Delta and Theta Band Power Alterations During Face and Face Pareidolia Perception in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: An Electroencephalographic Analysis

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterized by a range of deficits across cognitive, sensory, motor, emotional, language, and social domains, which can significantly hinder daily functioning and social interactions. This study explores the differences in brain activity between children with ASD and typically developing peers, focusing on their responses to face and face pareidolia stimuli. Materials and Methods: A group comprising ten typically developing children (four males, six females), aged between 6 and 16 years, alongside eleven children diagnosed with ASD (three males, eight females), whose ages ranged from 6 to 15 years, were engaged in the pilot study. We recorded brain electrical activity using electroencephalography (EEG) while participants viewed images of face and face pareidolia images. Following face and pareidolia stimulus presentation, delta and theta powers in the 0.5–4 Hz and 4–6 Hz frequency ranges and within the 140–190 ms time window were analyzed for both typically developing children and children with ASD. Results: The research result reveals that children with ASD show lower amplitude and delayed latency in their EEG responses, particularly in the theta and delta frequency bands, when processing images that evoke face pareidolia. Conclusions: The findings suggest that while children with ASD face challenges in recognizing faces, they may still possess some perceptual abilities that could be harnessed for therapeutic interventions. Moreover, this research highlights the potential of the face pareidolia paradigm to provide insights that could inform future strategies aimed at enhancing social attention and interaction skills in children with ASD. Despite the limitations of the current sample size, this study provides a valuable foundation for future investigations. Expanding the participant pool will be crucial for confirming and generalizing these findings.