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Emotional face processing in autism spectrum disorder: Effects in gamma connectivity
Kristina Safar1, Veronica Yuk2, Simeon M Wong3
1Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada; Neurosciences and Mental Health Program, Research Institute, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada.
Biological Psychology
|October 2, 2019
Summary
Adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) show disrupted brain network connectivity when viewing angry faces. This suggests differences in how the brain processes negative emotions in ASD.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Neuroscience
- Social Neuroscience
Background:
- Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by social functioning impairments.
- Previous research indicates differences in functional networks during face processing in ASD.
- The precise spatial-temporal dynamics of neural networks involved in affective processing in ASD remain unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whole-brain functional connectivity during implicit emotional face processing in adults with and without ASD.
- To examine the spatial-temporal dynamics of neural networks underlying affective processing in ASD.
Main Methods:
- Magnetoencephalography (MEG) was used to record brain activity.
- Whole-brain functional connectivity was analyzed in 104 adults with and without ASD.
- Connectivity patterns were examined in response to implicit happy and angry faces.
Main Results:
- A network with reduced gamma band (30-55 Hz) phase synchrony was observed in adults with ASD compared to controls, specifically 80-308 ms after viewing angry faces.
- This network involved widespread connections, primarily in frontal regions (orbitofrontal, inferior frontal gyri, middle frontal gyrus), extending to occipital, temporal, parietal, and subcortical areas.
- Reduced gamma band connectivity may indicate altered excitation/inhibition (E/I) balance in brain regions crucial for emotional face processing.
Conclusions:
- Disrupted long-range neuronal communication to angry faces was identified in adults with ASD.
- Altered gamma band-specific connectivity suggests potential E/I balance disruptions in critical emotional processing regions in ASD.
- These findings contribute to understanding the neural underpinnings of social and emotional processing differences in autism spectrum disorder.
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