Park, SangwookZikopoulos, BasilisYazdanbakhsh, Arash2023-10-182023-10-182022-08S. Park, B. Zikopoulos, A. Yazdanbakhsh. 2022. "Visual illusion susceptibility in autism: A neural model." European Journal of Neuroscience, Volume 56, Issue 3, pp.4246-4265. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejn.157390953-816X1460-9568https://hdl.handle.net/2144/47056While atypical sensory perception is reported among individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the underlying neural mechanisms of autism that give rise to disruptions in sensory perception remain unclear. We developed a neural model with key physiological, functional and neuroanatomical parameters to investigate mechanisms underlying the range of representations of visual illusions related to orientation perception in typically developed subjects compared to individuals with ASD. Our results showed that two theorized autistic traits, excitation/inhibition imbalance and weakening of top-down modulation, could be potential candidates for reduced susceptibility to some visual illusions. Parametric correlation between cortical suppression, balance of excitation/inhibition, feedback from higher visual areas on one hand and susceptibility to a class of visual illusions related to orientation perception on the other hand provide the opportunity to investigate the contribution and complex interactions of distinct sensory processing mechanisms in ASD. The novel approach used in this study can be used to link behavioural, functional and neuropathological studies; estimate and predict perceptual and cognitive heterogeneity in ASD; and form a basis for the development of novel diagnostics and therapeutics.4246-4265Print-ElectronicenThis is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made. © 2022 The Authors. European Journal of Neuroscience published by Federation of European Neuroscience Societies and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/Atypical sensory perceptionAutism spectrum disorder (ASD)Excitation/inhibition imbalanceReduced top-down modulationVisual cortexExcitationInhibition imbalanceNeurosciencesPsychologyCognitive sciencesNeurology & neurosurgeryBiological psychologyCognitive and computational psychologyAutism spectrum disorderAutistic disorderHumansIllusionsVisual perceptionArticle2023-02-1910.1111/ejn.157390000-0002-8834-5104 (Zikopoulos, Basilis)0000-0003-2792-6770 (Yazdanbakhsh, Arash)757041