Modifying emotion perception in adults with autism spectrum conditions
| ISRCTN | ISRCTN97201297 |
|---|---|
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN97201297 |
| Secondary identifying numbers | UoB1692 |
- Submission date
- 16/06/2012
- Registration date
- 30/07/2012
- Last edited
- 04/02/2019
- Recruitment status
- No longer recruiting
- Overall study status
- Completed
- Condition category
- Mental and Behavioural Disorders
Plain English summary of protocol
Background and study aims
Autism-spectrum conditions are characterised by a number of deficits in social cognition. This includes a relative difficulty identifying emotional expression in others. Our pilot work has indicated that it is possible to modify how individuals perceive emotional expression, such that when viewing computer-generated morph sequences running from one emotion to another, individuals see a change in the emotion somewhere in the middle. This balance point will be used to provide false feedback in the training phase, whereby participants will be trained to judge expressions previously judged as neutral as happy. In this way, sensitivity to a particular emotion can be increased. Pilot work in healthy volunteers shows that it is possible to sensitize(and desensitize) this population to individual emotions.
These early findings suggest that the emotion modification task could be beneficial for individuals with deficits in emotional processing. However, it remains unclear whether individuals with these deficits can engage with this type of task and show differences in processing after completing the task. We therefore propose to examine whether individuals with autism-spectrum conditions show similar changes in perception to individuals without an autism-related diagnosis.
Who can participate?
Participants will be 30 males and females aged 18 years or older with a diagnosis of an autism spectrum condition.
What does the study involve?
This is a computer-based intervention which presents faces on a neutral to happy morph sequence. Participants have to judge the emotion of the face presented. Feedback (informing participants whether they have made a correct or incorrect judgement) is used to train the participants after baseline measures of emotion perception have been taken. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups: a treatment group, in which we attempt to change the perception of emotion, and a control group, in which feedback reflects their baseline performance (i.e. makes no attempt to change their perception of emotion).
What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
A possible benefit would be an increased sensitivity to the perception of happy facial emotional expressions. There are no predicted risks of participating.
Where is the study run from?
The study is being run from The University of Bristol and the Bristol Autism Spectrum Service: Petherton Resource Centre (Bristol, UK).
When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
June to September 2012
Who is funding the study?
University of Bristol (UK)
Who is the main contact?
Prof. Marcus Munafo
marcus.munafo@bristol.ac.uk
Contact information
Scientific
School of Experimental Psychology
University of Bristol
12a Priory Road
Bristol
BS8 1TU
United Kingdom
 ORCID ID |
0000-0002-4049-993X |
|---|---|
| Phone | +44 (0)11 7954 6841 |
| marcus.munafo@bristol.ac.uk |
Study information
| Study design | Double-blind placebo-controlled study |
|---|---|
| Primary study design | Interventional |
| Secondary study design | Randomised controlled trial |
| Study setting(s) | Other |
| Study type | Treatment |
| Participant information sheet | Not available in web format, please use the contact details below to request a patient information sheet |
| Scientific title | Modifying emotion perception in adults with autism spectrum conditions: a double-blind placebo-controlled study |
| Study objectives | Autism-spectrum conditions are characterised by a number of deficits in social cognition. This includes a relative difficulty to identify emotional expression in others. Our pilot work has indicated that it is possible to modify how individuals perceive emotional expression, such that when viewing computer generated morph sequences running from one emotion to another, individuals see a change in the emotion somewhere in the middle. This balance point will be used to provide false feedback in the training phase, whereby participants will be trained to judge expressions previously judged as neutral as happy. In this way, sensitivity to a particular emotion can be increased. Pilot work in healthy volunteers shows that it is possible to sensitize (and desensitize) this population to individual emotions. These early findings suggest that the emotion modification task could be beneficial for individuals with deficits in emotional processing. However, it remains unclear whether individuals with these deficits can engage with this type of task and showdifferences in processing after completing the task. We therefore propose to examine whether individuals with autism-spectrum conditions show similar changes in perception to individuals without an autism-related diagnosis. |
