A Second Look at Faces

In a previous post (Looking at Faces) I reported on one of a growing number of studies that investigate why people with autism have social difficulties. This research shows that - unlike people without autism - individuals with autism spectrum disorders tend to avoid looking at pictures of faces. Obviously, if you are avoiding looking at people, you will be at a major disadvantage when trying to learn social skills. But why would they avoid faces?

Some have looked at arousal and have theorized that other people make those with autism anxious - therefore, resulting in avoiding others. But when researchers have looked at arousal, they often get mixed results. A new yet-to-be published study seems the help explain these puzzling results.

Natalia Kleinhans and her colleagues had people with and without autism look at pictures of faces (see sample) at two different times. They monitored their brain activity through an fMRI (which assesses brain function). What they found was that the first time they showed the picture of a face both groups had increased arousal in the amygdala (a part of the brain involved with fear and anger). A new, unfamiliar face may be mildly anxiety producing for anyone because of all the new features to consider. However, when they showed the picture a second time, the control group habituated - meaning, they did not have the same hyperarousal response. However, the people with autism did not habituate, and continued to show hyperarousal. Without getting use to faces, people with autism may experience stimulus overload each time they see a person. This study may help make sense of why people with autism avoid faces.

Reference
Kleinhans, N. M., Johnson, L. C., Richards, T., Mahurin, R., Greenson, J., Dawson, G., et al. (in press). Reduced neural habituation in the amygdala and social impairments in Autism Spectrum Disorders. American Journal of Psychiatry.

Looking at Faces

The characteristic social deficits of people with autism are studied in a number of ways. A recent study used an innovative technology as well as a unique comparison. The researchers compared eye gaze at pictures among people with autism, those with Williams Syndrome (which is characterized by over socialness) and those without a diagnosis. Look at the photo on the right. There is a human face embedded in the lower right corner of each photo. The colored spots in the photo represent the amount of time each group look at the parts of the photo. Can you match photos "a" (top), "b" (middle), and "c" (bottom) with the correct group?

They found that people with Williams Syndrome looked primarily at faces (photo "b" - middle), undiagnosed persons looked primarily at faces but scanned other aspects as well (photo "c" - bottom), and those with autism primarily looked at aspects of the photo other than the face (photo a - top). This interesting study helps us look at the world through the eyes of people with autism and gives us a glimpse into their world.

Reference

Riby, D., & Hancock, P. (2009). Do faces capture the attention of individuals with Williams Syndrome or autism? Evidence from tracking eye movements. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 39(3), 421-431.

Autism Controversies

A new book by Paul A. Offit, M.D. takes a look at many of the controversies surrounding the nature and treatment of autism (Autism's False Prophets: Bad Science, Risky Medicine, and the Search for a Cure). Of particular interest is his discussion of how people make arguments for and against particular approaches, including how celebrities use their status to promote ideas that may or may not be backed by science. See an excerpt by clicking the link below.
http://cup.columbia.edu/book/978-0-231-14636-4/autisms-false-prophets/excerpt