Electrophysiological evidence of different abilities to form cross-modal associations in children with autistic behavior.

This study evaluates the amplitudes of auditory evoked responses and the variability of evoked responses, using a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) method applied to individual evoked potential in a cross-modal (sound and light) association paradigm in 17 children with autistic behavior matched for sex and chronological age with normal children. Auditory evoked responses were smaller in children with autistic behavior than in normal children. The modifications of amplitudes and of SNR during cross-modal associations allowed the separation of children with autistic behavior into 3 subgroups who presented different patterns of ability to form cross-modal associations. These 3 subgroups of children presented different clinical profiles demonstrating that the differences observed in the ability to form cross-modal associations can be related to differences in the main psychophysiological functions such as attention, intention, motility, association, contact and communication.