Spatial Contrast Sensitivity in Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Overview

Journal J Autism Dev Disord

Publisher Springer

Date 2010 Mar 10

PMID 20213250

Citations 37

Authors

Hwan Cui Koh

Elizabeth Milne

Karen Dobkins

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Adolescents with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and typically developing (TD) controls underwent a rigorous psychophysical assessment that measured contrast sensitivity to seven spatial frequencies (0.5-20 cycles/degree). A contrast sensitivity function (CSF) was then fitted for each participant, from which four measures were obtained: visual acuity, peak spatial frequency, peak contrast sensitivity, and contrast sensitivity at a low spatial frequency. There were no group differences on any of the four CSF measures, indicating no differential spatial frequency processing in ASD. Although it has been suggested that detail-oriented visual perception in individuals with ASD may be a result of differential sensitivities to low versus high spatial frequencies, the current study finds no evidence to support this hypothesis.

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