Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 7, 2026
09:13
Testing Sensory and Multisensory Function in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Published on: April 22, 2015
Autism, the superior temporal sulcus and social perception
Monica Zilbovicius1, Isabelle Meresse2, Nadia Chabane3
1URM 0205 Brain Imaging in Psychiatry, INSERM-CEA, Service Hospitalier Frédéric Joliot, CEA, 4 Place du General Leclerc, Orsay 91406, France.
Trends in Neurosciences
|June 30, 2006
Summary
Abnormalities in the superior temporal sulcus (STS) may underlie social interaction impairments in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This review examines STS function in social cognition and its dysfunction in ASD.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Neuroscience
- Social Cognition
Background:
- Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by social interaction impairment, communication deficits, and stereotyped behaviors.
- The superior temporal sulcus (STS) plays a crucial role in social cognition.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the contribution of the STS to normal social cognition.
- To examine brain-imaging data implicating STS abnormalities in ASD.
Main Methods:
- Review of recent scientific literature.
- Analysis of brain-imaging studies (e.g., gray matter concentration, perfusion, activation patterns).
Main Results:
- STS abnormalities, including decreased gray matter and altered activation during social tasks, are implicated in ASD.
- These anomalies may represent an early step in the neural dysfunction cascade in ASD.
Conclusions:
- The superior temporal sulcus is a key area implicated in the social deficits observed in autism spectrum disorder.
- Early developmental anomalies in the STS could be fundamental to the pathophysiology of ASD.
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