Repetition Suppression and Memory for Faces is Reduced in Adults with Autism Spectrum Conditions.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Psychology
• Developmental Psychology

Background:

• Autism spectrum conditions (ASC) are linked to face processing atypicalities, particularly in face memory.
• The neural basis for these face memory difficulties in ASC remains largely unknown.
• Repetition suppression (RS), a reduction in neural activity upon repeated stimulus presentation, is observed in the fusiform face area (FFA) for faces in neurotypical individuals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate repetition suppression (RS) to faces in individuals with ASC.
• To examine the relationship between RS and face memory performance in ASC.
• To compare RS to faces and geometric shapes between individuals with ASC and neurotypical controls.

Main Methods:

• Measured RS to faces and geometric shapes using fMRI in individuals with ASC and matched controls.
• Assessed face memory using a standardized test.
• Correlated RS measures with face memory performance.

Main Results:

• Individuals with ASC exhibited reduced RS to faces in the bilateral FFA compared to controls.
• The ASC group also showed poorer performance on a face memory test.
• No significant differences in RS to shapes or object memory were found between groups.
• Individual differences in face memory performance correlated positively with RS in left parietal and prefrontal cortex.

Conclusions:

• Reduced face-specific RS in the FFA may underlie difficulties in face memory in ASC.
• These findings suggest that atypical face storage and maintenance within a broader neural network contribute to face memory deficits in ASC.
• The study highlights differences in visual perception and working memory networks for faces in ASC.