Functional connectivity between the visual and salience networks and autistic social features at school-age

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is highly heritable and phenotypically variable. Neuroimaging markers reflecting variation in behavior will provide insights into circuitry subserving core features. We examined functional correlates of ASD symptomology at school-age, while accounting for associated behavioral and cognitive domains, in a longitudinal sample followed from infancy and enriched for those with a genetic liability for ASD.

Resting state functional connectivity MRIs (fcMRI) and behavioral data were analyzed from 97 school-age children (8.1-12.0 years, 55 males, 15 ASD) with (n = 63) or without (n = 34) a family history of ASD. fcMRI enrichment analysis (EA) was used to screen for associations between network-level functional connectivity and six behaviors of interest in a data-driven manner: social affect, restricted and repetitive behavior (RRB), generalized anxiety, inattention, motor coordination, and matrix reasoning.

Functional connectivity between the visual and salience networks was significantly associated with social affect symptoms at school-age after accounting for all other behaviors. Results indicated that stronger connectivity was associated with higher social affect scores. No other behaviors were robustly associated with functional connectivity, though trends were observed between visual-salience connectivity and RRBs.

Connectivity between the visual and salience networks may play an important role in social affect symptom variability among children with ASD and those with genetic liability for ASD. These findings align with and extend earlier reports in this sample of the central role of the visual system during infancy in ASD.