Data_Sheet_1_Face processing in young adults with autism and ADHD: An event related potentials study.pdf

BackgroundAtypicalities in perception and interpretation of faces and emotional facial expressions have been reported in both autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) during childhood and adulthood. Investigation of face processing during young adulthood (18 to 25 years), a transition period to full-fledged adulthood, could provide important information on the adult outcomes of autism and ADHD.MethodsIn this study, we investigated event-related potentials (ERPs) related to visual face processing in autism, ADHD, and co–occurring autism and ADHD in a large sample of young adults (N = 566). The groups were based on the Diagnostic Interview for ADHD in Adults 2.0 (DIVA-2) and the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-2 (ADOS-2). We analyzed ERPs from two passive viewing tasks previously used in childhood investigations: (1) upright and inverted faces with direct or averted gaze; (2) faces expressing different emotions.ResultsAcross both tasks, we consistently found lower amplitude and longer latency of N170 in participants with autism compared to those without. Longer P1 latencies and smaller P3 amplitudes in response to emotional expressions and longer P3 latencies for upright faces were also characteristic to the autistic group. Those with ADHD had longer N170 latencies, specific to the face-gaze task. Individuals with both autism and ADHD showed additional alterations in gaze modulation and a lack of the face inversion effect indexed by a delayed N170.ConclusionAlterations in N170 for autistic young adults is largely consistent with studies on autistic adults, and some studies in autistic children. These findings suggest that there are identifiable and measurable socio-functional atypicalities in young adults with autism.

在儿童期及成年期，自闭症和注意力缺陷多动障碍（ADHD）患者在面部及情感面部表情的感知与解读上均表现出异常。对青年期（18至25岁）的面部处理进行调查研究，这一时期是向成熟成年期过渡的关键阶段，能够为我们提供关于自闭症和ADHD成年期结果的宝贵信息。方法在本研究中，我们对一组大样本的青年成人（N = 566）进行了自闭症、ADHD以及并发自闭症和ADHD的视觉面部处理相关的事件相关电位（ERPs）研究。研究小组基于成人ADHD诊断访谈2.0（DIVA-2）和自闭症诊断观察计划-2（ADOS-2）进行划分。我们分析了两个在儿童期研究中已使用的被动观看任务中的ERPs：一是直视或转向一侧的直立和倒置的面部；二是表达不同情感的面部。结果在两项任务中，与未患病参与者相比，自闭症患者的N170波幅更低，潜伏期更长。对情感表达的反应中，P1波的潜伏期更长，P3波的波幅更小，对直立面部的P3波潜伏期也更长，这些特征均见于自闭症组。ADHD患者表现出面对面部注视任务特有的N170潜伏期延长。同时患有自闭症和ADHD的个体在注视调节方面存在额外变化，且表现为延迟的N170波幅，缺乏面部倒置效应。结论自闭症青年成人的N170波幅的改变与自闭症成人和儿童的研究结果基本一致。这些发现表明，在自闭症青年成人中存在可识别且可测量的社会功能异常。