Cognitive and Emotional Processing of Social Stimuli in Children and Youth With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Overview

Children and youth diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have been shown to react abnormally to social stimuli, especially to human faces. Children and youth with ASD show less interest in social stimuli, and may even avoid looking at or interact with such stimuli. It has been proposed that social stimuli elicit reactions like fear and stress in individuals with ASD, and this explains the lack of interest and avoidance. The present project investigates this hypothesis.

Study Type

  • Study Type: Interventional
  • Study Design
    • Allocation: Non-Randomized
    • Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
    • Primary Purpose: Basic Science
    • Masking: None (Open Label)
  • Study Primary Completion Date: January 2013

Interventions

  • Behavioral: Pictures
    • The participants will be exposed to pictures of faces and non-facial stimuli presented on a PC screen.
  • Behavioral: Startle eliciting noise
    • Startle will be elicited by 95 dB noise, presented at different times after picture onset.

Arms, Groups and Cohorts

  • Active Comparator: Normal controls
    • Normal children and youths
  • Experimental: ASD
    • Children and youths diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD)

Clinical Trial Outcome Measures

Primary Measures

  • The eyeblink of the Startle reflex is measured.
    • Time Frame: The startle reflex will be measured in relation to picture presentations during the experiment (e.g. day 1).
    • The startle reflex is potentiated when participants are influenced by negative emotions. Accordingly, startle will be measured in relation to picture presentation to gauge the emotional effect of the pictures. It is expected that the ASD group will show fear potentiated startle to pictures of human faces.

Participating in This Clinical Trial

For ASD group: Inclusion Criteria:

  • Diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders

Gender Eligibility: All

Minimum Age: 7 Years

Maximum Age: 18 Years

Are Healthy Volunteers Accepted: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Investigator Details

  • Lead Sponsor
    • University of Tromso
  • Collaborator
    • The Royal Norwegian Ministry of Health
  • Provider of Information About this Clinical Study
    • Sponsor

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