Hypofunctional connectivity between the posterior cingulate cortex and ventromedial prefrontal cortex in autism:...

Area of Science:

• Neuroimaging
• Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
• Connectomics

Background:

• Posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) underconnectivity may impair social signal interpretation and contribute to cognitive inflexibility in autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
• Previous resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies on PCC functional connectivity in ASD have yielded inconsistent findings.
• This study aimed to investigate aberrant resting-state functional connectivity of the PCC in ASD using multilevel kernel density analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify consistent patterns of aberrant resting-state functional connectivity involving the PCC in individuals with ASD.
• To clarify the relationship between PCC connectivity and core ASD features like social and cognitive inflexibility.

Main Methods:

• A meta-analysis was conducted on studies examining PCC-based functional connectivity in ASD.
• Literature search of online databases (MEDLINE/PubMed) identified ten relevant studies including 501 subjects and 161 reported foci.
• Multilevel kernel density analysis was employed to synthesize findings.

Main Results:

• A consistent and strong abnormal functional connectivity pattern was identified: hypoconnectivity between the PCC and ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC) in ASD during rest.
• Jackknife sensitivity analysis confirmed stable hypoconnectivity between the VMPFC and PCC in ASD, with a maximum spatial overlap rate of 100%.

Conclusions:

• Reduced functional coupling between the PCC and VMPFC may offer early insights into how ASD affects various functional domains.
• This hypoconnectivity could underlie deficits in higher-order cognitive functions and complex social interactions observed in ASD.