Emotional and Change-related Attention in Autism

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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Several studies seem to indicate that emotional attention and change-related attention are impaired in ASD. The goal of this study is to identify the relationships between those two types of automatic attention in visual and auditory modalities in subjects with ASD compared to healthy controls and also, over the course of development (children, adults). In order to achieve this goal, the investigators will use complementary techniques (EEG and MRI-based techniques (fMRI, DTI)).

Detailed Description
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Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are characterized by major handicap in social interaction and in daily life adaptation. The orienting response towards potentially relevant events involves automatic attentional mechanisms that would be elicited mainly by two classes of biologically important stimulations: novel stimuli and emotional stimuli. The neural basis of emotional and change-related attention in ASD will be explored by investigating brain reactivity in both visual and auditory modalities, during tasks mixing emotional and non emotional stimuli.

Official Title
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Emotional and Change-related Attention in Autism

Conditions
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Autism Spectrum Disorders

Intervention / Treatment
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* Other: MRI-based techniques
* Other: EEG


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: No past history of central nervous system disorders Written consent Affiliated to the National Health Insurance Do not participate to another biomedical research For ASD group: Children with autism spectrum disorder (DSM-V criteria) and adults with high-functioning autism For healthy subjects: No past history of difficulties in early childhood for acquisition of walk, language or reading and no psychiatric disorders Exclusion Criteria: Abnormal corrected vision Abnormal audition Not stabilized psychoactive treatment or treatment that can modify electrogenesis Infectious or metabolic diseases Epilepsies Impossibility to participate to the whole study For subjects participating to the MRI recordings: MRI counter-indications (pace-makers ...), claustrophobia or a positive pregnancy test

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 5 Years
Maximum Age: 45 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Healthy Controls<br> | Other: MRI-based techniques<br>* fMRI, DTI<br>* Other names: Diffusion Tensor Imaging;Other: EEG<br>* ERP<br>* Other names: Event-related potential (ERP);|
| Autism Spectrum Disorders<br> | Other: MRI-based techniques<br>* fMRI, DTI<br>* Other names: Diffusion Tensor Imaging;Other: EEG<br>* ERP<br>* Other names: Event-related potential (ERP);|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Neural responses to neutral and emotional stimuli | ERP (Event-related potential), fMRI and DTI | 1 day | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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Autism Spectrum Disorders, Emotion, Attention, Event-related potential, Functional neuroimaging, Diffusion Tensor Imaging, Development