Cited by 25Autism Spectrum Disorder ResearchGenetics and Neurodevelopmental DisordersNeuroscience and Music Perception

Altered processing of communication signals in the subcortical auditory sensory pathway in autism

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Schelinski, Stefanie, Tabas, Alejandro, von Kriegstein, Katharina·2022·Human Brain Mapping

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterised by social communication difficulties. These difficulties have been mainly explained by cognitive, motivational, and emotional alterations in ASD. The communication difficulties could, however, also be associated with altered sensory processing of communication signals. Here, we assessed the functional integrity of auditory sensory pathway nuclei in ASD in three independent functional magnetic resonance imaging experiments. We focused on two aspects of auditory communication that are impaired in ASD: voice identity perception, and recognising speech‐in‐noise. We found reduced processing in adults with ASD as compared to typically developed control groups (pairwise matched on sex, age, and full‐scale IQ) in the central midbrain structure of the auditory pathway (inferior colliculus [IC]). The right IC responded less in the ASD as compared to the control group for voice identity, in contrast to speech recognition. The right IC also responded less in the ASD as compared to the control group when passively listening to vocal in contrast to non‐vocal sounds. Within the control group, the left and right IC responded more when recognising speech‐in‐noise as compared to when recognising speech without additional noise. In the ASD group, this was only the case in the left, but not the right IC. The results show that communication signal processing in ASD is associated with reduced subcortical sensory functioning in the midbrain. The results highlight the importance of considering sensory processing alterations in explaining communication difficulties, which are at the core of ASD.

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Research works printed but not linked: 2

  1. Picard, M., & Bradley, J. S. (2001). Revisiting speech interference in classrooms. Audiology, 40(5), 221– 244. 11688542
  2. Rühl, D., Bölte, S., Feineis‐Matthews, S., & Poustka, F. (2004). Diagnostische Beobachtungsskala für Autistische Störungen (ADOS). Bern: Verlag Hans Huber. 14992047

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Authors
Schelinski, S., Tabas, A., & von Kriegstein, K.
Affiliations
  • Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences (DE)
  • Faculty of Psychology, Chair of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience Technische Universität Dresden Dresden Germany
Corresponding author
Schelinski, Stefanie
Venue
Human Brain Mapping
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2022-01-17
Volume
43
Issue
6
Pages
1955-1972
ISSN
  • 1065-9471 (ISSN-L)
  • 1097-0193
OpenAlex
W4220683378
Cited by
24
References
125
Citations by year
2026: 6 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 3
FWCI
2.32
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Human Brain Mapping (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Qucosa (Saxon State and University Library Dresden) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • PsyArXiv (OSF Preprints) (submittedVersion)
  • PsyArXiv (OSF Preprints) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Genetics and Neurodevelopmental Disorders
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Music Perception
Keywords
autism spectrum disorder, auditory sensory processing, inferior colliculus, speech perception in noise, social communication deficits, hemispheric lateralization
MeSH terms
Autism Spectrum Disorder, Adult, Auditory Pathways, Autistic Disorder, Communication, Humans, Speech

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