Virtual Reality-Based EEG Analysis of Facial Emotion Recognition in Autism Spectrum Disorder
Poster No:
268
Submission Type:
Abstract Submission
Authors:
Chia-Yu Chang1, Shih-Ching Yeh2, Hsiao-Kuang Wu1, Hsiu-Yuan Hu1, Yu-Hsin Huang3, Hui-Ju Chen3, Tzu-Ling Lin4, Tzu-Han Hsia1, Chun-Chuan Chen1
Institutions:
1National Central University, Zhongli, Taoyuan, 2National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Guiren City, Tainan country, 3MacKay Memorial Hospital, Zhongshan, Taipei, 4National Cheng Kung University, East, Tainan
First Author:
Co-Author(s):
Introduction:
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by deficits in social interaction, communication, and behavior. Emotion recognition, a critical component of social functioning, is often impaired in individuals with ASD, with these difficulties linked to reduced frontal neural activity. Conventional diagnostic methods, such as static image-based tests and behavioral assessments, are limited in replicating the dynamic complexity of real-world social interactions. This study addresses these limitations by employing a Virtual Reality (VR)-based environment integrated with electroencephalography (EEG) and wearable sensors to investigate neural and behavioral differences in facial emotion recognition between children with ASD and typically developing (TD) controls
Methods:
A VR environment was designed using the Unity3D game engine and operated through the Pico Neo3 Pro Eye VR headset. The VR system included three interactive games-Puzzle Assembly, Balloon Retrieval, and Cake Sharing-to evaluate social skills such as communication, joint attention, and emotion recognition (Figure 1a). A total of 16 children diagnosed with ASD and 12 TD controls, aged 4–9 years, participated in the study. Baseline assessments, including CASD-C and WPPSI-IV, confirmed participant eligibility, while EEG signals were recorded during the tasks and analyzed in both time and frequency domains. Preprocessing of EEG data involved filtering, Independent Component Analysis (ICA) to remove artifacts, and segmentation of epochs for linear analysis (Figure 1b). Statistical comparisons between the groups utilized corrected two-sample t-tests, with significance set at p<0.05.
Results:
The results demonstrated comparable accuracy between ASD and TD groups in emotion selection tasks. However, EEG analysis revealed significant neural differences (Figure 2). In the time domain, the ASD group exhibited lower average EEG amplitudes during emotional expression processing and faster latencies compared to the TD group. Both groups showed faster response times for correct answers relative to incorrect ones. In the frequency domain, the ASD group displayed higher EEG amplitudes, particularly at the FCz and FC3 electrodes, suggesting the recruitment of additional neural resources for emotion recognition. These findings indicate that while behavioral performance is similar, ASD individuals engage distinct neural mechanisms characterized by compensatory activation of alternative brain regions.
·Figure 1 and 2
Conclusions:
This study underscores the utility of VR-based systems as innovative tools for examining the neural basis of social and emotional processing in ASD, offering advantages in simulating real-world scenarios and facilitating precise neural data collection. Despite limitations such as a relatively small sample size and lack of detailed social impairment measures, the study provides valuable insights into the neural mechanisms underlying emotion recognition in ASD. This study highlights the potential of VR systems for advancing diagnostic and therapeutic strategies, contributing to a deeper understanding of ASD-related social deficits.
Disorders of the Nervous System:
Neurodevelopmental/ Early Life (eg. ADHD, autism) 1
Emotion, Motivation and Social Neuroscience:
Emotional Perception 2
Social Interaction
Modeling and Analysis Methods:
EEG/MEG Modeling and Analysis
Other Methods
Keywords:
Autism
Electroencephaolography (EEG)
Emotions
Experimental Design
Other - virtual reality
1|2Indicates the priority used for review
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