Salience Network in Autism: preliminary results on functional connectivity analysis in resting state

The literature suggests that alterations in functional connectivity (FC) of the Salience Network (SN) may contribute to the manifestation of some clinical features of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The SN plays a key role in integrating external sensory information with internal emotional and bodily information. An atypical FC of this network could explain some symptomatic features of ASD such as difficulties in self-awareness and emotion processing and provide new insights into the neurobiological basis of autism. Using the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange II we investigated the resting-state FC of core regions of SN and its association with autism symptomatology in 29 individuals with ASD compared with 29 typically developing (TD) individuals. In ASD compared to TD individuals, seed-based connectivity analysis showed a reduced FC between the rostral prefrontal cortex and left cerebellum and an increased FC between the right supramarginal gyrus and the regions of the middle temporal gyrus and angular gyrus. Finally, we found that the clinical features of ASD are mainly associated with an atypical FC of the anterior insula and the involvement of dysfunctional mechanisms for emotional and social information processing. These findings expand the knowledge about the differences in the FC of SN between ASD and TD, highlighting atypical FC between structures that play key roles in social cognition and complex cognitive processes. Such anomalies could explain difficulties in processing salient stimuli, especially those of a socio-affective nature, with an impact on emotional and behavioral regulation.