Default mode-visual network hypoconnectivity in an autism subtype with pronounced social visual engagement difficulties
Abstract
Social visual engagement difficulties are hallmark early signs of autism (ASD) and are easily quantified using eye tracking methods. However, it is unclear how these difficulties are linked to atypical early functional brain organization in ASD. With resting state fMRI data in a large sample of ASD toddlers and other non-ASD comparison groups, we find ASD-related functional hypoconnnectivity between ‘social brain’ circuitry such as the default mode network (DMN) and visual and attention networks. An eye tracking-identified ASD subtype with pronounced early social visual engagement difficulties (GeoPref ASD) is characterized by marked DMN-occipito-temporal cortex (OTC) hypoconnectivity. Increased DMN-OTC hypoconnectivity is also related to increased severity of social-communication difficulties, but only in GeoPref ASD. Early and pronounced social-visual circuit hypoconnectivity is a key underlying neurobiological feature describing GeoPref ASD and may be critical for future social-communicative development and represent new treatment targets for early intervention in these individuals.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Dec 17, 2019
- Source ID
- 10.7554/elife.47427
Entities
People
- Adrienne Moore
- Cynthia Carter Barnes
- Debra Cha
- Eric Courchesne
- Karen Pierce
- Lisa Eyler
- Michael Datko
- Michael Lombardo
Organizations
- British Academy
- Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs
- Jesus College
- National Institute of Mental Health
- National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders
- University of California
- University of California, San Diego
- University of Cambridge
- University of Trento