Analysis of simultaneous visual and complex neural dynamics during cognitive learning to diagnose ASD

Abstract

The interactions between gaze processing and neural activities mediate cognition. The present paper aims to identify the involvement of visual and neural dynamics in shaping the cognitive behavior in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Electroencephalogram (EEG) and Eye-tracker signals of ASD and Typically Developing (TD) are recorded while performing two difficulty levels of a maze-based experimental task. During task, the performance metrics, complex neural measures extracted from EEG data using Visibility Graph (VG) algorithm and visual measures extracted from eye-tracker data are analyzed and compared. For both task levels, the cognition processing is examined via performance metrics (reaction-time and poor accuracy), gaze measures (saccade, fixation duration and blinkrate) and VG-based metrics (average weighted degree, clustering coefficient, path length, global efficiency, mutual information). An engagement in cognitive processing in ASD is revealed statistically by high reaction time, poor accuracy, increased fixation duration, raised saccadic amplitude, higher blink rate, reduced average weighted degree, global efficiency, mutual information as well as higher eigenvector centrality and path length. Over the course of repetitive trials, the cognitive improvement is although poor in ASD compared to TDs, the reconfigurations of visual and neural network dynamics revealed activation of Cognitive Learning (CL) in ASD. Furthermore, the correlation of gaze-EEG measures reveal that independent brain region functioning is not impaired but declined mutual interaction of brain regions causes cognitive deficit in ASD. And correlation of EEG-gaze measures with clinical severity measured by Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule(ADOS) suggest that visual-neural activities reveals social behavior/cognition in ASD. Thus, visual and neural dynamics together support the revelation of the cognitive behavior in ASD.

Keywords: Cognition; EEG; Gaze patterns; Graph-theory; Learning; Visibility.