Reduced P300 amplitude in children and adolescents with autism is associated with slowed processing speed, executive difficulties, and social-communication problems.

This study looked at how well autistic children can focus on specific sounds while ignoring others. Researchers measured brain activity in 57 autistic children (ages 7-14) and found they had weaker brain responses compared to typical children. Children with weaker brain responses had more trouble with social communication, daily activities, and processing visual information. This suggests autistic children may struggle more in busy, noisy environments because their brains have difficulty filtering out unimportant sounds.

This study examined selective attention abilities in 57 autistic children aged 7-14 years compared to 57 neurotypical controls using electroencephalography (EEG) to measure P3b brain responses during auditory attention tasks. Results confirmed that autistic children showed reduced P3b amplitude, indicating difficulties with selective attention. Importantly, this reduced brain response was associated with greater parent-reported social-communication problems, daily functioning difficulties, and slower visual processing speed. The findings suggest that autistic children may be more vulnerable to sensory disturbances in complex environments, which impacts their ability to filter relevant information and affects their social and daily functioning skills.

Findings suggest autistic children may benefit from environmental modifications to reduce sensory distractions, particularly in educational settings. Interventions targeting selective attention skills and sensory processing may improve social-communication and daily functioning. Assessment of auditory processing abilities could inform individualized support strategies.

Single study design limits generalizability. Study type not specified in metadata. Sample limited to specific age range (7-14 years). Reliance on parent reports for some measures may introduce bias. Cross-sectional design prevents determination of causality between brain responses and functional outcomes.

Selective attention to auditory input is reflected in the brain by an electric amplitude called the P3b amplitude, which is measured using electroencephalography. Previous research has shown that children and adolescents with autism have an attenuated P3b amplitude when they have to attend specific sounds while ignoring other sounds. However, it is unknown whether a reduced P3b amplitude in autistic children and adolescents is associated with their autism features, daily functioning and/or cognitive functions. This study aimed to examine these questions.

Therefore, we assessed selective attention to auditory input in 57 children with autism aged 7-14 years and 57 neurotypically developing controls while measuring their brain activity with electroencephalography. Participants further underwent cognitive assessment, and parents reported on autistic traits and daily functioning. As expected, children with autism had lower P3b amplitude compared to their neurotypical peers. Importantly, an attenuated P3b amplitude was associated with more parent-reported social-communication problems and difficulties with daily functioning.

Children with autism further had reduced processing speed of visual input, which also was coupled to a lower P3b amplitude. In conclusion, we found attenuated P3b amplitude in children with autism performing an auditory selective attention task, which was related to difficulties with processing visual input and allocating attentional resources critical for social and daily functioning. The results suggest that autistic children are more vulnerable to being disturbed when the environment is filled with conflicting sensory input.