Asymmetric neural dynamics of visuospatial attention in autism spectrum disorder

Abstract

BackgroundSelective attention enables the prioritization of behaviorally relevant information in complex sensory environments. Despite substantial evidence for altered attention in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying these differences remain poorly understood. MethodsHere, we integrate high-density electroencephalography (EEG), pupillometry, and behavioral measures collected during a cued covert visuospatial selective attention task to characterize mechanisms of spatial attention in children and adolescents with ASD (n = 18; 13.4 {+/-} 3.0 YO), and how they differ from age- and IQ- matched individuals with typical-development (TD) (n = 21; 14.7 {+/-} 3.8 YO). ResultsBoth groups demonstrated high target detection accuracy and comparable response times, with no significant between-group differences in behavioral performance. Furthermore, neurophysiological measures demonstrated that during leftward attention, both TD and ASD participants exhibited canonical attentional processes, including lateralized anticipatory parieto-occipital alpha modulation and enhanced P1 sensory responses to attended stimuli. Additionally, across both groups, trial-level analyses revealed that decreased anticipatory alpha power and increased P1 amplitude contralateral to the attended hemifield were associated with faster reaction times. In contrast, there were notable group differences in the neural dynamics supporting rightward spatial attention. TD participants showed early sensory gain (P1 modulation) without alpha-band modulation, whereas ASD participants exhibited modulation of posterior alpha power without effective sensory gain. Interestingly, for rightward attention, only P1 amplitude predicted reaction time, and this was the case for both groups. Resting-state alpha dynamics did not differ between groups, indicating that the attended hemifield differences reflect task-dependent differences in attentional control rather than baseline oscillatory differences. LimitationsLimitations include modest sample size and restriction to autistic individuals with relatively low support needs, which may limit the generalizability of these findings to the broader autism spectrum. ConclusionsThe similarity of leftward attention mechanisms across groups, which includes intact recruitment of anticipatory alpha modulation, argues against a global disruption of basic visuo-spatial attentional function in autistic individuals with low support needs. However, group differences emerged specifically during rightward attention, where ASD participants showed a more uniform pattern of oscillatory modulation, warranting further investigation. Collectively, these findings provide novel insight into the neural architecture of visuospatial attention in ASD, revealing how preparatory oscillatory activity shapes early sensory responses and behavior during selective attention.