Saccadic eye movement abnormalities in autism spectrum disorder indicate dysfunctions in cerebellum and brainstem.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) show atypical scan paths during social interaction and when viewing faces, and recent evidence suggests that they also show abnormal saccadic eye movement dynamics and accuracy when viewing less complex and non-social stimuli. Eye movements are a uniquely promising target for studies of ASD as their spatial and temporal characteristics can be measured precisely and the brain circuits supporting them are well-defined. Control of saccade metrics is supported by discrete circuits within the cerebellum and brainstem - two brain regions implicated in magnetic resonance (MR) morphometry and histopathological studies of ASD. The functional integrity of these distinct brain systems can be examined by evaluating different parameters

SUBMITTER: Schmitt LM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4233053 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature