Autistic traits and enhanced perceptual representation of pitch and time

Enhanced basic perceptual discrimination has been reported for pitch in individuals with autism spectrum conditions. We test whether there is a correlational pattern of enhancement across the broader autism phenotype and whether this correlation occurs for the discrimination of pitch, time and loudness.Scores on the Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ) correlated significantly with the pitch discrimination (r=-0.51, p<0.05) and the time-interval discrimination (r=-0.45, p<0.05) task that were based on a fixed reference. No correlation was found for intensity discrimination based on a fixed reference, nor for a variable reference based time-interval discrimination. The correlations suggest a relationship between autistic traits and the ability to form an enhanced, stable and highly accurate representation of auditory events in the pitch and time dimensions.