# Attention allocation as a computational mechanism for altered sensory processing in autism

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · 2024 · $802,117

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex disorder of brain development characterized by difficulties in
social interaction and communication and the presence of restricted and repetitive behaviors and is often
accompanied by disruptions of sensory and perceptual processing. Altered sensory and perceptual processing
leads to a range of individual experiences including heightened and dampened sensory reactions that can
profoundly affect quality of life. Despite the prominence of sensory and perceptual symptoms in ASD there is
no unifying explanation for their etiology. The central premise of this proposal is that the sensory and
perceptual processing differences that occur in ASD derive from differences in attention. Specifically, we will
test the hypothesis that spatial- and feature-based attention is more narrowly focused and that rapid
oscillations of attention occur at a slower rate in people with ASD. Our proposal employs computational models
of visual cortical responses in combination with psychophysical and brain imaging measures of neural
responses. Overall, our results will significantly advance understanding of the neural and computational basis
of sensory and perceptual changes in ASD.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10888402
- **Project number:** 5R01MH131595-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
- **Principal Investigator:** SCOTT O MURRAY
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $802,117
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2023-08-01 → 2028-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10888402

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10888402, Attention allocation as a computational mechanism for altered sensory processing in autism (5R01MH131595-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10888402. Licensed CC0.

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