Neural encoding of sensory information in autism during naturalistic fMRI

This pre-registration describes a study that aims to investigate sensory processing differences in autism using naturalistic fMRI data. The study will apply neural encoding models to compare how sensory information (both low- and high-level visual and auditory features) is represented in the brains of children and adolescents with autism, relative to typically developing controls. The key objectives are to determine whether perceptual regions of the brain in autism encode sensory information differently, and whether these encoding model-derived differences relate to behavioral measures such as the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) and a composite sensory score (CSS). The study focuses on using data from the Child Mind Institute Healthy Brain Network (HBN), analyzing fMRI data collected during naturalistic movie-viewing, and leveraging robust methodologies to quantify and compare brain activation patterns across groups. The results will offer novel insights into the neural underpinnings of sensory processing in autism and help refine sensory theories related to the condition.