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The language network in autism: Atypical functional connectivity with default mode and visual regions
Yangfeifei Gao1,2, Annika Linke1, Ruth Joanne Jao Keehn1
1Brain Development Imaging Laboratories, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California.
Summary
Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) show intact core language network connectivity but increased connections in extended networks. This atypical connectivity with visual and self-reflection regions may negatively impact language skills.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Radiology
Background:
- Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are neurodevelopmental conditions characterized by social communication deficits and restricted, repetitive behaviors.
- Atypical brain connectivity is a hallmark of ASDs, though the specific neural mechanisms underlying language impairments remain unclear.
- Language abilities are highly variable in ASDs, with many individuals exhibiting some degree of impairment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate intrinsic functional connectivity (iFC) within the extended language network in children and adolescents with ASDs.
- To compare iFC patterns in individuals with ASDs to those of typically developing peers.
- To explore the relationship between functional connectivity and language abilities in ASDs.
Main Methods:
- Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to assess iFC in 52 children and adolescents with ASDs (ages 8-18) and 50 typically developing controls.
- Seed-to-whole brain analyses were conducted to examine connectivity patterns of language regions.
- Effective connectivity analyses were performed to investigate mediation effects.
Main Results:
- Children with ASDs exhibited intact connectivity within core language regions but increased connectivity in the extended language network compared to controls.
- Language regions in the ASD group showed increased connectivity with the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) and visual areas.
- Mediation analysis revealed that PCC influences the connectivity between frontal and visual regions in a subgroup of ASD individuals.
- Increased iFC between PCC and visual regions correlated with lower language scores in the ASD subgroup.
Conclusions:
- The findings suggest that while core language network connectivity may be preserved, atypical connectivity within extended language and default mode networks is present in ASDs.
- Increased connectivity with visual and self-reflection (PCC) regions, mediated by default mode network structures, may be detrimental to language development in some individuals with ASD.
- These results contribute to understanding the neural basis of language variations in ASD and highlight the potential role of widespread network alterations.
Keywords:
autism spectrum disordersdefault modelanguageresting-state functional magnetic resonance imagingvisual cortexMore Related Videos
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