The Neural Circuitry Mediating Shifts in Behavioral Response and Cognitive Set in Autism

Abstract

Background-Recent studies have suggested that the social and cognitive impairments in autism are associated with neural processing deficits in specific brain regions. However, these studies have primarily focused on neural systems responsible for face processing and social behaviors. Although repetitive, stereotyped behaviors are a hallmark of autism, little is known about the neural mechanisms underlying these behaviors in the disorder.

Voxel-based morphometry study on brain structure in children with high-functioning autism

“…Superior parietal lobule is the area highly important for visual search [16]. Functional MRI studies have found less brain activation in autism in anterior cingulate cortex and parietal region during inhibition tasks [17], novelty detection task [18], further, the severity of restricted, repetitive behaviors in autism was negatively correlated with activation in anterior cingulate and posterior parietal regions [19]. Our results demonstrated that anatomical anterior cingulate and parietal white matter deficits related to the brain inhibitive and executive function may be associated with some clinical symptoms such as restricted, repetitive behaviors and 'refuse to change' in HFA.…”

Autism Spectrum Disorder: Does Neuroimaging Support the DSM-5 Proposal for a Symptom Dyad? A Systematic Review of Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Diffusion Tensor Imaging Studies

“…Functional MRI studies that use tasks assessing repetitive and stereotyped behaviors and autistic traits, such as resistance to change and obsessive traits (see Fig. 1, dark gray bars) (Agam et al 2010;Di Martino et al 2009b;Gomot et al 2008;Kana et al 2007;Lee et al 2009b;Monk et al 2009;Shafritz et al 2008;Thakkar et al 2008), together with fMRI studies exploring default network activity (see Fig. 2, gray hatched bars), have related these symptoms to abnormal functional connectivity in patients with ASD compared with controls, within fronto-cerebellar network, fronto-striatal system, anterior and posterior cingulate, posterior parietal regions, posterior regions of corpus callosum (CC), cerebellar vermis and peduncles (Assaf et al 2010;Cherkassky et al 2006;Di Martino et al 2011;Kennedy and Courchesne 2008a, b;Kennedy et al 2006;Lai et al 2010;Monk et al 2009;Paakki et al 2010;Weng et al 2010).…”

Impaired task switching performance in children with dyslexia but not in children with autism

“…Moreover, in the literature on autism, executive dysfunction has recently been proposed as a possible central component of this neuropsychological disorder (e.g., Hill 2004aHill , 2004b. However, although many behavioural studies (as outlined above) as well as some functional neuroimaging studies (e.g., Just, Cherkassky, Keller, Kana, & Minshew, 2007;Schmitz et al, 2006;Shafritz, Dichter, Baranek, & Belger, 2008) have provided evidence of deviant brain activation supporting the executive-dysfunction idea in autism, this idea needs further specification in order to be functional for diagnosis, intervention, and theoretical understanding. Specifically, as the term "executive functions" covers different cognitive mechanisms (e.g., planning, working memory, cognitive flexibility, etc.…”