title: Default mode network in childhood autism: posteromedial cortex heterogeneity and relationship with social deficits.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The default mode network (DMN), a brain system anchored in the posteromedial cortex, has been identified as underconnected in adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, to date there have been no attempts to characterize this network and its involvement in mediating social deficits in children with ASD. Furthermore, the functionally heterogeneous profile of the posteromedial cortex raises questions regarding how altered connectivity manifests in specific functional modules within this brain region in children with ASD.
  
  
  METHODS
  Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging and an anatomically informed approach were used to investigate the functional connectivity of the DMN in 20 children with ASD and 19 age-, gender-, and IQ-matched typically developing (TD) children. Multivariate regression analyses were used to test whether altered patterns of connectivity are predictive of social impairment severity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with TD children, children with ASD demonstrated hyperconnectivity of the posterior cingulate and retrosplenial cortices with predominately medial and anterolateral temporal cortex. In contrast, the precuneus in ASD children demonstrated hypoconnectivity with visual cortex, basal ganglia, and locally within the posteromedial cortex. Aberrant posterior cingulate cortex hyperconnectivity was linked with severity of social impairments in ASD, whereas precuneus hypoconnectivity was unrelated to social deficits. Consistent with previous work in healthy adults, a functionally heterogeneous profile of connectivity within the posteromedial cortex in both TD and ASD children was observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This work links hyperconnectivity of DMN-related circuits to the core social deficits in young children with ASD and highlights fundamental aspects of posteromedial cortex heterogeneity.
authors: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA.
authors: Charles J
authors: CJ
authors: Lynch
authors: Lucina Q
authors: LQ
authors: Uddin
authors: Kaustubh
authors: K
authors: Supekar
authors: Amirah
authors: A
authors: Khouzam
authors: Jennifer
authors: J
authors: Phillips
authors: Vinod
authors: V
authors: Menon
mesh_terms: D001931:Brain Mapping; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology*; D002648:Child; D002659:Child Development Disorders, Pervasive / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology*; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008959:Models, Neurological; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000098:blood supply / Q000503:physiopathology; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012920:Social Behavior Disorders / Q000209:etiology*
chemical_list: D010100:Oxygen
keywords: Autism spectrum disorders; default mode network; functional connectivity; posterior cingulate cortex; posteromedial cortex; resting-state fMRI
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