Default mode-visual network hypoconnectivity in an autism subtype with pronounced social visual engagement difficulties
Authors
Eyler, Lisa
Moore, Adrienne
Datko, Michael
Carter Barnes, Cynthia
Cha, Debra
Courchesne, Eric
Pierce, Karen
Publication Date
2019-12-17Language
en
Type
Article
This Version
VoR
Metadata
Show full item recordCitation
Lombardo, M. V., Eyler, L., Moore, A., Datko, M., Carter Barnes, C., Cha, D., Courchesne, E., & et al. (2019). Default mode-visual network hypoconnectivity in an autism subtype with pronounced social visual engagement difficulties. https://doi.org/10.7554/elife.47427
Abstract
Social visual engagement difficulties are hallmark early signs of autism (ASD) and are easily quantified using eye tracking methods. However, it is unclear how these difficulties are linked to atypical early functional brain organization in ASD. With resting state fMRI data in a large sample of ASD toddlers and other non-ASD comparison groups, we find ASD-related functional hypoconnnectivity between ‘social brain’ circuitry such as the default mode network (DMN) and visual and attention networks. An eye tracking-identified ASD subtype with pronounced early social visual engagement difficulties (GeoPref ASD) is characterized by marked DMN-occipito-temporal cortex (OTC) hypoconnectivity. Increased DMN-OTC hypoconnectivity is also related to increased severity of social-communication difficulties, but only in GeoPref ASD. Early and pronounced social-visual circuit hypoconnectivity is a key underlying neurobiological feature describing GeoPref ASD and may be critical for future social-communicative development and represent new treatment targets for early intervention in these individuals.
Keywords
Research Article, Human Biology and Medicine, Neuroscience, autism, social engagement, heterogeneity, default mode network, Human
Sponsorship
H2020 European Research Council (755816)
National Institute of Mental Health (R01-MH080134)
National Institute of Mental Health (P50-MH081755)
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (R01-DC016385)
CDMRP (AR130409)
Jesus College, University of Cambridge (Fellowship)
British Academy (Fellowship)
Identifiers
47427
External DOI: https://doi.org/10.7554/elife.47427
This record's URL: https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/handle/1810/300049
Rights
Licence:
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/