RESEARCH
[Publication] Emerging sensitivity to talking mouth in infants with low and elevated likelihood of autism spectrum disorder: A longitudinal study
July 11, 2025
Credits: WPI-Bio2Q
This study shows that infants at higher risk for autism spectrum disorders pay less attention to talking mouths, a key cue for social development, offering a non-invasive early detection method.
| Title | Emerging sensitivity to talking mouth in infants with low and elevated likelihood of autism spectrum disorder: A longitudinal study |
|---|---|
| Authors | |
| Short Description | How Early Visual Attention May Signal Autism Risk This longitudinal study explores how infants, both with low and elevated likelihoods of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), respond to talking faces during their first year of life. Using eye-tracking technology, Bio2Q researchers uncovered an interesting pattern, that is while most infants increasingly focus on a talking mouth between 6 and 12 months of age, those with a higher likelihood of ASD show reduced sensitivity to this developmental shift. These findings suggest that attention to a talking mouth may serve as a critical cue for typical social and language development. This work enhances our understanding of early autism detection by providing a non-invasive way by which to identify behavioral differences, well before clinical symptoms arise. |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infbeh.2025.102057 |
| Journal | Infant Behavior and Development |
| Vol/Num/Page | Article 102057 |
| Publication Date | Published online: 2025 April 16. |
Affiliations:
[1] Center for Design of Future Symbiosis, Keio University Global Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan
[2] Department of Psychology, Graduate School of Human Relations, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan
[3] Human Biology-Microbiome-Quantum Research Center (WPI-Bio2Q), Keio University, Tokyo, Japan
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