Eye movement sequences during simple versus complex information processing of scenes in autism spectrum disorder

Minshew and Goldstein (1998) postulated that autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a disorder of complex information processing. The current study was designed to investigate this hypothesis. Participants with and without ASD completed two scene perception tasks: a simple “spot the difference” task, where they had to say which one of a pair of pictures had a detail missing, and a complex “which one's weird” task, where they had to decide which one of a pair of pictures looks “weird”. Participants with ASD did not differ from TD participants in their ability to accurately identify the target picture in both tasks. However, analysis of the eye movement sequences showed that participants with ASD viewed scenes differently from normal controls exclusively for the complex task. This difference in eye movement patterns, and the method used to examine different patterns, adds to the knowledge base regarding eye movements and ASD. Our results are in accordance with Minshew and Goldstein's theory that complex, but not simple, information processing is impaired in ASD.<br/

Would adults with autism be less likely to bury the survivors?: An eye movement study of anomalous text reading

In a single eye movement experiment, we investigated the effects of context on the time course of local and global anomaly processing during reading in adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). In one condition, short paragraph texts contained anomalous target words. Detection of the anomaly was only possible through evaluation of word meaning in relation to the global context of the whole paragraph (Passage-Level Anomalies). In another condition, the anomaly could be detected via computation of a local thematic violation within a single sentence embedded in the paragraph (Sentence-Level Anomalies). For the sentence-level anomalies, the ASD group, in contrast with the typically developing (TD) group, showed early detection of the anomaly as indexed by regressive eye movements from the critical target word upon fixation. Conversely, for the passage-level anomalies, and in contrast with the ASD group, theTD group showed early detection of the anomaly with increased regressive eye movements once the critical word had been fixated. The reversal of the pattern of regression path data for the two groups, for the sentence- and passage-level anomalies, is discussed in relation to cognitive accounts of ASD.</p

Editorial: Addressing community priorities in autism research

Autism is a form of neurodiversity, currently characterized by differences compared to the neurotypical population across multiple domains including sensory processing (Proff et al., 2021), social communication style (Crompton et al., 2021), attentional processing (Murray et al., 2005), and movement and motor processing (Miller et al., 2021). Historically, autism (and thus autistic people) has been studied through a medical lens (Chapman and Carel, 2022), owing primarily to the characterization of autism as a disorder of childhood development. These conceptualizations led to dehumanizing narratives about autistic people (Botha) and have impacted on who we consider to be knowledgeable about what it is like to be autistic (Kourti). In recent years, there has been a shift toward recognition of autism as a form of neurodivergence; a naturally occurring variation in the human population that may lead to a differential profile of strengths and challenges in comparison to the non-autistic population (Den Houting, 2019). This shift has been primarily driven by the autistic self-advocacy and neurodiversity movements (Kapp et al., 2013; Walker, 2021), which have campaigned for better understanding of autistic people

Cognitive perspective-taking during scene perception in autism spectrum disorder: Evidence from eye movements

The present study examined how eye movements during scene viewing are modulated by adopting psychological perspectives in both adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and typically developing adults. In the current study, participants viewed house scenes with either non‐perspective‐taking (look for valuable items/features of the house that need fixing) or perspective‐taking instructions (imagine that you are a burglar/repairman) while their eye movements were recorded. The eye movement measures revealed that for the “look for the valuable items” and burglar perspective task, the ASD group showed typical relevance effects (the preference to look at schema‐relevant compared with schema‐irrelevant targets) in their eye movements. However, we found subtle processing differences between the groups that were related to initial orienting to and processing of schema‐relevant items for the “look for the features that need fixing” and the repairman perspective‐taking task. There was an absence of a relevance effect for the ASD group for the repairman perspective and its non‐perspective‐taking equivalent instruction showing that the identification of items relevant to those schemas was more difficult for the ASD group. The present findings suggest that resolving ambiguity may be a defining feature of complex information processing deficits in ASD

Experience of mental health diagnosis and perceived misdiagnosis in autistic, possibly autistic and non-autistic adults.

