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Cognitive-perceptual traits influence use of physics laws to enhance visual motion tracking
  • Chloe Cooper,
  • Andrew Meso
Chloe Cooper
Bournemouth University
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Andrew Meso
King's College London Institute of Psychiatry Psychology and Neuroscience

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Abstract

Schizophrenia and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can disrupt cognition and consequently behaviour. Traits of ASD and the subclinical manifestation of schizophrenia, schizotypy, have been studied in healthy populations with overlap found in trait profiles linking ASD social deficits to negative schizotypy, and ASD attention to detail to positive schizotypy. Here, we probed the relationship between sub-trait profiles, cognition and behaviour, using a predictive tracking task to measure individual eye movements under three gravity conditions. 48 healthy participants tracked an on-screen bouncing ball under familiar gravity, inverted antigravity and horizontal gravity control conditions while eye movements were recorded and dynamic performance quantified. Participants completed ASD and Schizotypy inventories generating highly correlated scores, r = 0.73. All tracked best under the gravity condition, producing anticipatory downward responses from stimulus onset under gravity which were delayed upwards under antigravity. Tracking performance was not associated with overall ASD or schizotypy trait levels. Combining measures using Principal Components Analysis (PCA), we decomposed the inventories into sub-traits unveiling interesting patterns. Positive Schizotypy was associated with ASD dimensions of rigidity, odd behaviour and face processing, and which all linked to anticipatory tracking responses under atypical antigravity. In contrast, negative schizotypy was associated with ASD dimensions of social interactions and rigidity, and to early stimulus-driven tracking under gravity. There was also substantial nonspecific overlap between ASD and Schizotypy dissociated from tracking. Our work links positive-odd traits with anticipatory tracking when physics rules are violated, and negative-social traits with the application of expected physics.
11 Feb 2023Submitted to European Journal of Neuroscience
13 Feb 2023Submission Checks Completed
13 Feb 2023Assigned to Editor
13 Feb 2023Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
16 Feb 2023Reviewer(s) Assigned
24 Mar 2023Editorial Decision: Revise Major
08 Jul 20231st Revision Received
10 Jul 2023Assigned to Editor
10 Jul 2023Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
10 Jul 2023Submission Checks Completed
10 Jul 2023Reviewer(s) Assigned
24 Jul 2023Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
11 Sep 20232nd Revision Received
12 Sep 2023Submission Checks Completed
12 Sep 2023Assigned to Editor
12 Sep 2023Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
12 Sep 2023Reviewer(s) Assigned
27 Sep 2023Editorial Decision: Accept