(PS4-76) The Mediating Role of Restricted and Repetitive Behaviors on Social-neurocognitive Processes in Neurodiverse Youth

Clinical neuroscience literature emphasizes the importance of assessing atypical neural processing mechanisms underlying behavior. One approach in this research area is investigating event-related potentials (ERPs) derived from electroencephalograms (EEGs), which may represent promising biomarkers for clinical conditions (Ewen et al., 2019). Some research suggests that N170 ERPs, specifically slower N170 latencies (i.e., speed of neural responses), may index differences in facial processing in autistic individuals (Kang et al., 2018). However, findings on N170 amplitudes (i.e., magnitude of neural responses) are mixed; thus, its relations to core autistic traits (i.e., social communication differences; restricted and repetitive behaviors [RRB]), have been studied less despite their potential clinical importance (e.g., Krombholz et al., 2007). The current project seeks to extend prior clinical neuroscience literature by examining the downstream effects of N170 amplitudes and latencies on specific aspects of autistic traits across autistic and non-autistic youth.

Thirty-three parents completed reports of their children’s (Mage=11.36 years, RangeIQ=80-140, 46% female; 58% autistic; 52% White) restricted and repetitive behaviors (RRBs; Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised) and social behaviors (Social Responsiveness Scale-2). Youth’s N170 ERP amplitudes and latencies were recorded from the parietal/occipital regions in response to faces, controlling for responses to non-social stimuli.

Parietal and right hemispheric N170 amplitudes correlated with autistic traits, specifically with social cognition challenges and stereotypic and ritualistic/sameness behaviors of RRBs (all rs = -.35, ps < .03), and parietal N170 amplitudes correlated with social awareness difficulties (r=-.38, p < .03). No other significant associations were found in the current sample. Mediation analyses suggest that stereotypic/repetitive behaviors mediated the relationship between parietal N170 amplitudes and social awareness (b =-1.58, CI[-2.73, -.56]). 

Results reveal the relationships of N170 amplitudes to more specific autistic behaviors, which may have been obscured by lack of consistent diagnostic group differences in the literature. Further, RRBs may have a unique impact on the relationship between reduced neural resources dedicated to processing faces and awareness in social situations. These findings suggest insights on the function of RRBs in social settings, specifically, RRBs could be limiting using neural resources dedicated to processing in social settings to social awareness. Clinically, as RRBs are frequently conceptualized as both mechanisms of coping with distress and enjoyment (Leekam et al., 2011), their associations with social behaviors and  N170 may be relatively important in the conceptualization of underlying neural mechanisms of autistic behaviors . Assessing specific clinical challenges conferred by atypical N170 processing may inform targeted, multi-modal brain-behavior interventions for social functioning in youth.