title: Autism: reduced connectivity between cortical areas involved in face expression, theory of mind, and the sense of self.
abstract: Whole-brain voxel-based unbiased resting state functional connectivity was analysed in 418 subjects with autism and 509 matched typically developing individuals. We identified a key system in the middle temporal gyrus/superior temporal sulcus region that has reduced cortical functional connectivity (and increased with the medial thalamus), which is implicated in face expression processing involved in social behaviour. This system has reduced functional connectivity with the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, which is implicated in emotion and social communication. The middle temporal gyrus system is also implicated in theory of mind processing. We also identified in autism a second key system in the precuneus/superior parietal lobule region with reduced functional connectivity, which is implicated in spatial functions including of oneself, and of the spatial environment. It is proposed that these two types of functionality, face expression-related, and of one's self and the environment, are important components of the computations involved in theory of mind, whether of oneself or of others, and that reduced connectivity within and between these regions may make a major contribution to the symptoms of autism.
authors: 1 Centre for Computational Systems Biology, Fudan University, Shanghai, PR China.
authors: Wei
authors: W
authors: Cheng
authors: 2 Department of Computer Science, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK 3 Oxford Centre for Computational Neuroscience, Oxford, UK.
authors: Edmund T
authors: ET
authors: Rolls
authors: 4 School of Aerospace Engineering and Applied Mechanics, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, PR China.
authors: Huaguang
authors: H
authors: Gu
authors: 1 Centre for Computational Systems Biology, Fudan University, Shanghai, PR China.
authors: Jie
authors: J
authors: Zhang
authors: 1 Centre for Computational Systems Biology, Fudan University, Shanghai, PR China 2 Department of Computer Science, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, UK Jianfeng.Feng@warwick.ac.uk.
authors: Jianfeng
authors: J
authors: Feng
mesh_terms: D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology; D005149:Facial Expression; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D056345:Theory of Mind / Q000502:physiology
keywords: Autistic spectrum disorder; behavioural neurology; neuropsychiatry imaging social cognition; temporal lobe