of emotional stimuli and autistic traits in undergraduate students. These data do not suggest a fundamental insensitivity to the arousing content of emotional images in ASD, or in individuals with a high degree of autistic traits. The findings have implications for understanding how emotional stimuli are processed in ASD.

Intertwined Facets of Subjective Time

“…For example, patients with an autism spectrum disorder who exhibit deficits in the explicit recognition of emotions produce time distortions when confronted with angry faces in the same way as healthy subjects (Jones, Lambrechts, & Gaigg, 2017). Although the effects of emotion on the perception of time in pathological patients have only just started to be investigated, they represent a genuinely new and interesting research direction (e.g., Jones et al, 2017; Ryu, Kook, Lee, Ha, & Cho, 2015). Furthermore, a small number of studies have examined the neural mechanisms involved in emotional time distortions (Dirnberger et al, 2012; Pfeuty, Dilharreguy, Gerlier, & Allard, 2015).…”

Is there a generalized timing impairment in Autism Spectrum Disorders across time scales and paradigms?

“…While two studies reported decreased duration discrimination in the ASD group (Karaminis et al, 2016;Kargas et al, 2015), other studies testing time bisection (Gil et al, 2012;Jones et al, 2017) and duration discrimination found no differences between ASD and control groups (Jones et al, 2009;Mostofsky et al, 2000). Thus, again performance on interval timing tasks in ASD might depend on task specificities and sampling.…”

“…Among such secondary characteristics, difficulties in timing might be a key part of the autistic cognitive profile (e.g., Allman et al, 2011;Bebko et al, 2006;Boucher et al, 2007;Brodeur et al, 2014;Falter et al, 2012a;Falter et al, 2012b;Falter et al, 2013;Gepner & Féron, 2009;Gowen & Miall, 2005;Karaminis et al, 2016;Kargas et al, 2015;Kwakye et al, 2011;Maister & Plaisted-Grant, 2011;Martin et al, 2010;Szelag et al, 2004;Whiting & Dixon, 2015;Ribeiro Zukauskas et al, 2009; for review and clinical discussion, see Allman & Falter, 2015;Boucher, 2001;Falter & Noreika, 2014;Stevenson et al, 2016;Welsh et al, 2005). However, timing deficits in ASD are not unequivocal (e.g., Bebko et al, 2006;Gil et al, 2012;Glazebrook et al, 2008;Jones et al, 2009;Jones et al, 2017;Kwakye et al, 2011;Mostofsky et al, 2000;Wallace & Happé, 2008).…”

“…Importantly, interval timing depends on the activation of the timing mechanisms while a person is making time judgements. Studies on interval timing in ASD have yielded mixed results, uncovering either intact (Gil et al, 2012;Jones et al, 2009;Jones et al, 2017;Mostofsky et al, 2000;Wallace & Happé, 2008) or abnormal performance in individuals with ASD (Allman et al 2011;Brodeur et al, 2014;Falter et al, 2012b;Karaminis et al, 2016;Kargas et al, 2015;Maister & Plaisted-Grant, 2011;Martin et al 2010;Szelag et al 2004). Several studies reported less accurate and more variable duration reproduction in ASD (Maister & Plaisted-Grant, 2011;Martin et al 2010;Szelag et al 2004), whereas one study reported increased accuracy of duration reproduction in children with ASD (Wallace & Happé, 2008), which might be due to task specificities (Falter & Noreika, 2014).…”

Neural Correlates of Duration Discrimination in Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Their Comorbid Presentation

“…The lack of neural impairments in the ASD group was not in line with the initial hypothesis, which, in the absence of fMRI studies of timing in ASD, was formulated based on behavioral findings only [e.g., ( 39 , 42 )]. However, negative neurobehavioral findings from some studies ( 45 – 47 ), including a recent study in adults with ASD ( 77 ), have suggested heterogeneity in timing impairments in this population. Therefore, although the implication of the present neurofunctional finding is that timing networks in young adults with ASD without intellectual disability are unimpaired, this must be taken mindful of factors that could have increased the participants' heterogeneity in the study.…”