The eye-tracking of social stimuli in patients with Rett syndrome and autism spectrum disorders: a pilot study^*

Rastreamento do olhar para estímulos sociais em pacientes com síndrome de Rett e transtornos do espectro do autismo: estudo piloto

Objective

To compare visual fixation at social stimuli in Rett syndrome (RT) and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) patients.

Method

Visual fixation at social stimuli was analyzed in 14 RS female patients (age range 4-30 years), 11 ASD male patients (age range 4-20 years), and 17 children with typical development (TD). Patients were exposed to three different pictures (two of human faces and one with social and non-social stimuli) presented for 8 seconds each on the screen of a computer attached to an eye-tracker equipment.

Results

Percentage of visual fixation at social stimuli was significantly higher in the RS group compared to ASD and even to TD groups.

Conclusion

Visual fixation at social stimuli seems to be one more endophenotype making RS to be very different from ASD.

Rett syndrome; autism spectrum disorders; social cognition; eye tracking