Audiovisual integration and the P2 component in adult Asperger’s syndrome: An ERP-study

• Published in: Research in autism spectrum disorders 2021-06, Vol.84, p.101787, Article 101787
• Main Authors: Borgolte, Anna, Roy, Mandy, Sinke, Christopher, Bleich, Stefan, Münte, Thomas F., Szycik, Gregor R.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Asperger’s syndrome; Audiovisual integration; Autism; Double flash illusion; EEG
• ISSN: 1750-9467; 1878-0237
• DOI: 10.1016/j.rasd.2021.101787

•No difference in the perception of sound-induced flash illusion between adults with Asperger’s syndrome and controls.•P2 enhancement for adult participants with Asperger’s syndrome compared to healthy controls.•Possible involvement of attentional processes in audiovisual integration processes in Asperger’s syndrome. A widened temporal window of integration (TWI) in audiovisual processing has been detected for children with autism spectrum disorder. However, research indicates a narrowing of this TWI and an associated change in audiovisual integration in the course of development. To further elucidate audiovisual integration processes in adulthood, we compared adult participants with Asperger’s Syndrome (AS) to healthy controls (HC) by using the sound-induced double flash illusion. For a better understanding of underlying neural mechanisms, event-related potentials were measured via electroencephalography (EEG). The number of reported sound-induced flash illusions indicated audiovisual integration. A similar TWI size for both, participants with AS and HC, was found. Additionally, enhanced P2 amplitudes were detected for participants with AS compared to HC. Results indicate an involvement of attentional processes in audiovisual perception in participants with AS.