Visual attention to faces in children with autism spectrum disorder: are there sex differences?
Abstract Background The male bias in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnoses is well documented. As a result, less is known about the female ASD phenotype. Recent research suggests that conclusions drawn from predominantly male samples may not accurately capture female behavior. In this study, we e...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2019-06-01
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| Series: | Molecular Autism |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13229-019-0276-2 |
| _version_ | 1819111434571743232 |
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| author | Clare Harrop Desiree Jones Shuting Zheng Sallie Nowell Robert Schultz Julia Parish-Morris |
| author_facet | Clare Harrop Desiree Jones Shuting Zheng Sallie Nowell Robert Schultz Julia Parish-Morris |
| author_sort | Clare Harrop |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background The male bias in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnoses is well documented. As a result, less is known about the female ASD phenotype. Recent research suggests that conclusions drawn from predominantly male samples may not accurately capture female behavior. In this study, we explore potential sex differences in attention to social stimuli, which is generally reported to be diminished in ASD. Population-based sex differences in attention to faces have been reported, such that typically developing (TD) females attend more to social stimuli (including faces) from infancy through adulthood than TD males. It is yet unknown whether population-based sex differences in the face domain are preserved in ASD. Methods A dynamic, naturalistic infrared eye-tracking paradigm measured attention to social stimuli (faces) in 74 school-aged males and females with ASD (male N = 23; female N = 19) and without ASD (male N = 16; female N = 16). Two kinds of video stimuli were presented that varied in social content: rich social scenes (dyadic play between two children) and lean social scenes (parallel play by two children). Results Results revealed a significant 3-way interaction between sex, diagnosis, and condition after controlling for chronological and mental age. ASD females attended more to faces than ASD males in the socially lean condition. This effect was not found in the typically developing (TD) group. ASD males attended less to faces regardless of social context; however, ASD females only attended significantly less to faces compared to TD females in the socially rich condition. TD males and ASD females did not differ in their attention to faces in either condition. Conclusions This study has implications for how the field understands core social deficits in children with ASD, which should ideally be benchmarked against same-sex peers (male and female). Social attention in ASD females fell on a continuum—greater than their ASD male peers, but not as great as TD females. Overall, their social attention mirrored that of TD males. Improved understanding of the female social phenotype in ASD will enhance early screening and diagnostic efforts and will guide the development of sex-sensitive experimental paradigms and social interventions. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T03:57:33Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6059bdd4e61d42a2b38d72c5f3f26573 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2040-2392 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T03:57:33Z |
| publishDate | 2019-06-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Molecular Autism |
| spelling | doaj.art-6059bdd4e61d42a2b38d72c5f3f265732022-12-21T18:39:50ZengBMCMolecular Autism2040-23922019-06-0110111010.1186/s13229-019-0276-2Visual attention to faces in children with autism spectrum disorder: are there sex differences?Clare Harrop0Desiree Jones1Shuting Zheng2Sallie Nowell3Robert Schultz4Julia Parish-Morris5University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Allied Health SciencesSchool of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas–DallasSTAR Center for ASD and NDDs, University of California San FranciscoFrank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel HillCenter for Autism Research, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Roberts Center for Pediatric ResearchCenter for Autism Research, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Roberts Center for Pediatric ResearchAbstract Background The male bias in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnoses is well documented. As a result, less is known about the female ASD phenotype. Recent research suggests that conclusions drawn from predominantly male samples may not accurately capture female behavior. In this study, we explore potential sex differences in attention to social stimuli, which is generally reported to be diminished in ASD. Population-based sex differences in attention to faces have been reported, such that typically developing (TD) females attend more to social stimuli (including faces) from infancy through adulthood than TD males. It is yet unknown whether population-based sex differences in the face domain are preserved in ASD. Methods A dynamic, naturalistic infrared eye-tracking paradigm measured attention to social stimuli (faces) in 74 school-aged males and females with ASD (male N = 23; female N = 19) and without ASD (male N = 16; female N = 16). Two kinds of video stimuli were presented that varied in social content: rich social scenes (dyadic play between two children) and lean social scenes (parallel play by two children). Results Results revealed a significant 3-way interaction between sex, diagnosis, and condition after controlling for chronological and mental age. ASD females attended more to faces than ASD males in the socially lean condition. This effect was not found in the typically developing (TD) group. ASD males attended less to faces regardless of social context; however, ASD females only attended significantly less to faces compared to TD females in the socially rich condition. TD males and ASD females did not differ in their attention to faces in either condition. Conclusions This study has implications for how the field understands core social deficits in children with ASD, which should ideally be benchmarked against same-sex peers (male and female). Social attention in ASD females fell on a continuum—greater than their ASD male peers, but not as great as TD females. Overall, their social attention mirrored that of TD males. Improved understanding of the female social phenotype in ASD will enhance early screening and diagnostic efforts and will guide the development of sex-sensitive experimental paradigms and social interventions.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13229-019-0276-2Autism spectrum disorderSex differencesSocial cognitionEye gazeSocial attention |
| spellingShingle | Clare Harrop Desiree Jones Shuting Zheng Sallie Nowell Robert Schultz Julia Parish-Morris Visual attention to faces in children with autism spectrum disorder: are there sex differences? Molecular Autism Autism spectrum disorder Sex differences Social cognition Eye gaze Social attention |
| title | Visual attention to faces in children with autism spectrum disorder: are there sex differences? |
| title_full | Visual attention to faces in children with autism spectrum disorder: are there sex differences? |
| title_fullStr | Visual attention to faces in children with autism spectrum disorder: are there sex differences? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Visual attention to faces in children with autism spectrum disorder: are there sex differences? |
| title_short | Visual attention to faces in children with autism spectrum disorder: are there sex differences? |
| title_sort | visual attention to faces in children with autism spectrum disorder are there sex differences |
| topic | Autism spectrum disorder Sex differences Social cognition Eye gaze Social attention |
| url | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13229-019-0276-2 |
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