Gaze and social functioning associations in autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies
PubMed 35593039 · doi:10.1002/aur.2729
What was done
A systematic review and meta-analysis investigated associations between measures of gaze and social functioning in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Searches were conducted across CINAHL Plus, Embase, OVID Medline, and PsycINFO through July 2021, identifying 95 eligible studies.
What was found
The abstract reports no numerical values, effect sizes, confidence intervals, or sample sizes. Qualitatively, increased gaze allocation to the face/head and eye regions was associated with improved social functioning and lower autism symptom severity. Gaze to the mouth varied depending on scene content and participant cognitive profile.
Why it matters
Synthesizes evidence linking low-level visual processing and gaze metrics directly to core social deficits and symptom severity in ASD, supporting gaze variables as candidate behavioral biomarkers.
Limits
The abstract omits all numerical data and pooled effect sizes. The underlying studies are observational and likely cross-sectional, precluding causal or developmental inferences, and show heterogeneity driven by stimulus content and participant cognitive differences.