Yangfeifei Gao1,2, Annika Linke1, Ruth Joanne Jao Keehn1, Sanjana Punyamurthula1, Afrooz Jahedi1,3, Kathleen Gates4, Inna Fishman1,2, Ralph-Axel Müller1,2. 1. Brain Development Imaging Laboratories, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California. 2. San Diego State University, University of California, San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego, California. 3. Computational Science Research Center, San Diego State University, San Diego, California. 4. Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are neurodevelopmental disorders associated with atypical brain connectivity. Although language abilities vary widely, they are impaired or atypical in most children with ASDs. Underlying brain mechanisms, however, are not fully understood. The present study examined intrinsic functional connectivity (iFC) of the extended language network in a cohort of 52 children and adolescents with ASDs (ages 8-18 years), using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. We found that, in comparison to typically developing peers (n = 50), children with ASDs showed increased connectivity between some language regions. In addition, seed-to-whole brain analyses revealed increased connectivity of language regions with posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) and visual regions in the ASD group. Post hoc effective connectivity analyses revealed a mediation effect of PCC on the iFC between bilateral inferior frontal and visual regions in an ASD subgroup. This finding qualifies and expands on previous reports of recruitment of visual areas in language processing in ASDs. In addition, increased iFC between PCC and visual regions was linked to lower language scores in this ASD subgroup, suggesting that increased connectivity with visual cortices, mediated by default mode regions, may be detrimental to language abilities. Autism Res 2019, 12: 1344-1355.
Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are neurodevelopmental disorders associated with atypical brain connectivity. Although language abilities vary widely, they are impaired or atypical in most children with ASDs. Underlying brain mechanisms, however, are not fully understood. The present study examined intrinsic functional connectivity (iFC) of the extended language network in a cohort of 52 children and adolescents with ASDs (ages 8-18 years), using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. We found that, in comparison to typically developing peers (n = 50), children with ASDs showed increased connectivity between some language regions. In addition, seed-to-whole brain analyses revealed increased connectivity of language regions with posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) and visual regions in the ASD group. Post hoc effective connectivity analyses revealed a mediation effect of PCC on the iFC between bilateral inferior frontal and visual regions in an ASD subgroup. This finding qualifies and expands on previous reports of recruitment of visual areas in language processing in ASDs. In addition, increased iFC between PCC and visual regions was linked to lower language scores in this ASD subgroup, suggesting that increased connectivity with visual cortices, mediated by default mode regions, may be detrimental to language abilities. Autism Res 2019, 12: 1344-1355.
Authors: Keila Rebello; Luciana Monteiro Moura; Ana Paula Arantes Bueno; Felipe Almeida Picon; Pedro Mario Pan; Ary Gadelha; Euripedes Constatino Miguel; Rodrigo Affonseca Bressan; Luis Augusto Rohde; João Ricardo Sato Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2022-05-16 Impact factor: 4.614