Functional connectivity in an fMRI working memory task in high-functioning autism.
An fMRI study was used to measure the brain activation of a group of adults with high-functioning autism compared to a Full Scale and Verbal IQ and age-matched control group during an n-back working memory task with letters. The behavioral results showed comparable performance, but the fMRI results suggested that the normal controls might use verbal codes to perform the task, while the adults with autism might use visual codes. The control group demonstrated more activation in the left than the right parietal regions, whereas the autism group showed more right lateralized activation in the prefrontal and parietal regions. The autism group also had more activation than the control group in the posterior regions including inferior temporal and occipital regions. The analysis of functional connectivity yielded similar patterns for the two groups with different hemispheric correlations. The temporal profile of the activity in the prefrontal regions was more correlated with the left parietal regions for the control group, whereas it was more correlated with the right parietal regions for the autism group.
Koshino
Hideya
H
Center for Cognitive Brain Imaging, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. hkoshino@csusb.edu
Carpenter
Patricia A
PA
Minshew
Nancy J
NJ
Cherkassky
Vladimir L
VL
Keller
Timothy A
TA
Just
Marcel Adam
MA
D000328:Adult; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004292:Dominance, Cerebral / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology*; D008606:Mental Processes / Q000502:physiology; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D014705:Verbal Behavior / Q000502:physiology