This study focused on auditory emotional perception in children with low-functioning autism and investigated the children’s response to emotionally charged nonverbal sounds which regularly induced emotional response in typically developing (TD) peers. An EEG was conducted, and emotional reactions were assessed using analog scales and images of presented sounds with additional images during the presentation of emotional stimuli. The results showed that EEG and emotional responses to the fearful sounds were similar in TD children and children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Both groups of children showed an increase in peak alpha frequency and power of alpha2-band and a decrease in low-frequency bands. Sounds of crying and laughter induced an atypical EEG response in children with ASD, with no change in alpha-band’s power and frequency observed in them; this was contrary to the observation in TD children. The decrease in the fractal dimension detected in children with ASD only for sounds of crying and laughter correlated with the accuracy of assessment of these stimuli.

中文翻译：

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ASD 儿童对非语言情绪刺激的非典型脑电图反应

本研究侧重于低功能自闭症儿童的听觉情绪感知，并调查了儿童对充满情绪的非语言声音的反应，这些声音经常引起典型发育 (TD) 同龄人的情绪反应。进行脑电图，并在情绪刺激呈现期间使用模拟量表和呈现声音的图像以及附加图像评估情绪反应。结果表明，TD儿童和自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）儿童的脑电图和对可怕声音的情绪反应相似。两组儿童均表现出α2波段的峰值α频率和功率增加，而低频波段下降。哭声和笑声引起 ASD 儿童的非典型脑电图反应，在它们中观察到的 alpha 波段的功率和频率没有变化；这与 TD 儿童的观察结果相反。在 ASD 儿童中仅检测到哭声和笑声的分形维数减少与评估这些刺激的准确性相关。