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Published on: April 22, 2015
Reduced Amygdala-Prefrontal Functional Connectivity in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder and Co-occurring
Karim Ibrahim1, Jeffrey A Eilbott1, Pamela Ventola1
1Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.
Insights
Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and disruptive behaviors show reduced amygdala-vlPFC connectivity. Externalizing and callous-unemotional traits are linked to amygdala reactivity in ASD, suggesting emotion dysregulation mechanisms.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Child Psychiatry
Background:
- Disruptive behaviors are common in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), leading to significant impairments.
- Neural mechanisms underlying disruptive behaviors in ASD are not well understood.
- In typically developing children, disruptive behavior is linked to amygdala hyperactivity and reduced ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (vlPFC) connectivity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate amygdala reactivity and connectivity in children with ASD, with and without disruptive behavior disorders.
- To explore the role of externalizing behaviors and callous-unemotional traits in amygdala connectivity and reactivity in ASD.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study of three groups: ASD with disruptive behavior, ASD without disruptive behavior, and typically developing controls (ages 8-16).
- Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during an emotion perception task (fearful vs. calm faces).
- Analysis of amygdala reactivity and vlPFC connectivity using whole-brain, psychophysiological interaction, and regression analyses.
Main Results:
- Children with ASD and disruptive behavior exhibited reduced amygdala-vlPFC connectivity compared to children with ASD without disruptive behavior.
- Externalizing behaviors and callous-unemotional traits correlated with amygdala reactivity to fearful faces in children with ASD.
Conclusions:
- Reduced amygdala-vlPFC connectivity may distinguish ASD with disruptive behavior from ASD without it.
- Callous-unemotional traits may indicate specific amygdala activity patterns linked to aggression risk in ASD.
- Findings suggest emotion dysregulation as a neural mechanism for disruptive behavior in children with ASD.
Background:
Disruptive behaviors are prevalent in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and often cause substantial impairments. However, the underlying neural mechanisms of disruptive behaviors remain poorly understood in ASD. In children without ASD, disruptive behavior is associated with amygdala hyperactivity and reduced connectivity with the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (vlPFC). This study examined amygdala reactivity and connectivity in children with ASD with and without co-occurring disruptive behavior disorders. We also investigated differential contributions of externalizing behaviors and callous-unemotional traits to variance in amygdala connectivity and reactivity.
Methods:
This cross-sectional study involved behavioral assessments and neuroimaging in three groups of children 8 to 16 years of age: 18 children had ASD and disruptive behavior, 20 children had ASD without disruptive behavior, and 19 children were typically developing control participants matched for age, gender, and IQ. During functional magnetic resonance imaging, participants completed an emotion perception task of fearful versus calm faces. Task-specific changes in amygdala reactivity and connectivity were examined using whole-brain, psychophysiological interaction, and multiple regression analyses.
Results:
Children with ASD and disruptive behavior showed reduced amygdala-vlPFC connectivity compared with children with ASD without disruptive behavior. Externalizing behaviors and callous-unemotional traits were associated with amygdala reactivity to fearful faces in children with ASD after controlling for suppressor effects.
Conclusions:
Reduced amygdala-vlPFC connectivity during fear processing may differentiate children with ASD and disruptive behavior from children with ASD without disruptive behavior. The presence of callous-unemotional traits may have implications for identifying differential patterns of amygdala activity associated with increased risk of aggression in ASD. These findings suggest a neural mechanism of emotion dysregulation associated with disruptive behavior in children with ASD.
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