Perceptual learning in autism: Over-specificity and possible remedies

Hila Harris; David Israeli; Nancy Minshew; Yoram Bonneh; David J. Heeger; Marlene Behrmann; Dov Sagi

doi:10.1038/nn.4129

Perceptual learning in autism: Over-specificity and possible remedies

Hila Harris, David Israeli, Nancy Minshew, Yoram Bonneh, David J. Heeger, Marlene Behrmann, Dov Sagi

Research output: Contribution to journal › Short survey › peer-review

Abstract

Inflexible behavior is a core characteristic of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but its underlying cause is unknown. Using a perceptual learning protocol, we observed initially efficient learning in ASD that was followed by anomalously poor learning when the location of the target was changed (over-specificity). Reducing stimulus repetition eliminated over-specificity. Our results indicate that inflexible behavior may be evident ubiquitously in ASD, even in sensory learning, but can be circumvented by specifically designed stimulation protocols.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	1574-1576
Number of pages	3
Journal	Nature Neuroscience
Volume	18
Issue number	11
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/nn.4129
State	Published - Nov 1 2015

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Neuroscience

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10.1038/nn.4129

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title = "Perceptual learning in autism: Over-specificity and possible remedies",

abstract = "Inflexible behavior is a core characteristic of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but its underlying cause is unknown. Using a perceptual learning protocol, we observed initially efficient learning in ASD that was followed by anomalously poor learning when the location of the target was changed (over-specificity). Reducing stimulus repetition eliminated over-specificity. Our results indicate that inflexible behavior may be evident ubiquitously in ASD, even in sensory learning, but can be circumvented by specifically designed stimulation protocols.",

author = "Hila Harris and David Israeli and Nancy Minshew and Yoram Bonneh and Heeger, {David J.} and Marlene Behrmann and Dov Sagi",

note = "Funding Information: We thank R. Egan, A. Gupta and J. Geskin for their assistance in data collection, and D. Plaut and R. Malach for fruitful comments and discussions. This work was supported by grants from the US-Israel Binational Science Foundation and the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative. H.H. thanks the Azrieli Foundation for the award of an Azrieli Fellowship. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2015 Nature America, Inc.",

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AU - Harris, Hila

AU - Israeli, David

AU - Minshew, Nancy

AU - Bonneh, Yoram

AU - Heeger, David J.

AU - Behrmann, Marlene

AU - Sagi, Dov

N1 - Funding Information: We thank R. Egan, A. Gupta and J. Geskin for their assistance in data collection, and D. Plaut and R. Malach for fruitful comments and discussions. This work was supported by grants from the US-Israel Binational Science Foundation and the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative. H.H. thanks the Azrieli Foundation for the award of an Azrieli Fellowship. Publisher Copyright: © 2015 Nature America, Inc.

PY - 2015/11/1

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N2 - Inflexible behavior is a core characteristic of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but its underlying cause is unknown. Using a perceptual learning protocol, we observed initially efficient learning in ASD that was followed by anomalously poor learning when the location of the target was changed (over-specificity). Reducing stimulus repetition eliminated over-specificity. Our results indicate that inflexible behavior may be evident ubiquitously in ASD, even in sensory learning, but can be circumvented by specifically designed stimulation protocols.

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Perceptual learning in autism: Over-specificity and possible remedies

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