Sensory Prediction Errors Are Less Modulated by Global Context in Autism Spectrum Disorder

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Science
• Developmental Psychology

Background:

• Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may involve inflexibility in adjusting local prediction errors based on global expectations.
• Predictive coding theories propose this inflexibility as a core deficit in ASD.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if local prediction error processing is less modulated by global context in individuals with ASD.
• To test the central hypothesis of predictive coding accounts of ASD.

Main Methods:

• Used electroencephalography (EEG) on adults with ASD and neurotypical adults.
• Employed a hierarchical auditory oddball task to elicit mismatch negativity (MMN).
• Manipulated global context (stimulus frequency) to assess modulation of MMN.

Main Results:

• Both groups showed MMN modulation by global context, but it was reduced in the ASD group.
• The P3b component, reflecting conscious expectations, did not differ between groups.
• This suggests a specific deficit in automatic prediction error modulation in ASD.

Conclusions:

• People with ASD exhibit reduced flexibility in modulating local predictions based on global context.
• Findings support predictive coding models of autism spectrum disorder.
• Highlights a potential neural mechanism underlying sensory processing differences in ASD.