Poster #M200 ASSESSING THREAT RESPONSES TOWARDS THE SYMPTOMS AND DIAGNOSIS OF SCHIZOPHRENIA BY MEASURING VISUAL PERCEPTUAL BIASES

To determine whether motor difficulties documented in Asperger's Syndrome (AS) are related to compromised visual abilities, this study examined perception and movement in response to dynamic visual environments. Fourteen males with AS and 16 controls aged 7–23 completed measures of motor skills, postural response to optic flow, and visual sensitivity to static form and coherent motion in random dot kinematograms and point-light walkers. No group differences were found in sensitivity to static form or coherent motion. However, significant group differences were found in visual sensitivity to human movement and postural responsivity to optic flow, which both correlated with motor skills. This may suggest difficulties in perception and production of movement and dysfunctional perceptual-motor linkages in AS.