Oxford University scientists are using brain scanning technology to investigate how we learn to recognize and comprehend the facial expressions of others.
Magnetoencephalography (MEG), a non-invasive technique that measures the magnetic fields generated by brain activity, is being used to examine the face processing abilities of 96 children aged 5-16.
The study, which samples participants with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), will compare the reactions of children in order to examine how the development of such vital brain responses is affected by ASD.
Dr Swettenham who is leading the study commented, “There is a lot of evidence to suggest that people with autism spectrum disorder have difficulty with processing faces.”
