Typical use of inverse dynamics in perceiving motion in autistic adults: Exploring computational principles of perception and action

Abstract

We tested the ability to estimate force information from motion information, which arises from a specific "inverse dynamics" computation. Autistic adults and a matched control group reported feeling a resistive sensation when moving a delayed cursor and also judged a moving hand to be slower when it was pulling a load. These findings both suggest that the ability to estimate force information from motion information is intact in autism.

Seeing motion of controlled object improves grip timing in adults with autism spectrum condition: evidence for use of inverse dynamics in motor control

“…Here, in order to test this hypothesis, we recruited a new sample of adults with ASC and their age-and IQ-matched controls, and asked these participants to perform both a perception test of the inverse computation and a motor action test of the inverse computation. The perception test replicated the earlier study of biases in velocity perception (Takamuku et al 2018). This tested whether our perception of object velocity depends on visually implied inertial force disturbing the object motion.…”

“…Twenty-five adults with ASC and ten neuro-typical (NT) adults participated in the study (Table 1). The power of detecting the expected effects in the NT group was above 0.8 for both tasks (power analysis based on previous data; Takamuku et al 2018;Takamuku and Gomi 2019). More participants were recruited for autism group considering their diversity.…”

“…An earlier study showed that the hand pulling the car is perceived to be slower than the hand followed by the car (Takamuku et al 2018). The effect was explained based on the theories that our motion percept is formed by Bayesian integration of expected and observed motions (Weiss et al 2002;Stocker and Simoncelli 2006;Hu and Knill 2010), the expectation reflects internal models of dynamics shaped by sensorimotor experiences of forces (Brown et al 2007;White 2012), and dynamic forces can be estimated from visual motion of controlled objects (Takamuku and Gomi 2015).…”

“…The theory predicts that the effect would depend on the motion of the car. This was tested in experiments with typical adults (supplementary data of Takamuku et al, 2018). The magnitude of the effect did vary depending on the motion (phase delay) of the car and disappeared under storoboscopic condition.…”

“…In a recent study, Takamuku et al (2018) tested the use of inverse dynamics computation in adults with autism and age-and IQ-matched controls by examining the illusory kinetic sensation experienced while moving a delayed cursor and a bias in velocity perception linked to visually implied inertia, both suggested to depend on the inverse computation of force information from visual motion signals. In both tasks, typical and autistic participants showed similar evidence for the use of inverse dynamics computations.…”