Publications

Here is a selection of my publications. You can also find a more exhaustive list of my articles on my Google Scholar profile or on my CV.

Cognitive flexibility in autism: How task predictability and sex influence performances

This study investigates cognitive flexibility in autistic individuals, focusing on the influence of predictability and sex differences. Using data from 263 adults (127 autistic), participants completed a flexibility task across varying levels of predictability (unpredictable, moderately predictable, and predictable). Results reveal that while performance improves with increased predictability, the response time gap between autistic and non-autistic individuals widens. Additionally, autistic males and females exhibit distinct patterns, differing from non-autistic individuals and highlighting the importance of considering sex differences in autism-related cognition research.

Recommended citation: Lacroix, A., Torija, E., Logemann, A., Baciu, M., Cserjesi, R., Dutheil, F., Gomot, M., & Mermillod, M. (2024). “Cognitive flexibility in autism: How task predictability and sex influence performances”. Autism Research.. Download paper

Understanding cognitive flexibility in emotional evaluation in autistic males and females: The social context matters.

This study examines flexibility in autistic individuals by exploring the influence of the social nature of a situation and sex differences.
Using data from 256 adults (124 autistic), we found that social contexts made flexible response adaptation more challenging, especially for autistic individuals.
In addition, autistic women showed patterns that differed from autistic men in non-social contexts, resembling those of non-autistic individuals. However, in social contexts, their profile aligned more closely with autistic men and differed from non-autistic individuals.

Recommended citation: Lacroix, A., Bennetot-Deveria, Y., Baciu, M., Dutheil, F., Magnon, V., Gomot, M., & Mermillod, M. (2024). “Understanding cognitive flexibility in emotional evaluation in autistic males and females: The social context matters.” Molecular Autism, 15(1), 49.. Download paper

Reduced spatial frequency differentiation and sex-related specificities in fearful face detection in autism: insights from EEG and the predictive brain model

This study investigates predictive processes in face processing in autistic individuals, focusing on how spatial frequencies influence the detection of fearful faces. The results reveal that autistic individuals, regardless of sex, show behavioral and neurophysiological differences in fear detection compared to non-autistic individuals. The study also highlights significant sex differences, suggesting that autistic females may engage different neural mechanisms than males during face processing.

Recommended citation: Lacroix, A., Garrido, M., Kovarski, K., Barbosa, L., Harquel, S., et al. (2024). “Reduced spatial frequency differentiation and sex-related specificities in fearful face detection in autism.” Autism Research. 17 (9), 1778-1795. Download paper

Special considerations for assessing and caring for autism in girls and women.

This review highlights emerging areas of research regarding autism in females, including, diagnostic tools, physical and mental health, and the unique aspects of the lives of autistic females.

Recommended citation: Rynkiewicz, A., Zheng; S., and Lacroix, A.. (2024). “Special Considerations for Assessing and Caring for Autism in Girls and Women.” Current Opinion in Psychiatry. doi: 10.1097/YCO.0000000000000913. Download paper

Sex modulation of faces prediction error in the autistic brain

This study examines neurophysiological sex differences in autism, focusing on early stages of face processing. Using a Mismatch Negativity paradigm in EEG, the research reveals that autistic females show a distinct neurophysiological profile, positioned between autistic males and non-autistic females. The findings suggest that autistic females may have different neural processing patterns and calls for further exploration of sex-specific compensatory mechanisms in autism.

Recommended citation: Lacroix, A., Harquel, S., Mermillod, M., Garrido, M., Barbosa, L., Vercueil, L., Aleysson, D., Dutheil, F., Kovarski, K., & Gomot, M. (2024) Sex modulation of faces prediction error in the autistic brain. Communications Biology. 7(1):1-12. doi:10.1038/s42003-024-05807-4 Download paper

The predictive role of low spatial frequencies in automatic face processing: A visual mismatch negativity investigation

This study explores the predictive role of low versus high spatial frequencies in automatic face processing. Using a visual mismatch negativity (vMMN) paradigm, the research shows that low spatial frequencies (LSF) are crucial in early face processing, generating fewer prediction errors than high spatial frequencies (HSF). The findings suggest that while both LSF and HSF contribute to face processing, HSF plays a more significant role in detecting changes in faces at later stages, particularly in the fusiform gyrus.

Recommended citation: Lacroix, A., Harquel, S., Mermillod, M., Vercueil, L., Alleysson, D., Dutheil, F., Kovarski, K., & Gomot, M. (2022). “The predictive role of low spatial frequencies in automatic face processing.” Frontiers in Human Neuroscience Download paper

Flexibility in autism during unpredictable shifts of socio-emotional stimuli: Investigation of group and sex differences

This study explores flexibility difficulties in autism using two tasks: one involving real-life-like unpredictable shifts of socio-emotional stimuli, and another with predictable shifts of simple stimuli. The findings reveal that autistic individuals experience greater difficulty than non-autistic individuals with unpredictable shifts in complex emotional tasks, but not with predictable shifts of character stimuli. Additionally, sex differences emerged. The results highlight the importance of factors like task predictability, explicitness, and sex in understanding flexibility challenges in autism.

Recommended citation: 7. Lacroix, A., Dutheil, F., Logemann, A., Cserjesi, R., Peyrin, C., Biro, B., Gomot, M., & Mermillod, M. (2022). “Flexibility in autism during unpredictable shifts of socio-emotional stimuli.” Autism. 26(7), 1681-1697. Download paper

High spatial frequency filtered primes hasten happy faces categorization in autistic adults

This study explores the role of spatial frequencies in emotional face recognition in autism. While Low Spatial Frequencies (LSF) could help in generating predictions for fast face recognition, autistic individuals may have atypical spatial frequency processing. The study compared the effects of LSF and High Spatial Frequencies (HSF) primes during an emotional Stroop task in autistic and non-autistic adults. Surprisingly, both groups processed faces faster with HSF primes, with autistic participants showing unique processing patterns for happy versus angry faces. The findings suggest low-level processing differences in autism compared to non-autistic idnividuals without corroborating specificities related to LSF predictive processing.

Recommended citation: Lacroix, A., Nalborczyk, L., Dutheil, F., Kovarski, K., Chokron, S., Garrido, M., Gomot, M., & Mermillod, M. (2021). “High spatial frequency filtered primes hasten happy faces categorization in autistic adults.” Brain and Cognition. 155, 105811. Download paper