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Early alterations of social brain networks in young children with autism

Social impairments are a hallmark of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), but empirical evidence for early brain network alterations in response to social stimuli is scant in ASD. We recorded the gaze patterns and brain activity of toddlers with ASD and their typically developing peers while they explor...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Sperdin, Holger Franz, Coito, Ana, Kojovic, Nada, Rihs, Tonia Anahi, Jan, Reem Kais, Franchini, Martina, Plomp, Gijs, Vulliemoz, Serge, Eliez, Stephan, Michel, Christoph Martin, Schaer, Marie
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd 2018
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5828667/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29482718
http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.31670
Descripción
Sumario:Social impairments are a hallmark of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), but empirical evidence for early brain network alterations in response to social stimuli is scant in ASD. We recorded the gaze patterns and brain activity of toddlers with ASD and their typically developing peers while they explored dynamic social scenes. Directed functional connectivity analyses based on electrical source imaging revealed frequency specific network atypicalities in the theta and alpha frequency bands, manifesting as alterations in both the driving and the connections from key nodes of the social brain associated with autism. Analyses of brain-behavioural relationships within the ASD group suggested that compensatory mechanisms from dorsomedial frontal, inferior temporal and insular cortical regions were associated with less atypical gaze patterns and lower clinical impairment. Our results provide strong evidence that directed functional connectivity alterations of social brain networks is a core component of atypical brain development at early stages of ASD.