Measurement of Sympathetically Driven Autonomic Arousal during Eye Contact in Children with and without an Autism Diagnosis
Year: 2021
Type: article
Abstract: BACKGROUND Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a prevalent neurodevelopmental condition, characterized by difficulties in the social domain and repetitive and restricted behaviors. In recent years, there has been an increased interest in identifying the role of aberrant stress regulation and anxiety in ASD and emerging reports have shown a link between aberrant functioning of the autonomic nervous system (ANS), a central component of the physiological stress system, and ASD. Previous studies have demonstrated for example, aberrant sympathetically driven autonomic arousal responses upon the presentation of eye contact with a live interacting model. OBJECTIVES The current study aimed to further investigate the impact of live dyadic eye contact on autonomic arousal responses in children with ASD. METHODS Recordings of skin conductance responses (SCR) were performed while the children were presented with a live model facing them either with a direct eye gaze or with closed eyes. An assessment was made of both the absolute SCR amplitude, which is the maximum change in skin conductance relative to baseline after the onset of the (eye contact) event, as well as the half-recovery time (50%) of recorded skin conductance responses, defined as the time elapsed between the SCR peak amplitude and the decline back to 50% of the amplitude. RESULTS Within a preliminary sample of 21 children with ASD (8-12 years) and 8 control children (without a diagnosis of ASD), no group-related differences were revealed in overall amplitude of the SCR arousal response (SCR amplitude) (p> 0.05). In terms of SCR half-recovery time, it was shown that only in the control group, not in the ASD group, a condition effect of eye contact was present, indicating faster recovery upon the eyes closed, compared to the direct eye contact condition. No such modulation was evident in the ASD group (condition x group: F(1,22)= 5.13, p=.03, ŋ²=.19). CONCLUSIONS Together, these findings indicate that typical condition-related modulations of autonomic arousal upon live eye contact are absent in children with ASD, further highlighting a role of aberrant autonomic nervous system functioning in ASD. Future directions include an investigation of the impact of intranasal administration of oxytocin on these processes, considering the implicated role of oxytocin in balancing ANS function.
Source: Lirias
Language: English
Subfield: Cognitive Neuroscience
Field: Neuroscience
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W6983475836