| Ethics approval(s) | National Research Ethics Service Committee South West - Frenchay, 8/05/2012, REC ref: 12/SW/0113 |
| Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied | Autism Spectrum Conditions |
| Intervention | Emotion recognition training versus control. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups 1. Treatment (in which we attempt to change the perception of emotion) 2. Control (in which feedback reflects their baseline performance i.e. makes no attempt to change their perception of emotion) This is a computer-based intervention which presents faces on a neutral to happy morph sequence. Participants have to judge the emotion of the face presented. Feedback (informing participants whether they have made a correct or incorrect judgement) is used to train the participants after baseline measures of emotion perception have been taken. |
| Intervention type | Other |
| Primary outcome measure | Change in balance point on neutral to happy morph sequence |
| Secondary outcome measures | 1. Reading the mind in the eyes test (Revised): Baron-Cohen, S., Wheelwright, S., Hill, J., Raste, Y., & Plumb, I. (2001). The " Reading the Mind in the Eyes" Test Revised Version: A Study with Normal Adults, and Adults with Asperger Syndrome or High-functioning Autism. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 42(2), 241-251 2. Beck Depression Inventory ii (BDI-ii) score- Beck, A.T., Steer, R.A., & Brown, G.K. (1996), Manual for Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II). San Antonio, TX, Psychology Corporation. 3. Ritvo Autism Asperger Diagnostic Scale-Revised (RAADS-R). Ritvo et al. (2011). The Ritvo Autism Asperger Diagnostic Scale-Revised (RAADS-R): a scale to assist the diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder in adults: an international validation study. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 41(8), 1076-1089. |
| Overall study start date | 18/06/2012 |
| Completion date | 07/09/2012 |
Eligibility
| Participant type(s) | Patient |
|---|---|
| Age group | Adult |
| Lower age limit | 18 Years |
| Sex | Both |
| Target number of participants | 30 participants will be recruited (15 experimental, 15 control) |
| Key inclusion criteria | 1. Participants will be Service Users of the Bristol Autism Spectrum Service who have been diagnosed as having an Autism Spectrum Condition 2. Participants will be aged 18 years or over 3. Participants will have English as a first language or an equivalent level of fluency |
| Key exclusion criteria | 1. Learning or intellectual disability 2. Severe enduring mental illness 3. History of severe head injury or trauma 4. Current use of antipsychotic medication 5. Uncorrected visual impairment 6. Participants deemed by the investigator or clinical team (Bristol Autism Spectrum Service) to be unable to complete the task 7. Participants deemed by the investigator or clinical team to be unable to give informed consent |
| Date of first enrolment | 18/06/2012 |
| Date of final enrolment | 07/09/2012 |
Locations
Countries of recruitment
- England
- United Kingdom
Study participating centre
BS8 1TU
United Kingdom
Sponsor information
University/education
Research Governance Officer
c/o Anna Brooke
Research and Enterprise Development
Senate House
Tyndall Avenue
Bristol
BS8 1TH
England
United Kingdom
| Phone | +44 (0)11 7331 7709 |
|---|---|
| anna.brooke@bristol.ac.uk | |
"ROR" |
https://ror.org/0524sp257 |
Funders
Funder type
University/education
Government organisation / Universities (academic only)
- Alternative name(s)
- Universitas Bristolliensis, bristoluniversity, bristoluni
- Location
- United Kingdom
Results and Publications
| Intention to publish date | |
|---|---|
| Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to share | No |
| IPD sharing plan summary | Stored in repository |
| Publication and dissemination plan | Data will be archived on the data.bris repository |
| IPD sharing plan |
Study outputs
| Output type | Details | Date created | Date added | Peer reviewed? | Patient-facing? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preprint results | results | 01/02/2019 | No | No |
Editorial Notes
04/02/2019: Publication reference added.
