The (a)typical development of multisensory processing V1.
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Beyond Boundaries: The impact of (a)typical development of multisensory processing on peripersonal space in infants at a lower- or elevated-risk for autism.
IRAS ID
342992
Contact name
Laura May Dodd
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Essex
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
N/A, N/A
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 2 months, 2 days
Research summary
Research at the Essex Babylab aims to explore how typical and atypical multisensory processing impacts peripersonal space. Peripersonal space is the area around our body where we sense things, like objects coming close to us or threats. It’s not just about what we see or hear, but also how we feel and react to things nearby. Imagine you’re walking down a dark alley. Your brain constantly processes information from your senses. This helps you stay safe by reacting quickly to any potential danger. This dynamic boundary helps us react to approaching stimuli by integrating information from multiple senses, such as sight, touch, and hearing. This process, known as multisensory integration, is essential for understanding and interacting with the world.
The study involves infants watching non-social stimuli while a toy approaches and recedes their peripersonal space. Vibrotactile stimulation will be delivered at various intervals, and behavioural responses will be analysed to measure response latencies (the time it takes for the infant to react). This task will take around 8 minutes. Next, a parent-child interaction task will examine whether an infant’s tendency to approach or withdraw influences their peripersonal space boundaries, lasting approximately 10 minutes. Finally, the Bayley Scales of Infant Development – Third Edition will assess cognitive, motor, and language skills over 50 minutes. This ensures any differences in results are due to the infant’s risk factors, such as an elevated likelihood of autism, rather than developmental delays.
The session will last up to 2.5 hours, allowing time for breaks and familiarisation with the environment.
By studying how infants perceive and react to their surroundings, we might uncover valuable insights that could lead to earlier identifiers of autism. This could also promote more interventions in schools that focus on developing these domains, and fewer healthcare costs in the long run.REC name
East of England - Cambridge Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
25/EE/0029
Date of REC Opinion
27 Feb 2025
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion