Adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit nearly identical brain organization for perceiving body parts as neurotypical individuals, according to groundbreaking neuroimaging research from Japan.
Published in Imaging Neuroscience (June 5, 2025), the study challenges long-held assumptions that social difficulties in ASD stem from atypical visual processing of bodies.
Led by Waseda University’s Assistant Professor Yuto Kurihara, researchers used functional MRI to compare brain activity in 23 adults with ASD and 23 typically developing (TD) adults. Participants viewed images of eight body parts, whole bodies, and control objects during scans.
Analysis revealed that both groups organized body parts identically in the lateral occipitotemporal cortex (LOTC), clustering them into three categories: action effectors (limbs), non-effectors (torso), and facial components.
Crucially, multivariate testing confirmed no significant differences in how the brain distinguished body parts between groups.
This suggests ASD-related social challenges such as interpreting emotions from gestures likely arise from higher-order cognitive processes rather than fundamental visual perception.
The findings contrast with prior studies in autistic children, indicating developmental normalization of visual processing.
“Adults with autism perceive body information like neurotypical peers,” Kurihara stated. “Interventions should target social interpretation skills, not visual training.”
The team advocates for lifelong support strategies informed by the brain’s capacity for adaptive learning.
