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Updated: Aug 16, 2026

Probing the Brain in Autism Using fMRI and Diffusion Tensor Imaging
Published on: September 12, 2011
Functional connectivity: integrating behavioral, diffusion tensor imaging, and functional magnetic resonance imaging
Abigail A Baird1, Mary K Colvin, John D Vanhorn
1Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA. abigail.a.baird@dartmouth.edu
Abstract:
In the present study, we combined 2 types of magnetic resonance technology to explore individual differences on a task that required the recognition of objects presented from unusual viewpoints. This task was chosen based on previous work that has established the necessity of information transfer from the right parietal cortex to the left inferior cortex for its successful completion. We used reaction times (RTs) to localize regions of cortical activity in the superior parietal and inferior frontal regions (blood oxygen level-dependent [BOLD] response) that were more active with longer response times. These regions were then sampled, and their signal change used to predict individual differences in structural integrity of white matter in the corpus callosum (using diffusion tensor imaging). Results show that shorter RTs (and associated increases in BOLD response) are associated with increased organization in the splenium of the corpus callosum, whereas longer RTs are associated with increased organization in the genu.
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Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Brain Imaging
These technologies include computerized axial tomography (CAT or CT scans), positron-emission tomography (PET scans), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS).

