title: Face scanning and spontaneous emotion preference in Cornelia de Lange syndrome and Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Existing literature suggests differences in face scanning in individuals with different socio-behavioural characteristics. Cornelia de Lange syndrome (CdLS) and Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome (RTS) are two genetically defined neurodevelopmental disorders with unique profiles of social behaviour.
  
  
  METHODS
  Here, we examine eye gaze to the eye and mouth regions of neutrally expressive faces, as well as the spontaneous visual preference for happy and disgusted facial expressions compared to neutral faces, in individuals with CdLS versus RTS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Results indicate that the amount of time spent looking at the eye and mouth regions of faces was similar in 15 individuals with CdLS and 17 individuals with RTS. Both participant groups also showed a similar pattern of spontaneous visual preference for emotions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results provide insight into two rare, genetically defined neurodevelopmental disorders that have been reported to exhibit contrasting socio-behavioural characteristics and suggest that differences in social behaviour may not be sufficient to predict attention to the eye region of faces. These results also suggest that differences in the social behaviours of these two groups may be cognitively mediated rather than subcortically mediated.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Research in Psychology, Behaviour and Achievement, Coventry University, Coventry, CV1 5FB UK ; Cerebra Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, B15 2TT UK.
authors.forename: Hayley
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Crawford
authors.affiliation: Cerebra Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, B15 2TT UK ; Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, 17 Queen Square, London, WC1N 3AR UK.
authors.forename: Joanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Moss
authors.affiliation: Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, 3535 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104 USA.
authors.forename: Joseph P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: McCleery
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, Oxford Brookes University, Headington Campus, Oxford, OX3 0BP UK.
authors.forename: Giles M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.affiliation: Cerebra Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, B15 2TT UK.
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Oliver
keywords: Cornelia de Lange syndrome; Emotion preference; Eye gaze; Eye-tracking; Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome