Resolution of Impaired Multisensory Processing in Autism and the Cost of Switching Sensory Modality

Overview

Journal Commun Biol

Specialty Biology

Date 2022 Jun 30

PMID 35773473

Authors

Michael J Crosse

John J Foxe

Katy Tarrit

Edward G Freedman

Sophie Molholm

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) exhibit alterations in multisensory processing, which may contribute to the prevalence of social and communicative deficits in this population. Resolution of multisensory deficits has been observed in teenagers with ASD for complex, social speech stimuli; however, whether this resolution extends to more basic multisensory processing deficits remains unclear. Here, in a cohort of 364 participants we show using simple, non-social audiovisual stimuli that deficits in multisensory processing observed in high-functioning children and teenagers with ASD are not evident in adults with the disorder. Computational modelling indicated that multisensory processing transitions from a default state of competition to one of facilitation, and that this transition is delayed in ASD. Further analysis revealed group differences in how sensory channels are weighted, and how this is impacted by preceding cross-sensory inputs. Our findings indicate that there is a complex and dynamic interplay among the sensory systems that differs considerably in individuals with ASD.

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