title: Neural activity in the posterior superior temporal region during eye contact perception correlates with autistic traits.
abstract: The present study investigated the relationship between neural activity associated with gaze processing and autistic traits in typically developed subjects using magnetoencephalography. Autistic traits in 24 typically developed college students with normal intelligence were assessed using the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ). The Minimum Current Estimates method was applied to estimate the cortical sources of magnetic responses to gaze stimuli. These stimuli consisted of apparent motion of the eyes, displaying direct or averted gaze motion. Results revealed gaze-related brain activations in the 150-250 ms time window in the right posterior superior temporal sulcus (pSTS), and in the 150-450 ms time window in medial prefrontal regions. In addition, the mean amplitude in the 150-250 ms time window in the right pSTS region was modulated by gaze direction, and its activity in response to direct gaze stimuli correlated with AQ score. pSTS activation in response to direct gaze is thought to be related to higher-order social processes. Thus, these results suggest that brain activity linking eye contact and social signals is associated with autistic traits in a typical population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, 1-757 Asahimachi-dori, Chuo-ku, Niigata 951-8510, Japan.
authors.forename: Naoya
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hasegawa
authors.forename: Hideaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kitamura
authors.forename: Hiroatsu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Murakami
authors.forename: Shigeki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kameyama
authors.forename: Mutsuo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sasagawa
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Egawa
authors.forename: Taro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Endo
authors.forename: Toshiyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Someya
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D005123:Eye; D005149:Facial Expression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015225:Magnetoencephalography; D008297:Male; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D012938:Social Perception; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000503:physiopathology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: AQ; ASD; Autism Spectrum Quotient; Autism spectrum disorder; Autistic traits; BOLD; Eye contact; FG; Gaze processing; MCE; MEG; Magnetoencephalography; Minimum Current Estimates; RCPM; ROI; Raven's colored progressive matrices; Theory of mind; ToM; blood oxygen level-dependent; fusiform gyrus; mPFC; magnetoencephalography; medial prefrontal cortex; pSTS; posterior superior temporal sulcus; region of interest; theory of mind