Relationship between cingulo-insular functional connectivity and autistic traits in neurotypical adults

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychology

Background:

• Autistic traits exist on a spectrum within the general population.
• The Social Responsiveness Scale-Adult Version (SRS-A) assesses these traits.
• The pregenual anterior cingulate cortex is crucial for social cognition.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the neural correlates of autistic traits in neurotypical adults.
• To explore the relationship between SRS-A scores and functional connectivity in the pregenual anterior cingulate cortex.

Main Methods:

• Resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used.
• 25 neurotypical adults participated.
• Informant-rated SRS-A scores were analyzed as a covariate in whole-brain connectivity analyses.

Main Results:

• A significant negative relationship was found between SRS-A scores and functional connectivity between the pregenual anterior cingulate cortex and the anterior mid-insula.
• Lower autistic traits were associated with positive connectivity.
• Higher autistic traits were linked to negative connectivity between these regions.

Conclusions:

• Functional connectivity in the pregenual anterior cingulate cortex-insula network relates to autistic traits in neurotypical adults.
• Further research in clinical populations is warranted to confirm these findings.