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Updated: May 25, 2026
Eye Tracking Young Children with Autism
Published on: March 27, 2012
Infant neural sensitivity to dynamic eye gaze is associated with later emerging autism
Mayada Elsabbagh1, Evelyne Mercure, Kristelle Hudry
1Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck College, University of London, London WC1E 7HX, UK. mayada.elsabbagh@mcgill.ca
Insights
Neural sensitivity to eye gaze in infancy predicts later autism diagnosis. Event-related potentials (ERPs) in response to eye contact at 6-10 months are associated with autism outcomes at 36 months, aiding early identification.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Genetics
Background:
- Autism spectrum disorders (autism) affect ~1% of the population, with familial risk factors identified.
- Current autism diagnosis relies on behavioral indicators emerging in the second year of life.
- Early, reliable predictors of autism are lacking, particularly those based on infant brain function.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if neural sensitivity to eye gaze in infancy predicts later autism diagnosis.
- To explore the association between infant event-related potentials (ERPs) to eye gaze and subsequent autism outcomes.
- To understand early developmental processes in the social brain related to autism.
Main Methods:
- Prospective longitudinal study of infants with and without familial risk for autism.
- Recorded infant event-related potentials (ERPs) at 6-10 months in response to dynamic eye gaze stimuli.
- Analyzed ERP component characteristics in relation to autism diagnosis at 36 months.
Main Results:
- Infant ERP responses to dynamic eye gaze shifts were significantly associated with autism diagnosis at 36 months.
- Specific characteristics of ERP components at 6-10 months predicted later autism outcomes.
- Findings suggest neural sensitivity to eye gaze is a potential early indicator.
Conclusions:
- Neural sensitivity to eye gaze during infancy is linked to later autism diagnosis.
- ERPs to eye gaze may serve as sensitive biomarkers for developmental trajectories leading to autism.
- This research sheds light on the early mechanisms of social brain development in autism.
Abstract:
Autism spectrum disorders (henceforth autism) are diagnosed in around 1% of the population [1]. Familial liability confers risk for a broad spectrum of difficulties including the broader autism phenotype (BAP) [2, 3]. There are currently no reliable predictors of autism in infancy, but characteristic behaviors emerge during the second year, enabling diagnosis after this age [4, 5]. Because indicators of brain functioning may be sensitive predictors, and atypical eye contact is characteristic of the syndrome [6-9] and the BAP [10, 11], we examined whether neural sensitivity to eye gaze during infancy is associated with later autism outcomes [12, 13]. We undertook a prospective longitudinal study of infants with and without familial risk for autism. At 6-10 months, we recorded infants' event-related potentials (ERPs) in response to viewing faces with eye gaze directed toward versus away from the infant [14]. Longitudinal analyses showed that characteristics of ERP components evoked in response to dynamic eye gaze shifts during infancy were associated with autism diagnosed at 36 months. ERP responses to eye gaze may help characterize developmental processes that lead to later emerging autism. Findings also elucidate the mechanisms driving the development of the social brain in infancy.
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