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Eye Movement and Visual Search: Are There Elementary Abnormalities in Autism?

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Abstract

Although atypical eye gaze is commonly observed in autism, little is known about underlying oculomotor abnormalities. Our review of visual search and oculomotor systems in the healthy brain suggests that relevant networks may be partially impaired in autism, given regional abnormalities known from neuroimaging. However, direct oculomotor evidence for autism remains limited. This gap is critical since oculomotor abnormalities might play a causal role in functions known to be impaired in autism, such as imitation and joint attention. We integrate our oculomotor review into a developmental approach to language impairment related to nonverbal prerequisites. Oculomotor abnormalities may play a role as a sensorimotor defect at the root of impairments in later developing functional systems, ultimately resulting in sociocommunicative deficits.

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Acknowledgement

This review was supported by NIH grant R01-DC6155 (LAB, KCT, RAM) and R01-NS43999 (RAM).

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  1. Laurie A. Brenner

    Present address: Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Brain Development Imaging Laboratory, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, 6363 Alvarado Ct. #225E, MC1863, San Diego, CA, 92120, USA

    Laurie A. Brenner, Katherine C. Turner & Ralph-Axel Müller

  2. Department of Cognitive Science, University of California, San Diego, CA, 92093, USA

    Ralph-Axel Müller

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Brenner, L.A., Turner, K.C. & Müller, RA. Eye Movement and Visual Search: Are There Elementary Abnormalities in Autism?. J Autism Dev Disord 37, 1289–1309 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-006-0277-9

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