Does stochastic resonance improve performance for individuals with higher autism-spectrum quotient?
While noise is generally believed to impair performance, the detection of weak stimuli can sometimes be enhanced by introducing optimum noise levels. This phenomenon is termed ‘Stochastic Resonance’ (SR). Past evidence suggests that autistic individuals exhibit higher neural noise than neurotypical...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-04-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Neuroscience |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2023.1110714/full |
| _version_ | 1797847170676686848 |
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| author | Pratik Raul Kate McNally Lawrence M. Ward Lawrence M. Ward Jeroen J. A. van Boxtel Jeroen J. A. van Boxtel |
| author_facet | Pratik Raul Kate McNally Lawrence M. Ward Lawrence M. Ward Jeroen J. A. van Boxtel Jeroen J. A. van Boxtel |
| author_sort | Pratik Raul |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | While noise is generally believed to impair performance, the detection of weak stimuli can sometimes be enhanced by introducing optimum noise levels. This phenomenon is termed ‘Stochastic Resonance’ (SR). Past evidence suggests that autistic individuals exhibit higher neural noise than neurotypical individuals. It has been proposed that the enhanced performance in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) on some tasks could be due to SR. Here we present a computational model, lab-based, and online visual identification experiments to find corroborating evidence for this hypothesis in individuals without a formal ASD diagnosis. Our modeling predicts that artificially increasing noise results in SR for individuals with low internal noise (e.g., neurotypical), however not for those with higher internal noise (e.g., autistic, or neurotypical individuals with higher autistic traits). It also predicts that at low stimulus noise, individuals with higher internal noise outperform those with lower internal noise. We tested these predictions using visual identification tasks among participants from the general population with autistic traits measured by the Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ). While all participants showed SR in the lab-based experiment, this did not support our model strongly. In the online experiment, significant SR was not found, however participants with higher AQ scores outperformed those with lower AQ scores at low stimulus noise levels, which is consistent with our modeling. In conclusion, our study is the first to investigate the link between SR and superior performance by those with ASD-related traits, and reports limited evidence to support the high neural noise/SR hypothesis. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T18:06:57Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8d1cb2e3de524bc586b16f60be9dde80 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1662-453X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T18:06:57Z |
| publishDate | 2023-04-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Neuroscience |
| spelling | doaj.art-8d1cb2e3de524bc586b16f60be9dde802023-04-14T05:37:40ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Neuroscience1662-453X2023-04-011710.3389/fnins.2023.11107141110714Does stochastic resonance improve performance for individuals with higher autism-spectrum quotient?Pratik Raul0Kate McNally1Lawrence M. Ward2Lawrence M. Ward3Jeroen J. A. van Boxtel4Jeroen J. A. van Boxtel5Discipline of Psychology, Faculty of Health, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT, AustraliaDiscipline of Psychology, Faculty of Health, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT, AustraliaDepartment of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, CanadaDjavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, CanadaDiscipline of Psychology, Faculty of Health, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT, AustraliaTurner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, AustraliaWhile noise is generally believed to impair performance, the detection of weak stimuli can sometimes be enhanced by introducing optimum noise levels. This phenomenon is termed ‘Stochastic Resonance’ (SR). Past evidence suggests that autistic individuals exhibit higher neural noise than neurotypical individuals. It has been proposed that the enhanced performance in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) on some tasks could be due to SR. Here we present a computational model, lab-based, and online visual identification experiments to find corroborating evidence for this hypothesis in individuals without a formal ASD diagnosis. Our modeling predicts that artificially increasing noise results in SR for individuals with low internal noise (e.g., neurotypical), however not for those with higher internal noise (e.g., autistic, or neurotypical individuals with higher autistic traits). It also predicts that at low stimulus noise, individuals with higher internal noise outperform those with lower internal noise. We tested these predictions using visual identification tasks among participants from the general population with autistic traits measured by the Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ). While all participants showed SR in the lab-based experiment, this did not support our model strongly. In the online experiment, significant SR was not found, however participants with higher AQ scores outperformed those with lower AQ scores at low stimulus noise levels, which is consistent with our modeling. In conclusion, our study is the first to investigate the link between SR and superior performance by those with ASD-related traits, and reports limited evidence to support the high neural noise/SR hypothesis.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2023.1110714/fullstochastic resonanceautism-spectrum disordersvisual noiseneural noisevisual identificationenhanced performance |
| spellingShingle | Pratik Raul Kate McNally Lawrence M. Ward Lawrence M. Ward Jeroen J. A. van Boxtel Jeroen J. A. van Boxtel Does stochastic resonance improve performance for individuals with higher autism-spectrum quotient? Frontiers in Neuroscience stochastic resonance autism-spectrum disorders visual noise neural noise visual identification enhanced performance |
| title | Does stochastic resonance improve performance for individuals with higher autism-spectrum quotient? |
| title_full | Does stochastic resonance improve performance for individuals with higher autism-spectrum quotient? |
| title_fullStr | Does stochastic resonance improve performance for individuals with higher autism-spectrum quotient? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Does stochastic resonance improve performance for individuals with higher autism-spectrum quotient? |
| title_short | Does stochastic resonance improve performance for individuals with higher autism-spectrum quotient? |
| title_sort | does stochastic resonance improve performance for individuals with higher autism spectrum quotient |
| topic | stochastic resonance autism-spectrum disorders visual noise neural noise visual identification enhanced performance |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2023.1110714/full |
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