See, Feel, and Understand: HSE Researchers to Explore Mechanisms of Movement Perception in Autism
Scientists at the HSE Cognitive Health and Intelligence Centre have won a grant from the Russian Science Foundation (RSF) to investigate the mechanisms of visual motion perception in autism. The researchers will design an experimental paradigm to explore the relationship between visual attention and motor skills in individuals with autism spectrum disorders. This will provide insight into the neurocognitive mechanisms underlying social interaction difficulties in autism and help identify strategies for compensating for them.
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are a group of neurodevelopmental conditions resulting from atypical brain development, which can impact communication skills and social behaviour. Individuals with varying degrees of autistic traits may also experience motor difficulties, including impaired muscle tone, reduced movement accuracy and strength, coordination challenges, and underdeveloped balance. The scientists hypothesise that difficulties in social interaction experienced by individuals with ASD may be linked to impairments in visual perception and cognitive processing of movement.
A research team from the Cognitive Health and Intelligence Centre at the HSE Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience, led by Deputy Director of the Centre Anna Izmalkova, will test this hypothesis as part of a project funded by a new grant from the Russian Science Foundation. Andriy Myachykov, Leading Research Fellow at the Institute, will serve as the academic advisor of the study. Research assistants Elena Gavrilova and Ksenia Novoselova will participate in developing the experimental paradigm and collecting data.
As part of the project, the researchers will use eye-tracking technology to examine the specific patterns characteristic of individuals with varying degrees of autistic traits and how these patterns impact their ability to recognise others' movements and emotions. To obtain the most accurate and reliable results, the researchers will develop a comprehensive experimental paradigm that includes a range of stimuli across various contexts, such as daily activities, social communication, and non-verbal expression of emotions.
'An individual's perception of the world is closely linked not only to attention but also to motor skills. For example, someone who moves differently from others may have difficulty interpreting the movements of those around them. Motor coordination issues may be linked to impairments in the functioning of mirror neurons, which are responsible for imitating and understanding the actions of others,' Elena Gavrilova explains.
'We will analyse both movement and gaze direction. An eye tracker allows us to track precisely where a subject is looking—whether they focus on the other's facial features while completing a task with an emotional component or miss key social signals,' adds Ksenia Novoselova.
The authors plan to have everything necessary for the experiment prepared by the end of 2025. 'What makes this grant particularly important to us is that our research extends beyond medical diagnostics. We view autism as a broad spectrum of conditions that do not always fall within the category of clinical cases. This approach allows for consideration of not only impairments but also potential compensatory mechanisms that may be more developed in highly functioning individuals,' explains Novoselova.
The findings from this experiment could potentially be used to develop a technique for training individuals to recognise movements and emotions, helping compensate for social difficulties in autism.
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