Mechanisms of facial emotion recognition in autism spectrum disorders: Insights from eye tracking and electroencephalography

Melissa H Black; Nigel T M Chen; Kartik K Iyer; Ottmar V Lipp; Sven Bölte; Marita Falkmer; Tele Tan; Sonya Girdler

doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.06.016

Mechanisms of facial emotion recognition in autism spectrum disorders: Insights from eye tracking and electroencephalography

Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2017 Sep:80:488-515. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.06.016. Epub 2017 Jul 8.

Authors

Melissa H Black¹, Nigel T M Chen², Kartik K Iyer³, Ottmar V Lipp⁴, Sven Bölte⁵, Marita Falkmer⁶, Tele Tan⁷, Sonya Girdler⁸

Affiliations

¹ School of Occupational Therapy and Social Work, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia; Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism (Autism CRC), Long Pocket, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Electronic address: Melissa.Black@curtin.edu.au.
² Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism (Autism CRC), Long Pocket, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; School of Psychology and Speech Pathology, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia; School of Psychology, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
³ School of Mechanical Engineering, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
⁴ Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism (Autism CRC), Long Pocket, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; School of Psychology and Speech Pathology, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
⁵ School of Occupational Therapy and Social Work, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia; Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism (Autism CRC), Long Pocket, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (KIND), Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden; Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Center for Psychiatry Research, Stockholm County Council, Sweden.
⁶ School of Occupational Therapy and Social Work, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia; Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism (Autism CRC), Long Pocket, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; School of Education and Communication, CHILD programme, Institute of Disability Research, Jönköping University, Jönköping, Jönköping County, Sweden.
⁷ Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism (Autism CRC), Long Pocket, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; School of Mechanical Engineering, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
⁸ School of Occupational Therapy and Social Work, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia; Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism (Autism CRC), Long Pocket, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

PMID: 28698082
DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.06.016

Abstract

While behavioural difficulties in facial emotion recognition (FER) have been observed in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), behavioural studies alone are not suited to elucidate the specific nature of FER challenges in ASD. Eye tracking (ET) and electroencephalography (EEG) provide insights in to the attentional and neurological correlates of performance, and may therefore provide insight in to the mechanisms underpinning FER in ASD. Given that these processes develop over the course of the developmental trajectory, there is a need to synthesise findings in regard to the developmental stages to determine how the maturation of these systems may impact FER in ASD. We conducted a systematic review of fifty-four studies investigating ET or EEG meeting inclusion criteria. Findings indicate divergence of visual processing pathways in individuals with ASD. Altered function of the social brain in ASD impacts the processing of facial emotion across the developmental trajectory, resulting in observable differences in ET and EEG outcomes.

Keywords: Affect; Asperger syndrome; Autism; EEG; Electrophysiology; Emotion recognition; Eye tracking.

Publication types

Review
Systematic Review

MeSH terms

Autism Spectrum Disorder / physiopathology*
Autism Spectrum Disorder / psychology
Brain / physiopathology*
Electroencephalography
Emotions / physiology*
Eye Movement Measurements
Eye Movements / physiology
Facial Recognition / physiology*
Humans