Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)NCT07583615
Social Attention in ASD and TD Children
An observational study of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Joint Attention Impairment, run by University of Electronic Science and Technology of China at 1 site in China.
Trial summary
To examine whether the spatiotemporal organization of gaze strategies differs between children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and typically developing (TD) children during a staged joint attention interaction, and to identify at which phase differences emerge. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 3 to 11 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Joint Attention Impairment
- How many people
- 66 participants
- Where
- 1 siteChina
- Study dates
- 22 Jul 2024to 27 Mar 2026
- Phase
- Observational
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 3 to 11 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Child
Study population: Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and typically developing (TD) peers. ASD participants were recruited from a institution in Chengdu, China; TD participants were recruited from a local kindergarten. The sample covers an age range of approximately 2 to 10 years and includes both males and females， all of whom completed an eye-tracking free-viewing task of social interaction videos.
Who may be able to join
- For ASD group: confirmed clinical diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder. For TD group: Typically developing children without any developmental or neurological disorders.
- Both groups: Normal or corrected-to-normal vision, no color vision deficiencies, and legal guardian provided written informed consent.
Who cannot join
- Failure to meet the study's group-specific screening cutoffs on the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) and Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ) Known genetic syndromes, significant hearing loss, or uncorrectable visual impairment
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
China1 site
School of Foreign Languages, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Chengdu, Sichuan, 611731
About this study
Official title: Dynamic Gaze Strategies in ASD Children During Social Interactions: An Eye-Tracking Investigation Under Intention-Congruent and -Incongruent Conditions
To examine whether the spatiotemporal organization of gaze strategies differs between children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and typically developing (TD) children during a staged joint attention interaction, and to identify at which phase differences emerge.
Read the detailed description
This cross-sectional observational study involved children with ASD and their typically developing (TD) peers freely viewing dynamic social interaction videos. The videos were segmented into four theory-driven phases: Introduction (scene establishment), Joint Attention (mapping another's gaze to an object preference), Intentional Comprehension (inferring the model's intention), and Emotional Feedback (evaluating outcomes that were either congruent or incongruent with the established preference). Participants' eye movements were recorded throughout using a remote eye-tracker.
- Keywords
- Autism spectrum disorder, Joint attention, Eye tracking
- Medical subject headings
- Autism Spectrum Disorder
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Group | Not described | |
| Typically Developing (TD) Group | Not described |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Percentage of Total Fixation Duration on Human Faces during Entire Video
Percentage of total fixation duration on human faces was calculated as (total fixation duration on all face areas of interest / total fixation duration on the entire video) × 100. Fixation was defined as gaze maintained within a 1° visual angle for a minimum of 100 ms. This measure was compared between the ASD and TD groups.
Measured: During the full 27-second video presentation
Total Fixation Duration on Human Faces during Entire Video
Total fixation duration (in milliseconds) on human faces, calculated as the sum of all fixation durations that fell within face areas of interest (AOIs). This measure was compared between the ASD and TD groups.
Measured: During the full 27-second video presentation
Percentage of Total Fixation Duration on Human Faces During Phase 4 (Emotional Feedback) by Condition
Percentage of fixation duration on faces was calculated for the emotional feedback phase separately for Preference-congruent and Preference-incongruent trials. The interaction between Group (ASD vs. TD) and Condition (Congruent vs. Incongruent) was examined. Higher percentages indicate greater allocation of visual attention to faces during emotional feedback.
Measured: During seconds 22-27 of the video
Total Scanpath Length During Entire Video
Measured: During the full 27-second video presentation
Number of Gaze Shifts Between Face and Object Areas of Interest
The number of saccadic gaze shifts that cross between pre-defined face and object areas of interest (AOIs) was counted. This was taken as an index of attentional switching between social and non-social information.
Measured: During the full 27-second video presentation
Mean Distance of Fixation Points from the Center of the Face Area of Interest
For each fixation, the Euclidean distance (in degrees of visual angle) from its location to the centroid of the pre-defined face AOI was calculated. The mean of these distances across all fixations was then computed. Larger values indicate that gaze tended to fall farther from the faces, reflecting less attention to facial information.
