New Skill Test for Autism Spectrum Disorder People

A new study showed key differences in the ways individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) processed or reacted to stimuli compared to those who were more neurotypical.

Sensorimotor issues can be indicator of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) because they can be observed before social and communication indicators, and they can predict worse functional outcomes.

In an effort to characterize and quantify sensorimotor abilities and their impact on the development of people with ASD, a group of University of Kansas scientists published a study in Molecular Autism that compared the fine motor control and eye movements of more than 200 people from age 5 to 29.

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The study included a precision grip force test that prompted individuals to squeeze their thumb and forefinger together while reacting to objects on a monitor, and tests that measured eye movements in response to dots appearing on the screen.

Using motor behavior features of precision grip and eye movement, we will be able to develop a more complete picture of what sensorimotor deficits look like in ASD and how those may vary across individuals.

Previous study findings show that ASD can affect the ability to rapidly process sensory feedback and translate changes in information into a precise motor movement using feedback and feed-forward systems.

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Feedback systems are involved in perceiving and using sensory information, like visual or tactile information, to produce motor movements that can be dynamically adjusted over time.

Feed-forward systems are responsible for carrying out actions that are very rapid and happen too quickly for sensory feedback to be processed in the brain.

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A primary finding from the study is that timing seems to matter when it comes to sensorimotor deficits in ASD. People with ASD may rely more heavily on slower feedback processes than neurotypical peers.

The results also suggest that measuring precision grip variability at a low force level can help to differentiate children with ASD from typically developing children, with potential for early intervention.

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Additional observations in the study focused on differences in force between the dominant and non-dominant hand, which suggests reduced specialization between hemispheres of the brain.

Reduced hemispheric specialization can impact development of other key cognitive and behavioral abilities associated with ASD, such as language.

The research also reflects that scientists need to look across multiple systems to understand sensorimotor issues in people with ASD.

Source-Medindia