Tracking the sensory environment: an ERP study of probability and context updating in ASD

J Autism Dev Disord. 2015 Feb;45(2):600-11. doi: 10.1007/s10803-014-2045-6.

Abstract

We recorded visual event-related brain potentials from 32 adult male participants (16 high-functioning participants diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and 16 control participants, ranging in age from 18 to 53 years) during a three-stimulus oddball paradigm. Target and non-target stimulus probability was varied across three probability conditions, whereas the probability of a third non-target stimulus was held constant in all conditions. P3 amplitude to target stimuli was more sensitive to probability in ASD than in typically developing participants, whereas P3 amplitude to non-target stimuli was less responsive to probability in ASD participants. This suggests that neural responses to changes in event probability are attention-dependant in high-functioning ASD. The implications of these findings for higher-level behaviors such as prediction and planning are discussed.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Attention / physiology
  • Brain / physiology
  • Case-Control Studies
  • Child Development Disorders, Pervasive / physiopathology*
  • Electroencephalography
  • Evoked Potentials, Visual / physiology*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Probability
  • Reaction Time / physiology
  • Young Adult