The main objectives of the electrophysiological studies are to (1) assess whether atypical lateral interactions can be directly observed and (2) to determine whether there is a facilitatory or inhibitory response that differs in ASD compared to a comparison group. These studies represent one of the few direct assessments of whether lateral connectivity is different in the brains of individuals with ASD compared to typically developing individuals, consequently explaining the low-level processing differences seen in this population. The studies will attempt to directly examine low-level visual processing using passive stimuli without requiring the completion of behavioral tasks. Lateral interactions between neurons will be systematically assessed within early visual areas in ASD by measuring steady-state visual evoked potentials (ssVEPs) elicited by windmill-dartboard and lateral masking paradigms.
Principal Investigator (PI): Sabrina Censi
Institution & Department: McGill University – Department of Educational and Counseling Psychology
Supervisor: Dr. Armando Bertone
Co-investigator: Dr. Dave Saint-Amour
Year(s) collaborated with SCERT on project: 2016 - 2018 (on pause, will resume testing and recruitment with SCERT in Fall 2022)
Results of Research Project:
Results of this project are not yet available. Check back soon!
