Altered category learning and reduced generalization in autistic adults / Jaana VAN OVERWALLE ; Stephanie VAN DER DONCK ; Birte GEUSENS ; Bart BOETS ; Johan WAGEMANS in Autism Research, 18-2 (February 2025)  

Public ISBD [article]  inAutism Research > 18-2 (February 2025) . - p.295-311 Titre : Altered category learning and reduced generalization in autistic adults : Autism Research Type de document : Texte imprimé et/ou numérique Auteurs : Jaana VAN OVERWALLE, Auteur ; Stephanie VAN DER DONCK, Auteur ; Birte GEUSENS, Auteur ; Bart BOETS, Auteur ; Johan WAGEMANS, Auteur Article en page(s) : p.295-311 Langues : Anglais (eng) Mots-clés : autism categorization electroencephalography generalization intolerance to uncertainty perceptual learning predictive processing Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Abstract Individuals with autism spectrum condition (ASC) are suggested to experience difficulties with categorization and generalization. However, empirical studies have mainly focused on one process at a time, and neglected underlying neural mechanisms. Here, we investigated categorization and generalization at a behavioral and neural level in 38 autistic and 38 neurotypical (NT) adults. By presenting shapes sampled from an artificial multidimensional stimulus space, we investigated (1) behavioral and neural underpinnings of category learning and (2) behavioral generalization of trained categorization to both an extended version of the stimulus space and a novel stimulus space. Our previous findings showed that individuals with autism were slower in category learning. In this study, we demonstrate that this slower learning in autism was not related to differences in applied categorization strategy. In contrast, electroencephalography recordings during training did reveal a reduced amplitude of the N1 component in the right occipital temporal cortex after stimulus presentation in autistic participants, which suggests atypical categorical proficiency. In addition, we observed delayed and higher activation in the frontal regions after receiving (negative) feedback in the autistic group, potentially suggesting more explicit feedback processing or a higher salience of prediction errors in autism. Finally, autistic and NT individuals were able to generalize their learned categorization after training. However, when generalizing to a novel set of shapes, autistic individuals were significantly less accurate. Reduced generalization significantly correlated with increased intolerance to uncertainty scores. This multi-level approach reveals behavioral and neural differences in learning and generalization that could be related to clinical symptoms in autism. En ligne : https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.3286 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=547 [article] Altered category learning and reduced generalization in autistic adults : Autism Research [Texte imprimé et/ou numérique] / Jaana VAN OVERWALLE, Auteur ; Stephanie VAN DER DONCK, Auteur ; Birte GEUSENS, Auteur ; Bart BOETS, Auteur ; Johan WAGEMANS, Auteur . - p.295-311. Langues : Anglais (eng) in Autism Research > 18-2 (February 2025) . - p.295-311 Mots-clés : autism categorization electroencephalography generalization intolerance to uncertainty perceptual learning predictive processing Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Abstract Individuals with autism spectrum condition (ASC) are suggested to experience difficulties with categorization and generalization. However, empirical studies have mainly focused on one process at a time, and neglected underlying neural mechanisms. Here, we investigated categorization and generalization at a behavioral and neural level in 38 autistic and 38 neurotypical (NT) adults. By presenting shapes sampled from an artificial multidimensional stimulus space, we investigated (1) behavioral and neural underpinnings of category learning and (2) behavioral generalization of trained categorization to both an extended version of the stimulus space and a novel stimulus space. Our previous findings showed that individuals with autism were slower in category learning. In this study, we demonstrate that this slower learning in autism was not related to differences in applied categorization strategy. In contrast, electroencephalography recordings during training did reveal a reduced amplitude of the N1 component in the right occipital temporal cortex after stimulus presentation in autistic participants, which suggests atypical categorical proficiency. In addition, we observed delayed and higher activation in the frontal regions after receiving (negative) feedback in the autistic group, potentially suggesting more explicit feedback processing or a higher salience of prediction errors in autism. Finally, autistic and NT individuals were able to generalize their learned categorization after training. However, when generalizing to a novel set of shapes, autistic individuals were significantly less accurate. Reduced generalization significantly correlated with increased intolerance to uncertainty scores. This multi-level approach reveals behavioral and neural differences in learning and generalization that could be related to clinical symptoms in autism. En ligne : https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.3286 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=547

Discrimination sensitivity of visual shapes sharpens in autistic adults but only after explicit category learning / Jaana VAN OVERWALLE in Molecular Autism, 15 (2024)  

