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Cited by 11Autism Spectrum Disorder ResearchTactile and Sensory InteractionsAction Observation and Synchronization

Disentangling sensory precision and prior expectation of change in autism during tactile discrimination

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Sapey-Triomphe, Laurie-Anne, Sanchez, Gaëtan, Hénaff, Marie-Anne, Sonié, Sandrine, Schmitz, Christina, Mattout, Jérémie·2023·npj Science of Learning
DOI 10.1038/s41539-023-00207-5PMC PMC10700558
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Abstract

Predictive coding theories suggest that core symptoms in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) may stem from atypical mechanisms of perceptual inference (i.e., inferring the hidden causes of sensations). Specifically, there would be an imbalance in the precision or weight ascribed to sensory inputs relative to prior expectations. Using three tactile behavioral tasks and computational modeling, we specifically targeted the implicit dynamics of sensory adaptation and perceptual learning in ASD. Participants were neurotypical and autistic adults without intellectual disability. In Experiment I, tactile detection thresholds and adaptation effects were measured to assess sensory precision. Experiments II and III relied on two-alternative forced choice tasks designed to elicit a time-order effect, where prior knowledge biases perceptual decisions. Our results suggest a subtler explanation than a simple imbalance in the prior/sensory weights, having to do with the dynamic nature of perception, that is the adjustment of precision weights to context. Compared to neurotypicals, autistic adults showed no difference in average performance and sensory sensitivity. Both groups managed to implicitly learn and adjust a prior that biased their perception. However, depending on the context, autistic participants showed no, normal or slower adaptation, a phenomenon that computational modeling of trial-to-trial responses helped us to associate with a higher expectation for sameness in ASD, and to dissociate from another observed robust difference in terms of response bias. These results point to atypical perceptual learning rather than altered perceptual inference per se, calling for further empirical and computational studies to refine the current predictive coding theories of ASD.

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  • Using a tactile learning task, Sapey-Triomphe and colleagues found no differences in prior adjustment between autistic and non-autistic adults but did observe context-dependent adaptation differences - pointing to altered learning rather than altered perception.

    “Using a tactile learning task, Sapey-Triomphe and colleagues [54] found no differences in prior adjustment between autistic and non-autistic adults but did observe context-dependent adaptation differences — pointing to altered learning rather than altered perception.”

    From Predicting emotional valence in autism: a preregistered study in the Bayesian Brain framework (2026) · cites this paper as [54]

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Research works printed but not linked: 5

  1. [3]Frith, U. Autism: Explaining the Enigma (Oxford, 1989).
  2. [64]Musser, G., SpectrumMar. 9, 2018 & Am, 9:00. Does autism arise because the brain is continually surprised? Science/AAAS https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/03/does-autism-arise-because-brain-continually-surprised (2018).
  3. [85]Sanchez G. Real-time electrophysiology in cognitive neuroscience: towards adaptive paradigms to study perceptual learning and decision-making in humans. PhD Thesis (Claude Bernard Lyon 1 Univ. Fr., 2014).
  4. [97]Cohen, J. Statistical Power Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences (Routledge, 1988).
  5. [99]Jeffreys, H. The Theory of Probability. (Oxford University Pres, 1961).

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Authors
Sapey-Triomphe, L.-A., Sanchez, G., Hénaff, M.-A., Sonié, S., Schmitz, C., & Mattout, J.
Affiliations
Lyon 1 Université (FR)
ORCID
Venue
npj Science of Learning
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2023-12-06
Volume
8
Issue
1
Pages
54-54
ISSN
2056-7936 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1038/s41539-023-00207-5
PMC
PMC10700558
OpenAlex
W4389394698
Cited by
11
References
94
Citations by year
2026: 4 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 1
FWCI
1.64
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • npj Science of Learning (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • HAL (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Funders
Scientific Research Council grant from the Vinatier Hospital Center
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Tactile and Sensory Interactions
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Action Observation and Synchronization
Keywords
autism spectrum disorder, predictive coding, sensory precision, prior expectations, tactile discrimination, sensory adaptation, perceptual learning, perceptual inference, tactile detection threshold, response bias, computational modeling of perception

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