A team from Boston University has developed a touchscreen-based video game, “GEODE,” to assess visual perceptual abilities in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Published in Science Advances, the study involved 212 adolescents with ASD and their siblings, who acted as controls.
The research demonstrated that ASD patients exhibited slower learning and lower accuracy in the game than their siblings. Even though they were able to detect visual stimuli, their internal processing was impaired, described as elevated “noise.” This noise interferes with how they integrate visual information, leading to decision-making deficits. The study reframes these cognitive challenges as specific computational deficits, highlighting the need for further research into the neural circuits responsible for such noise in the brain.
For deeper insights, refer to the original research here.
