title: Visual, Auditory, and Cross Modal Sensory Processing in Adults with Autism: An EEG Power and BOLD fMRI Investigation.
abstract: Electroencephalography (EEG) and blood oxygen level dependent functional magnetic resonance imagining (BOLD fMRI) assessed the neurocorrelates of sensory processing of visual and auditory stimuli in 11 adults with autism (ASD) and 10 neurotypical (NT) controls between the ages of 20-28. We hypothesized that ASD performance on combined audiovisual trials would be less accurate with observable decreased EEG power across frontal, temporal, and occipital channels and decreased BOLD fMRI activity in these same regions; reflecting deficits in key sensory processing areas. Analysis focused on EEG power, BOLD fMRI, and accuracy. Lower EEG beta power and lower left auditory cortex fMRI activity were seen in ASD compared to NT when they were presented with auditory stimuli as demonstrated by contrasting the activity from the second presentation of an auditory stimulus in an all auditory block vs. the second presentation of a visual stimulus in an all visual block (AA2-VV2).We conclude that in ASD, combined audiovisual processing is more similar than unimodal processing to NTs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock TX, USA.
authors.forename: Elizabeth' C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Hames
authors.affiliation: Department of Audiology, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock TX, USA.
authors.forename: Brandi
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock TX, USA.
authors.forename: Ravi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rajmohan
authors.affiliation: Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock TX, USA.
authors.forename: Ronald C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.affiliation: Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock TX, USA.
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baker
authors.affiliation: Department of Audiology, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Lubbock TX, USA.
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zupancic
authors.affiliation: College of Human Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock TX, USA.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: O'Boyle
authors.affiliation: Burkhart Center for Autism Education and Research, Texas Tech University, Lubbock TX, USA.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Richman
keywords: EEG; auditory; autism; cross-modal sensory processing; fMRI; visual