Previous research shows that autistic people have high levels of co-occurring mental health conditions. Yet, a number of case reports have revealed that mental health conditions are often misdiagnosed in autistic individuals. A total of 420 adults who identified as autistic, possibly autistic or non-autistic completed an online survey consisting of questions regarding mental health diagnoses they received, whether they agreed with those diagnoses and if not why. Autistic and possibly autistic participants were more likely to report receiving mental health diagnoses compared to non-autistic participants, but were less likely to agree with those diagnoses. Thematic analysis revealed the participants' main reasons for disagreement were that (1) they felt their autism characteristics were being confused with mental health conditions by healthcare professionals and (2) they perceived their own mental health difficulties to be resultant of ASC. Participants attributed these to the clinical barriers they experienced, including healthcare professionals' lack of autism awareness and lack of communication, which in turn prevented them from receiving appropriate support. This study highlights the need for autism awareness training for healthcare professionals and the need to develop tools and interventions to accurately diagnose and effectively treat mental health conditions in autistic individuals

An evaluation of the mental health impact of SARS-CoV-2 on patients, general public and healthcare professionals: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: The global impact of COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect the lives of billions of people with recurrent waves. Healthcare systems are struggling to manage pre-existing patient care and recurring covid-19 demands. As a result, we evaluated the mental health impact using systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods: A comprehensive search was undertaken from April 2020 to 22nd January 2021 using multiple electronic databases. A systematic review protocol was developed and published on PROSPERO registration; CRD42020181481. A random-effects model was used to compute pooled estimates of anxiety, depression, PTSD, insomnia and suicidal thoughts. Findings: Our search yielded 11,295 studies and of those 287 met the inclusion criteria. The meta-analysis of 206 studies revealed minimal differences in prevalence of anxiety, depression, and PTSD among HCPs compared with the public during the pandemic but higher prevalence of suicidal thoughts/ideation or self-harm (11% vs 5.8%) and lower prevalence of wellbeing (28.2% vs 52.6%) among the public compared to HCPs. Interpretation: The pandemic has led to a high mental health burden especially amongst HCPs and higher suicidal ideation and lower wellbeing in general public which warrants further investigation and management globally. These findings highlight an emerging critical public health issue that requires urgent solutions.</p

An evaluation of the mental health impact of SARS-CoV-2 on patients, general public and healthcare professionals:A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: The global impact of COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect the lives of billions of people with recurrent waves. Healthcare systems are struggling to manage pre-existing patient care and recurring covid-19 demands. As a result, we evaluated the mental health impact using systematic review and meta-analysis.METHODS: A comprehensive search was undertaken from April 2020 to 22nd January 2021 using multiple electronic databases. A systematic review protocol was developed and published on PROSPERO registration; CRD42020181481. A random-effects model was used to compute pooled estimates of anxiety, depression, PTSD, insomnia and suicidal thoughts.FINDINGS: Our search yielded 11,295 studies and of those 287 met the inclusion criteria. The meta-analysis of 206 studies revealed minimal differences in prevalence of anxiety, depression, and PTSD among HCPs compared with the public during the pandemic but higher prevalence of suicidal thoughts/ideation or self-harm (11% vs 5.8%) and lower prevalence of wellbeing (28.2% vs 52.6%) among the public compared to HCPs.INTERPRETATION: The pandemic has led to a high mental health burden especially amongst HCPs and higher suicidal ideation and lower wellbeing in general public which warrants further investigation and management globally. These findings highlight an emerging critical public health issue that requires urgent solutions.</p

An Online Investigation of Imagery to Attenuate Paranoia in College Students

Onset of psychosis typically occurs in young adulthood, and is likely to be preceded by anxiety, low mood, suspiciousness and perceptual anomalies. Where these develop into mild or brief psychotic experience, and impact on functioning, young people are identified as being at risk of psychosis. Early intervention may reduce severity or delay transition to psychosis, and yield significant healthcare cost savings. This study examined the impact of an online attachment-based imagery task on paranoia, anxiety, mood and self-esteem, in college students. An experimental design was used to compare the effects of secure and anxious-ambivalent attachment imagery. A total of 301 college students, aged 18–48 years (M = 20.1, SD = 2.976), were randomly assigned to one of the two imagery conditions, and assessed pre and post imagery task on standardised measures of paranoia, anxiety, mood and self-esteem. A series of mixed model analyses of variance showed that participants in the secure attachment imagery condition reported lower levels of paranoia, anxiety and negative mood, and higher levels of positive mood and self-esteem, compared with those in the anxious-ambivalent attachment imagery condition. The study is limited by the lack of a neutral control condition and follow-up measures. Nevertheless, study demonstrated the impact of attachment-based imagery on paranoia. If these effects are replicated with ‘at risk mental state’ groups, and maintained at follow-up, online imagery may provide a safe and highly accessible means of attenuating paranoia in young people at risk of developing psychosis