Atypical involvement of frontostriatal systems during sensorimotor control in autism

Abstract

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder involving dysmaturation of widely distributed brain systems. Accordingly, behaviors that depend on distributed systems, such as higher level cognition and sensorimotor control, are compromised in the disorder. The current study investigated alterations in neural systems underlying sensorimotor disturbances in autism. An fMRI investigation was conducted using saccadic and pursuit eye movement paradigms with 13 high-functioning individuals with autism and 14 age-and IQ-matched typically developing individuals. Individuals with autism had reduced activation in cortical eye fields and cerebellar hemispheres during both eye movement tasks. When executing visually guided saccades, individuals with autism had greater activation bilaterally in a frontostriatal circuit including dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, caudate nucleus, medial thalamus, anterior and posterior cingulate cortex, and right dentate nucleus. The increased activation in prefrontal-striatal-thalamocortical circuitry during visually guided saccades indicates that systems typically dedicated to cognitive control may need to compensate for disturbances in lower-level sensorimotor systems. Reduced activation throughout visual sensorimotor systems may contribute to saccadic and pursuit disturbances that have been reported in autism. These findings document that neurodevelopmental disturbances in autism affect widely distributed brain systems beyond those mediating language and social cognition.

Cortical patterns of category‐selective activation for faces, places and objects in adults with autism

“…Additionally, we might expect greater divergence between the groups on tasks tapping frontal functions. Recent work on cognitive control upholds this prediction [Solomon et al, 2008;Takarae et al, 2007].…”

What can autism teach us about the role of sensorimotor systems in higher cognition? New clues from studies on language, action semantics, and abstract emotional concept processing

“…Autistic deficits in motor preparation (Rinehart, Bellgrove, et al, 2006;Rinehart et al, 2001), call into question the integrity of frontostriatal motor loops, which are indeed structurally and functionally atypical in ASC (Chukoskie, Townsend, & Westerfield, 2013;Di Martino et al, 2011;Langen et al, 2009;Takarae, Minshew, Luna, & Sweeney, 2007). Specific examination of the structural integrity of basal ganglia and their relationship to motor performance in grip strength, finger tapping and pegboard performance failed to reveal a correlation or abnormalities in a large group of autistic individuals between 8 and 45 years of age (Hardan et al, 2003).…”

Strategies to develop putative biomarkers to characterize the female phenotype with autism spectrum disorders

“…These problems could be quantified objectively at the motor output flow to begin elucidating the various contributions of different aspects of motor planning and execution to these disturbances. We know that several of the cortical and subcortical structures that are targeted by general somatic afferent (GSA) fibers are reportedly impaired in ASD, along with anomalies involving central and peripheral synapses (Amaral and Corbett 2003;Amaral et al 2008;Breece et al 2012;Damasio and Maurer 1978;Jacobson et al 1988;Damasio 1979, 1982;Mostofsky et al 2009;Nordahl et al 2012;Qiu et al 2010;Rinehart et al 2002;Schumann et al 2004;Takarae et al 2007). Nevertheless, features of movement kinematics from the peripheral limbs are not well understood in ASD.…”