Atypical sensory selectivity and neural gain adaptation in Autism Spectrum Disorder

Recruiting

Conditions: F84.0
F84.5
Asperger syndrome
Childhood autism

Registration Number: DRKS00028803

Lead Sponsor: Goethe Universität Frankfurt / Klinik für Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrie

Brief Summary: Not available

Detailed Description: Not available

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status: Recruiting

Sex: All

Target Recruitment: 100

Inclusion Criteria

o ASD based on DSM-5 criteria and confirmed by ADOS-2 and ADI-R
o NTC confirmed by SRS-16, SCQ, CBCL, and YSR below clinical cutoffs
o cognitive ability within the normal range (70 – 130 IQ)

Exclusion Criteria

o medical conditions preventing eye-tracking (e.g. nystagmus) or EEG (e.g. epilepsy)
o severe psychiatric comorbidity such as current depressive episode (moderate or severe), schizophrenia, or bipolar disorder

Study & Design

Study Type: observational

Study Design: Not specified

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
We aim to (1) Assess the effect of LC-NE phasic activity as proxy of neural gain adaptation on atypical sensory selectivity in ASD. We hypothesize attenuated LC-NE phasic activity to be associated with decreased sensory selectivity. (2) Investigate salience and utility attribution as moderators of this putative effect. In ASD, we hypothesize effects that are supplementary to a genuine effect of attenuated LC-NE phasic activity. (3) Quantify an effect of LC-NE phasic activity on subsequent attention. In ASD, we hypothesize attenuated LC-NE phasic activity to be associated with reduced vFAN activation. The objectives will be investigated in a group-comparison study of ASD and neurotypical controls with the oddball paradigm by concurrent assessment of eye tracking and EEG. The hypotheses will be tested by experimental manipulations of LC-NE activity, stimulus salience, and task utility.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
We will assess concurrent eye tracking and EEG in the oddball paradigm, which evokes sensory selectivity to oddballs. In the proposed study, the oddball paradigm is operationalized as two tasks that allow independent manipulation of LC-NE activity (passive auditory oddball) as well as stimulus salience and task utility attribution (active visual oddball).