# Neural mechanisms of live joint attentionin autism spectrum disorders: an fNIRS hyperscanning investigation

> **NIH NIH F30** · YALE UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $50,520

## Abstract

Project Summary: Neural mechanisms of live joint attention in autism spectrum disorders: an fNIRS
hyperscanning investigation
Autism spectrum disorder is a prevalent disorder affecting 1 in 68 children worldwide, with significant mental and
emotional toll on patients and their families. The biological basis of these disorders is still unknown, but deficits
in initiating and responding to joint attention are one of the earliest signs and predict later difficulties with
language and social cognition. Thus far, joint attention has largely been studied using neuroimaging of solo
individuals as they engage in these tasks. However, recent studies support the hypothesis that specialized neural
mechanisms are recruited during live interactions between people that cannot be detected with traditional single
subject experiments. These specialized mechanisms may play a role in disorders of social communication such
as autism. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) can be used to detect the brain activity from two
individuals as they engage in a social interaction. This proposal aims to design and implement a novel joint
attention paradigm using fNIRS in which two people are facing each other and engaging in the task, enabling an
analysis of what neural mechanisms are unique to a live social interaction compared to interactions with videos
or non-social cues, and how these mechanisms are altered in the brains of people with autism.
The first aim is to develop a novel, two-person paradigm to study joint attention during live interaction
between two people. This will necessitate the design of a two-person experiment with a live interaction condition
as well as conditions using non-responsive face videos and an arrow as a non-social cue to direct the attention.
The second aim is to examine the differences in the neural circuitry of individuals with autism as they
engage in live social interactive joint attention tasks with a neurotypical partner. Brain activity detected
using fNIRS will be determined for a live partner cue versus non-responsive and non-social cues. Areas that
show greater brain activity during the live social interaction in typical adults will be analyzed in adults with autism
to asses whether neural responses to live interaction are fundamentally altered in people with this disorder.
The third aim is to analyze the coherence in response to rapid interaction cues between the brains of
two individuals during live joint attention. Wavelet analysis will be used to determine what brain areas show
increased coherence across paired individuals during the live interaction compared to the other conditions. Areas
that show increased coherence in pairs of typical individuals will provide a hypothesis for testing coherence
between pairs when one individual has autism. Evidence for neural mechanisms specific to live joint attention
that are altered in autism will provide important advances in understanding the fundamental basis of this disorder.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9848002
- **Project number:** 5F30MH116626-03
- **Recipient organization:** YALE UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Swethasri Dravida
- **Activity code:** F30 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $50,520
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-02-16 → 2021-02-15

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9848002

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9848002, Neural mechanisms of live joint attentionin autism spectrum disorders: an fNIRS hyperscanning investigation (5F30MH116626-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9848002. Licensed CC0.

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