In conclusion, these data illustrate that analysis of single-trial EEG activity is less variable when the data are spatially filtered, either using ICA or CSD, prior to analysis. Therefore, when comparing data between different groups of participants, more accurate results are likely to be obtained if indices obtained from ICs of CSD interpolated EEG rather than raw channel indices are compared. Further to this, EEG variability across single-trials was significantly greater in the participants with ASD as compared to the TD control group. These data provide the first empirical demonstration of increased neural noise in those with ASD. Increased variability in neural activity may result in a number of negative consequences for individuals with ASD and may contribute to the substantial inter-individual variability that characterizes the literature on cognitive function in those with ASD.