Public ISBD [article]  inMolecular Autism > 15 (2024) . - 23p. Titre : Discrimination sensitivity of visual shapes sharpens in autistic adults but only after explicit category learning Type de document : Texte imprimé et/ou numérique Auteurs : Jaana VAN OVERWALLE, Auteur ; Birte GEUSENS, Auteur ; Stephanie VAN DER DONCK, Auteur ; Bart BOETS, Auteur ; Johan WAGEMANS, Auteur Article en page(s) : 23p. Langues : Anglais (eng) Mots-clés : Humans  Male  Adult  Female  Electroencephalography  Young Adult  Autistic Disorder/physiopathology/psychology  Discrimination, Psychological  Learning  Photic Stimulation  Visual Perception  Autism Spectrum Disorder/physiopathology/psychology  Autism  Category learning  Discrimination sensitivity  Frequency-tagging electroencephalography Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : BACKGROUND: Categorization and its influence on perceptual discrimination are essential processes to organize information efficiently. Individuals with Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC) are suggested to display enhanced discrimination on the one hand, but also to experience difficulties with generalization and ignoring irrelevant differences on the other, which underlie categorization. Studies on categorization and discrimination in ASC have mainly focused on one process at a time, however, and typically only used either behavioral or neural measures in isolation. Here, we aim to investigate the interrelationships between these perceptual processes using novel stimuli sampled from a well-controlled artificial stimulus space. In addition, we complement standard behavioral psychophysical tasks with frequency-tagging EEG (FT-EEG) to obtain a direct, non-task related neural index of discrimination and categorization. METHODS: The study was completed by 38 adults with ASC and 38 matched neurotypical (NT) individuals. First, we assessed baseline discrimination sensitivity by administering FT-EEG measures and a complementary behavioral task. Second, participants were trained to categorize the stimuli into two groups. Finally, participants again completed the neural and behavioral discrimination sensitivity measures. RESULTS: Before training, NT participants immediately revealed a categorical tuning of discrimination, unlike ASC participants who showed largely similar discrimination sensitivity across the stimuli. During training, both autistic and non-autistic participants were able to categorize the stimuli into two groups. However, in the initial training phase, ASC participants were less accurate and showed more variability, as compared to their non-autistic peers. After training, ASC participants showed significantly enhanced neural and behavioral discrimination sensitivity across the category boundary. Behavioral indices of a reduced categorical processing and perception were related to the presence of more severe autistic traits. Bayesian analyses confirmed overall results. LIMITATIONS: Data-collection occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. CONCLUSIONS: Our behavioral and neural findings indicate that adults with and without ASC are able to categorize highly similar stimuli. However, while categorical tuning of discrimination sensitivity was spontaneously present in the NT group, it only emerged in the autistic group after explicit categorization training. Additionally, during training, adults with autism were slower at category learning. Finally, this multi-level approach sheds light on the mechanisms underlying sensory and information processing issues in ASC. En ligne : https://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13229-024-00604-6 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=538 [article] Discrimination sensitivity of visual shapes sharpens in autistic adults but only after explicit category learning [Texte imprimé et/ou numérique] / Jaana VAN OVERWALLE, Auteur ; Birte GEUSENS, Auteur ; Stephanie VAN DER DONCK, Auteur ; Bart BOETS, Auteur ; Johan WAGEMANS, Auteur . - 23p. Langues : Anglais (eng) in Molecular Autism > 15 (2024) . - 23p. Mots-clés : Humans  Male  Adult  Female  Electroencephalography  Young Adult  Autistic Disorder/physiopathology/psychology  Discrimination, Psychological  Learning  Photic Stimulation  Visual Perception  Autism Spectrum Disorder/physiopathology/psychology  Autism  Category learning  Discrimination sensitivity  Frequency-tagging electroencephalography Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : BACKGROUND: Categorization and its influence on perceptual discrimination are essential processes to organize information efficiently. Individuals with Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC) are suggested to display enhanced discrimination on the one hand, but also to experience difficulties with generalization and ignoring irrelevant differences on the other, which underlie categorization. Studies on categorization and discrimination in ASC have mainly focused on one process at a time, however, and typically only used either behavioral or neural measures in isolation. Here, we aim to investigate the interrelationships between these perceptual processes using novel stimuli sampled from a well-controlled artificial stimulus space. In addition, we complement standard behavioral psychophysical tasks with frequency-tagging EEG (FT-EEG) to obtain a direct, non-task related neural index of discrimination and categorization. METHODS: The study was completed by 38 adults with ASC and 38 matched neurotypical (NT) individuals. First, we assessed baseline discrimination sensitivity by administering FT-EEG measures and a complementary behavioral task. Second, participants were trained to categorize the stimuli into two groups. Finally, participants again completed the neural and behavioral discrimination sensitivity measures. RESULTS: Before training, NT participants immediately revealed a categorical tuning of discrimination, unlike ASC participants who showed largely similar discrimination sensitivity across the stimuli. During training, both autistic and non-autistic participants were able to categorize the stimuli into two groups. However, in the initial training phase, ASC participants were less accurate and showed more variability, as compared to their non-autistic peers. After training, ASC participants showed significantly enhanced neural and behavioral discrimination sensitivity across the category boundary. Behavioral indices of a reduced categorical processing and perception were related to the presence of more severe autistic traits. Bayesian analyses confirmed overall results. LIMITATIONS: Data-collection occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic. CONCLUSIONS: Our behavioral and neural findings indicate that adults with and without ASC are able to categorize highly similar stimuli. However, while categorical tuning of discrimination sensitivity was spontaneously present in the NT group, it only emerged in the autistic group after explicit categorization training. Additionally, during training, adults with autism were slower at category learning. Finally, this multi-level approach sheds light on the mechanisms underlying sensory and information processing issues in ASC. En ligne : https://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13229-024-00604-6 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=538

