Strategy in Neuroscience and Mental Health

Understanding Autism Beyond Genetics and the Brain: The SCALE Project

What happens physiologically, behaviorally, and neurologically during social interactions in autistic individuals compared to neurotypical children?

A new project led by Guillaume Dumas, a researcher at CHU Sainte-Justine and a professor at the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Montreal, aims to better understand the social determinants of autism using a multilevel approach. The project, called SCALE (Social Cognition in Autism across Levels), is conducted by a research team from CHU Sainte-Justine, including Laurent Mottron, Baudouin Forgeot D'Arc, Patricia Conrod, and Sébastien Jacquemont, all professors at the Faculty of Medicine. They are joined by Anne Gallagher, Sarah Lippé, and Karim Jerbi from the Department of Psychology at the University of Montreal.

Using hyperscanning, a technique that allows simultaneous brain activity recording from multiple people, the SCALE project aims to precisely characterize the dynamics of interactions between young autistic children and their parents to develop clinical tools for diagnosis and personalized intervention. Individual interviews with patient partners will complement this data by adding a subjective dimension.

On the final day of Autism Awareness Month, discover this initiative that could transform how we perceive this neurodevelopmental condition.

Exploring the Biological Basis of Social Interaction

Research based on simultaneous electroencephalography of multiple individuals (hyperscanning-EEG) has revealed that neural activity can converge during social interactions. This phenomenon, known as "interpersonal neural synchronization" (INS), has been associated with several benefits in communication.

Considering the significant potential of INS in managing autism, the SCALE project aims to demonstrate its clinical utility by analyzing interactions between young individuals and their mothers or fathers. In total, 80 children between 6 and 16 years old will participate in the study with one parent, allowing the team to collect data on behavioral, physiological, and brain signals. Data from approximately 40 children diagnosed with autism and their parents will be compared with a control group of an equivalent number of neurotypical children.

Artificial intelligence analysis of these large datasets will help measure differences between the two groups. "The idea is to see how the relationship with others differs and how neurotypical individuals—here, the parents—interact differently with an autistic child compared to a neurotypical child," explains Guillaume Dumas, who is also a professor of computational psychiatry at the University of Montreal.

Understanding Autism Through Social Interaction

Professor Dumas emphasizes that social dimensions are essential for understanding autism. "This condition is often viewed as a deficit within the person, particularly on a social level," says the researcher. "However, my research and that of several colleagues suggest that the crux of the problem lies within the interaction itself. For example, it's often said that people with autism struggle to guess others' emotions, but the reverse is also true: neurotypical people have a hard time interpreting the emotions of autistic individuals. There's a relational challenge that involves both parties, yet neuroscience has so far largely neglected this interactional aspect of autism."

The Role of the Subjective Dimension

These quantitative data will be complemented by interview analyses to address the subjective dimension with patients, conducted by doctoral student Anne Monnier in collaboration with Dr. Forgeot D'Arc. This component aims to explore how subjective experiences are built within a dynamic of social interaction.

"The goal is to clarify young autistic individuals' perspectives on their own experiences, to put ourselves in their shoes," explains Anne Monnier. "This will help us better understand factors related to the social and familial environment. This is a highly innovative aspect of the project, as patient partnership is still uncommon in neuroscience research."

Cutting-edge technologies and approaches will enable the team to develop a predictive model of autism across multiple levels and to operationalize hyperscanning-EEG use in clinics. But beyond that, the SCALE project encourages us to rethink autism in its fundamental dimension, supported by solid data.