Mengyuan Yang , Lan Zhang , Zijie Wei , Pingping Zhang , Lei Xu , Lihui Huang , Keith M. Kendrick , Yi Lei , Juan Kou
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background
The “Social Motivation” hypothesis posits that social deficits in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) arise from altered reward perception. However, few studies have examined neural and behavioral responses to social reward-related cues in low functioning ASD children with limited cognitive or language abilities.
Objective
This study investigated if young children with ASD show atypical gaze towards happy faces and its association with altered brain reward responses.
Methods
Eye-tracking was performed in 36 ASD and 36 typically developing (TD) children (2.5–6 years) viewing happy faces of children or emoticons. Functional near infrared spectroscopy was used to record group differences in orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) activation simultaneously.
Results
Children with ASD showed increased pupil diameter and OFC activation compared to TD children when viewing all happy faces and gazed less at the eyes of actual faces and the mouths of emoticons. These atypical responses was associated with lower adaptive behavior scores and greater symptom severity.
Conclusion
Our research reveals distinct neural hyperactivity and viewing patterns in young children with ASD when presented with reward-related facial stimuli. These results contradict the Social Motivation Hypothesis. Children with ASD exhibit heightened levels of arousal and employ less efficient facial processing strategies. This heightened demand for cognitive resources could have long-term effects on children's well-being and may hinder their ability to develop adaptive skills effectively.
期刊介绍：
The International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology is dedicated to publishing manuscripts with a strong emphasis on both basic and applied research, encompassing experimental, clinical, and theoretical contributions that advance the fields of Clinical and Health Psychology. With a focus on four core domains—clinical psychology and psychotherapy, psychopathology, health psychology, and clinical neurosciences—the IJCHP seeks to provide a comprehensive platform for scholarly discourse and innovation. The journal accepts Original Articles (empirical studies) and Review Articles. Manuscripts submitted to IJCHP should be original and not previously published or under consideration elsewhere. All signing authors must unanimously agree on the submitted version of the manuscript. By submitting their work, authors agree to transfer their copyrights to the Journal for the duration of the editorial process.
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