A multilevel investigation of sensory sensitivity and responsivity in autistic adults / Laurie-Anne SAPEY-TRIOMPHE in Autism Research, 16-7 (July 2023)  

Public ISBD [article]  inAutism Research > 16-7 (July 2023) . - p.1299-1320 Titre : A multilevel investigation of sensory sensitivity and responsivity in autistic adults Type de document : Texte imprimé et/ou numérique Auteurs : Laurie-Anne SAPEY-TRIOMPHE, Auteur ; Joke DIERCKX, Auteur ; Sofie VETTORI, Auteur ; Jaana VAN OVERWALLE, Auteur ; Johan WAGEMANS, Auteur Article en page(s) : p.1299-1320 Langues : Anglais (eng) Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Abstract Atypical sensory processing is a core symptom of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). We aimed at better characterizing visual sensitivity and responsivity in ASD at the self-reported, behavioral and neural levels, and at describing the relationships between these levels. We refer to sensory sensitivity as the ability to detect sensory stimuli and to sensory responsivity as an affective response to sensory stimuli. Participants were 25 neurotypical and 24 autistic adults. At the self-reported level, autistic participants had higher scores of sensory sensitivity and responsivity than neurotypicals. The behavioral and neural tasks involved contrast-reversing gratings which became progressively (in)visible as their contrast or spatial frequency evolved. At the behavioral level, autistic participants had higher detection and responsivity thresholds when gratings varied in spatial frequency, but their thresholds did not differ from neurotypicals when gratings varied in contrast. At the neural level, we used fast periodic visual stimulations and electroencephalography to implicitly assess detection thresholds for contrast and spatial frequency, and did not reveal any group difference. Higher self-reported responsivity was associated with higher behavioral responsivity, more intolerance of uncertainty and anxiety, in particular in ASD. At the self-reported level, higher sensitivity was associated with more responsivity in both groups, contrary to the behavioral level where these relationships were not found. These heterogeneous results suggest that sensitivity and responsivity per se are not simply increased in ASD, but may be modulated by other factors such as environmental predictability. Multi-level approaches can shed light on the mechanisms underlying sensory issues in ASD. En ligne : https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.2962 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=510 [article] A multilevel investigation of sensory sensitivity and responsivity in autistic adults [Texte imprimé et/ou numérique] / Laurie-Anne SAPEY-TRIOMPHE, Auteur ; Joke DIERCKX, Auteur ; Sofie VETTORI, Auteur ; Jaana VAN OVERWALLE, Auteur ; Johan WAGEMANS, Auteur . - p.1299-1320. Langues : Anglais (eng) in Autism Research > 16-7 (July 2023) . - p.1299-1320 Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Abstract Atypical sensory processing is a core symptom of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). We aimed at better characterizing visual sensitivity and responsivity in ASD at the self-reported, behavioral and neural levels, and at describing the relationships between these levels. We refer to sensory sensitivity as the ability to detect sensory stimuli and to sensory responsivity as an affective response to sensory stimuli. Participants were 25 neurotypical and 24 autistic adults. At the self-reported level, autistic participants had higher scores of sensory sensitivity and responsivity than neurotypicals. The behavioral and neural tasks involved contrast-reversing gratings which became progressively (in)visible as their contrast or spatial frequency evolved. At the behavioral level, autistic participants had higher detection and responsivity thresholds when gratings varied in spatial frequency, but their thresholds did not differ from neurotypicals when gratings varied in contrast. At the neural level, we used fast periodic visual stimulations and electroencephalography to implicitly assess detection thresholds for contrast and spatial frequency, and did not reveal any group difference. Higher self-reported responsivity was associated with higher behavioral responsivity, more intolerance of uncertainty and anxiety, in particular in ASD. At the self-reported level, higher sensitivity was associated with more responsivity in both groups, contrary to the behavioral level where these relationships were not found. These heterogeneous results suggest that sensitivity and responsivity per se are not simply increased in ASD, but may be modulated by other factors such as environmental predictability. Multi-level approaches can shed light on the mechanisms underlying sensory issues in ASD. En ligne : https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.2962 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=510

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