Autism and the development of face processing

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Abstract

Autism is a pervasive developmental condition, characterized by impairments in non-verbal communication, social relationships and stereotypical patterns of behavior. A large body of evidence suggests that several aspects of face processing are impaired in autism, including anomalies in gaze processing, memory for facial identity and recognition of facial expressions of emotion. In search of neural markers of anomalous face processing in autism, much interest has focused on a network of brain regions that are implicated in social cognition and face processing. In this review, we will focus on three such regions, namely the STS for its role in processing gaze and facial movements, the FFA in face detection and identification and the amygdala in processing facial expressions of emotion. Much evidence suggests that a better understanding of the normal development of these specialized regions is essential for discovering the neural bases of face processing anomalies in autism. Thus, we will also examine the available literature on the normal development of face processing. Key unknowns in this research area are the neuro-developmental processes, the role of experience and the interactions among components of the face processing system in shaping each of the specialized regions for processing faces during normal development and in autism.

Introduction

Faces are rich conduits of personal information. During a brief encounter, healthy adults often automatically attend to and quickly perceive the complex set of information contained in a face, recognizing the emotional state and social context, and often remembering the individual face later. This complex task of face processing in normal adults involves a distributed neural system in which specific loci are implicated in processing-specific facial information. For example, a region along the superior temporal sulcus (STS) is involved in detecting facial movements associated with eye gaze, speech, and emotional expression and intention [1], [2], [3]. The amygdala responds to faces, especially fearful faces [4], [5], [6]. And a region in the ventral-occipital cortex, the “fusiform face area” (FFA) [7] is implicated in face detection, categorization and identity recognition [7], [8], [9], [10], [11], [12]. Some components of the face processing system may exist at birth, while others continue to develop during childhood and adolescence before reaching the adult level [13], [14]. Some basic goals of face processing research are to determine the specific function of each of the components of the face processing system, the time course and mechanism of development of each component, and the interactions among the various components subserving normal face processing (Fig. 1).

Interest in the neural mechanisms of face processing and its development is partly fueled by several developmental conditions such as autism, which are associated with anomalous face processing. Face processing impairments in autism are the focus of intense investigation, given the importance of faces in conveying social and emotional information starting soon after birth. Although there is a general agreement that autism involves deficits in face processing, several questions remain. For example, the precise nature of these deficits, the underlying mechanisms and the relationships between anomalous face processing and atypical socio-emotional function in autism remain unclear. This lack of clarity is likely due to a number of factors, although it is probable that the heterogeneity of risk factors and variety of pathogenetic mechanisms associated with autism are particularly important [15], [16], [17]. Thus, given the complexity of the face processing system, there may exist subpopulations among individuals with idiopathic autism showing deficits in different components of this essential neurocognitive system. Also contributing to uncertainty in understanding face processing deficits in autism is a relative lack of knowledge concerning the longitudinal development of neural systems underlying face processing in healthy children, adolescents and adults. Thus, research on core components of face processing and their neuromaturational time course in normal development may augment understanding of face processing deficits in autism and their relation to social and emotional maturation. Ultimately, such work may provide useful clinical tools for early diagnosis and remediation. Here, we review research relevant to several components of face processing in persons with autism and healthy controls, and their differential development during infancy and childhood, pointing to gaps in knowledge and potentially fruitful areas for future research.

Section snippets

What is Autism?

Autism is a pervasive developmental disorder whose causes or underlying biological mechanisms are not well understood. This behaviorally and developmentally defined syndrome is characterized by impairments in non-verbal communication, social relationships and stereotyped patterns of behavior (DSM-IV, American Psychiatric Association, 1994). Autism is considered a severe form of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), which includes milder forms such as Asperger’s syndrome [18]. Currently, there are no

Conclusions

Autism is a pervasive developmental condition, characterized by impairments in non-verbal communication, social relationships and stereotypical patterns of behavior. Currently, the underlying causes of autism are not known, although they are likely to be quite heterogenous and involve combinations of genetic and environmental factors. In the search for neural markers of autism, much interest has focused on a network of brain regions that are implicated in social cognition and face processing.

Acknowledgement

Thanks to Dr. A.C. Greenwood for edits and valuable suggestions.

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