Measured: During the full 27-second video presentation
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted13 May 2026
- Study start22 Jul 2024
- Primary completion27 Mar 2026
- Study completion27 Mar 2026
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)Studies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Observational
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Cross-sectional
- Enrolment
- 66 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Shan Gao, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07583615
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- UESTC-GazeLab-02
- Status last verified
- May 2026
- First submitted
- 6 May 2026
- Last updated
- 13 May 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Undecided
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 13 May 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Dynamic Gaze Strategies in ASD Children During Social Interactions: An Eye-Tracking Investigation Under Intention-Congruent and -Incongruent Conditions
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07583615
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- UESTC-GazeLab-02
- Keywords
- Autism spectrum disorder, Joint attention, Eye tracking
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 66 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- University of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 22 Jul 2024 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 27 Mar 2026 (actual)
- Study completion
- 27 Mar 2026 (actual)
- First posted
- 13 May 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
To examine whether the spatiotemporal organization of gaze strategies differs between children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and typically developing (TD) children during a staged joint attention interaction, and to identify at which phase differences emerge.
Detailed description
This cross-sectional observational study involved children with ASD and their typically developing (TD) peers freely viewing dynamic social interaction videos. The videos were segmented into four theory-driven phases: Introduction (scene establishment), Joint Attention (mapping another's gaze to an object preference), Intentional Comprehension (inferring the model's intention), and Emotional Feedback (evaluating outcomes that were either congruent or incongruent with the established preference). Participants' eye movements were recorded throughout using a remote eye-tracker.
Study design
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Cross-sectional
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Group | – | – |
| Typically Developing (TD) Group | – | – |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 3 to 11 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Child
- Study population
- Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and typically developing (TD) peers. ASD participants were recruited from a institution in Chengdu, China; TD participants were recruited from a local kindergarten. The sample covers an age range of approximately 2 to 10 years and includes both males and females， all of whom completed an eye-tracking free-viewing task of social interaction videos.
Key inclusion criteria (2 listed)
- For ASD group: confirmed clinical diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder. For TD group: Typically developing children without any developmental or neurological disorders.
- Both groups: Normal or corrected-to-normal vision, no color vision deficiencies, and legal guardian provided written informed consent.
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Failure to meet the study's group-specific screening cutoffs on the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) and Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ) Known genetic syndromes, significant hearing loss, or uncorrectable visual impairment
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Primary outcome
Percentage of Total Fixation Duration on Human Faces during Entire Video
Time frame: During the full 27-second video presentation
Percentage of total fixation duration on human faces was calculated as (total fixation duration on all face areas of interest / total fixation duration on the entire video) × 100. Fixation was defined as gaze maintained within a 1° visual angle for a minimum of 100 ms. This measure was compared between the ASD and TD groups.
Total Fixation Duration on Human Faces during Entire Video
Time frame: During the full 27-second video presentation
Total fixation duration (in milliseconds) on human faces, calculated as the sum of all fixation durations that fell within face areas of interest (AOIs). This measure was compared between the ASD and TD groups.
Percentage of Total Fixation Duration on Human Faces During Phase 4 (Emotional Feedback) by Condition
Time frame: During seconds 22-27 of the video
Percentage of fixation duration on faces was calculated for the emotional feedback phase separately for Preference-congruent and Preference-incongruent trials. The interaction between Group (ASD vs. TD) and Condition (Congruent vs. Incongruent) was examined. Higher percentages indicate greater allocation of visual attention to faces during emotional feedback.
Total Scanpath Length During Entire Video
Time frame: During the full 27-second video presentation
Number of Gaze Shifts Between Face and Object Areas of Interest
Time frame: During the full 27-second video presentation
The number of saccadic gaze shifts that cross between pre-defined face and object areas of interest (AOIs) was counted. This was taken as an index of attentional switching between social and non-social information.
Mean Distance of Fixation Points from the Center of the Face Area of Interest
Time frame: During the full 27-second video presentation
For each fixation, the Euclidean distance (in degrees of visual angle) from its location to the centroid of the pre-defined face AOI was calculated. The mean of these distances across all fixations was then computed. Larger values indicate that gaze tended to fall farther from the faces, reflecting less attention to facial information.
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 13 May 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Undecided
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Joint Attention Impairment, run by University of Electronic Science and Technology of China at 1 site in China.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 2 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 13 May 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in China. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Percentage of Total Fixation Duration on Human Faces during Entire Video (time frame: During the full 27-second video presentation). The study lists 6 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 13 May 2026.