Duration of Moment in Autism (DOMA)

Hôpital le Vinatier

Status: Begins enrollment this month

Conditions: Autism Spectrum Disorder

Treatments: Behavioral: Attentional Blink task; Behavioral: Temporal Integration Window task

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT07384819

2025-A02488-41

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study investigates the temporal dynamics of perception and attention in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), focusing on two key phenomena: the Temporal Integration Window (TIW) and the attentional blink. Using eye-tracking, 3- and 5-year-old children with ASD (prototypical or not) will be compared to age-matched neurotypical peers.

The investigators hypothesize that children with ASD exhibit shorter TIWs and attentional blinks, reflecting faster perceptual sampling and attentional processing. These characteristics may contribute to sensory hypersensitivity and difficulties in complex, unpredictable environments such as social situations. The protocol includes two experimental tasks.

Full description

The study is a multicenter research project that aims to investigate the temporal dynamics of visual perception and attention in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), including both prototypical and non-prototypical subgroups. It compares these groups to age-matched neurotypical peers. The study focuses on two distinct cognitive phenomena:

Temporal Integration Window (TIW) : a pre-attentive perceptual mechanism that determines the time frame within which visual information is integrated into a unified percept. In typically developing adults, this window is estimated to be around 65 milliseconds. Prior research suggests that children with ASD may have a shorter TIW, indicating faster perceptual sampling.

Attentional Blink (AB) : a post-perceptual phenomenon reflecting limitations in attentional resources. When two targets are presented in rapid succession, the second target is often missed if it follows too closely after the first. The duration of the attentional blink is thought to decrease with age and maturation. Previous studies have shown that attentional blink is already present at 5 months of age and shortens during development.

The central hypothesis is that both TIW and AB durations might be shorter in children with ASD, reflecting faster perceptual and attentional processing. This accelerated dynamic could contribute to sensory hypersensitivity and difficulty coping with complex or unpredictable environments, such as those involving social stimuli.

A total of 228 children will participate, divided into six groups.

Each participant will complete two eye-tracking tasks during a single session lasting approximately one hour:

• The TIW task
• The Attentional Blink task

Developmental level is assessed using validated tools: the Mullen Scales of Early Learning, VINELAND-2 or the IDE questionnaire, depending on the child's group.

The study will also examine whether the prototypical ASD subgroup, as defined by clinical criteria shows distinct perceptual profiles, and whether age or developmental level influences temporal dynamics.

This study aims to better understand early perceptual and attentional processes in autism.

Enrollment: 228 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 36 to 71 months old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Children aged 3 or 5 years
• Either with a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or typically developing (neurotypical)
• No intellectual disability (per Mullen, Denver, or psychometric report)
• Normal or corrected vision and hearing
• Written informed consent from legal guardians
• Legal guardians affiliated to a French social security plan
• For ASD group only : classification as prototypical or non-prototypical based on clinical evaluation

Exclusion criteria

• Neurological disorder
• Parental or child refusal to participate
• For neurotypical children: developmental delay or psychiatric diagnosis

Trial design

Primary purpose: Basic Science

Allocation: Non-Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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228 participants in 6 patient groups

Neurotypical 3-year-olds

Other group

Description:

3-year-old children without a neurodevelopmental disorder

Treatment:

Behavioral: Temporal Integration Window task

Behavioral: Attentional Blink task

Neurotypical 5-year-olds

Other group

Description:

5-year-old children without a neurodevelopmental disorder

Treatment:

Behavioral: Temporal Integration Window task

Behavioral: Attentional Blink task

Prototypical ASD 3-year-olds

Experimental group

Description:

3-year-old children with a diagnosis of ASD and prototypical characteristics

Treatment:

Behavioral: Temporal Integration Window task

Behavioral: Attentional Blink task

Prototypical ASD 5-year-olds

Experimental group

Description:

5-year-old children with a diagnosis of ASD and prototypical characteristics

Treatment:

Behavioral: Temporal Integration Window task

Behavioral: Attentional Blink task

Non-prototypical ASD 3-year-olds

Experimental group

Description:

3-year-old children with a diagnosis of ASD but not prototypical characteristics

Treatment:

Behavioral: Temporal Integration Window task

Behavioral: Attentional Blink task

Non-prototypical ASD 5-year-olds

Experimental group

Description:

5-year-old children with a diagnosis of ASD but not prototypical characteristics

Treatment:

Behavioral: Temporal Integration Window task

Behavioral: Attentional Blink task