title: Altered functional connectivity of the amygdaloid input nuclei in adolescents and young adults with autism spectrum disorder: a resting state fMRI study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Amygdala dysfunction is hypothesized to underlie the social deficits observed in autism spectrum disorders (ASD). However, the neurobiological basis of this hypothesis is underspecified because it is unknown whether ASD relates to abnormalities of the amygdaloid input or output nuclei. Here, we investigated the functional connectivity of the amygdaloid social-perceptual input nuclei and emotion-regulation output nuclei in ASD versus controls.
  
  
  METHODS
  We collected resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data, tailored to provide optimal sensitivity in the amygdala as well as the neocortex, in 20 adolescents and young adults with ASD and 25 matched controls. We performed a regular correlation analysis between the entire amygdala (EA) and the whole brain and used a partial correlation analysis to investigate whole-brain functional connectivity uniquely related to each of the amygdaloid subregions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Between-group comparison of regular EA correlations showed significantly reduced connectivity in visuospatial and superior parietal areas in ASD compared to controls. Partial correlation analysis revealed that this effect was driven by the left superficial and right laterobasal input subregions, but not the centromedial output nuclei.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results indicate reduced connectivity of specifically the amygdaloid sensory input channels in ASD, suggesting that abnormal amygdalo-cortical connectivity can be traced down to the socio-perceptual pathways.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center Nijmegen, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands ; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Annika
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rausch
authors.affiliation: Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Koen V
authors.initials: KV
authors.lastname: Haak
authors.affiliation: Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Maarten
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mennes
authors.affiliation: Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center Nijmegen, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands ; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Erno J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Hermans
authors.affiliation: Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands ; MIRA Institute, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: van Oort
authors.affiliation: Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands ; Department of Psychiatry, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: van Wingen
authors.affiliation: Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center Nijmegen, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands ; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands ; Centre for Functional MRI of the Brain (FMRIB), University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Christian F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Beckmann
authors.affiliation: Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center Nijmegen, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands ; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands ; Karakter Child and Adolescent Psychiatry University Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jan K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Buitelaar
authors.affiliation: Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands ; Karakter Child and Adolescent Psychiatry University Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Wouter B
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Groen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000344:Afferent Pathways / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D000679:Amygdala / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D000067877:Autism Spectrum Disorder / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D066272:Basolateral Nuclear Complex / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D066274:Central Amygdaloid Nucleus / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D063132:Connectome; D004525:Efferent Pathways / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008959:Models, Neurological; D008960:Models, Psychological; D019579:Neocortex / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D059629:Signal-To-Noise Ratio; D012938:Social Perception; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Amygdala; Autism spectrum disorder; Centromedial; Connectivity; Input-output; Laterobasal; Nuclei; Social perception; Superficial
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