Lower cortical activation and altered functional connectivity characterize passive auditory spatial attention in ASD

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Psychology
• Auditory Processing

Background:

• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition impacting social interaction and communication.
• Auditory spatial attention, crucial for social cues, is understudied in ASD.
• Prior research suggests atypical auditory processing in individuals with ASD.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate neural signatures of passive auditory spatial attention in children with ASD.
• To compare brain activity and functional connectivity in ASD versus typically developing (TD) children.
• To explore the relationship between neural findings and behavioral outcomes in ASD.

Main Methods:

• Source-localized magnetoencephalography (MEG) was used in children with ASD (n=21) and TD controls (n=31).
• Participants passively listened to auditory stimuli with either stable (stay) or changing (jump) locations.
• Linear mixed effects modeling and functional connectivity analyses were performed.

Main Results:

• Children with ASD exhibited lower cortical activation in the auditory cortex during 'jump' trials compared to TD children.
• Higher alpha-band functional connectivity was observed in ASD between auditory cortex and prefrontal/parietal regions.
• Connectivity patterns correlated with auditory processing scores and ASD symptom severity.

Conclusions:

• Auditory spatial attention, including passive sound orientation, appears different in individuals with ASD.
• Altered neural activity and connectivity in auditory and attention networks may underlie these differences.
• Findings contribute to understanding sensory processing variations in ASD.