Default Mode Network in Childhood Autism: Posteromedial Cortex Heterogeneity and Relationship with Social Deficits

Abstract

Background The default mode network (DMN), a brain system anchored in the posteromedial cortex, has been identified as under-connected in adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, to date there have been no attempts to characterize this network and its involvement in mediating social deficits in children with ASD. Furthermore, the functionally heterogeneous profile of the posteromedial cortex raises questions regarding how altered connectivity manifests in specific functional modules within this brain region in children with ASD. Methods Here we use resting-state fMRI and an anatomically informed approach to investigate the functional connectivity of the DMN in 20 children with ASD and 19 age-, gender-, and IQ-matched typically developing children. We utilize multivariate regression analyses to test whether altered patterns of connectivity are predictive of social impairment severity. Results Compared to TD children, children with ASD demonstrated hyper-connectivity of the posterior cingulate and retrosplenial cortices with predominately medial and anterolateral temporal cortex. In contrast, the precuneus in ASD children demonstrated hypo-connectivity with visual cortex, basal ganglia, and locally within the posteromedial cortex. Aberrant posterior cingulate cortex hyper-connectivity was linked with severity of social impairments in ASD, whereas precuneus hypo-connectivity was unrelated to social deficits. Consistent with previous work in healthy adults, we observe a functionally heterogeneous profile of connectivity within the posteromedial cortex in both TD and ASD children. Conclusions This work links hyper-connectivity of DMN-related circuits to the core social deficits in young children with ASD and highlights fundamental aspects of posteromedial cortex heterogeneity.

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“…In addition, our results showed that this association between the strength of rs-FCs of DMN and autistic spectrum traits also exists not only in ASD participants but also in TD participants. These findings suggest that figure) were selected from a previous study [52]. Color bar denotes t-statistic range.…”

The motor way: Clinical implications of understanding and shaping actions with the motor system in autism and drug addiction

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Resting-state functional connectivity predicts longitudinal change in autistic traits and adaptive functioning in autism

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