Event Related Potentials in the Understanding of Autism Spectrum Disorders: An Analytical Review

Abstract

In this paper we critically review the literature on the use of event related potentials (ERPs) to elucidate the neural sources of the core deficits in autism. We review auditory and visual ERP studies, and then review the use of ERPs in the investigation of executive function. We conclude that, in autism, impairments likely exist in both low and higher level auditory and visual processing, with prominent impairments in the processing of social stimuli. We also discuss the putative neural circuitry underlying these deficits. As we look to the future, we posit that tremendous insight can be gained by applying ERPs to the definition of endophenotypes, which, in turn, can facilitate early diagnosis and the creation of informed interventions for children with autism. KeywordsEvent related potential (ERP); Autism; Auditory processing; Visual processing Since autism was first described by Kanner over fifty years ago (Kanner 1943), the neurobiology of this disorder has become the focus of intense scientific investigation. While extensive efforts have been made in describing the behaviors that define autism, only in recent years has progress been made to elucidate the underlying neural circuitry involved in autism, through structural and, more recently, functional neuroimaging. Through these studies has come a heightened interest in aberrant neural circuitry in autism. Of the neuroimaging tools that have been used to elucidate brain circuitry, functional electrophysiology stands alone in capacity to define early (i.e. in infancy) neural markers and endophenotypes. This technique, therefore, warrants further scrutiny. Using functional electrophysiology, defined by evoked potentials and then by event related potentials (ERPs), researchers have begun to elucidate sources of the core deficits in autism

The Relationship Between Auditory Processing and Restricted, Repetitive Behaviors in Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders

“…Visual reception, for instance, develops differently in toddlers with ASD than in neuro-typical toddlers (Landa and Garrett-Mayer, 2006) whereas neurophysiological evidence on the perception of language suggest that the representation of, and attention to, language has an atypical developmental path in ASD (Kujala, Lepisto, and Näätänen, 2013) It has been speculated that RRBs may stem from atypicalities in the detection of novel or salient stimuli (Jeste and Nelson, 2008). Under this view, the preference for insistence to sameness and the repetitive behaviours people with ASD display are thought to relate to their hyper/hypo sensitivities to detect change.…”

Electrophysiological biomarkers of diagnosis and outcome in neurodevelopmental disorders

“…Compared with MRI, EEG is much more tolerant of motion artifacts, and recordings are possible in naturalistic settings, both of which facilitate the study of infants and young children [9]. Such feasibility has led to a rich understanding of EEG patterns of brain development, thereby providing a foundation for the study of atypical development.…”

Automatic Pre-Attentive Auditory Responses: MMN to Tone Burst Frequency Changes in Autistic School-Age Children

“…Auditory mismatch negativity, mismatch negativity, event-related potentials, autistic children, autism, auditory evoked potentials INTRODUCTION Autism was first described by Kanner, and since that time, extensive efforts have been made in describing the behaviors that define autism and to elucidate the underlying neural circuitry involved in autism through structural and functional neuroimaging [1] . It is a pervasive developmental disorder that includes deficits in socialization, communication, and adaptive functioning [2] .…”

“…Mismatch negativity (MMN) is a component of event-related potentials that reflects novelty discrimination. Although modulated by attention, it can be elicited, even if attention is not being paid to the stimulus; therefore, it reflects pre-attentive change detection [1] . MMN response has been elicited by changes in a variety of acoustic features, such as intensity, frequency, duration, and perceived location, and by changes in auditory patterns [7] .…”