Atypical Visuospatial Processing in Autism: Insights from Functional Connectivity Analysis

摘要: Atypical visuospatial processing is commonly described in autism spectrum disorders (ASDs); however the specific neurobiological underpinnings of this phenomenon are poorly understood. Given extensive evidence suggesting ASDs characterized by abnormal neural connectivity, study aimed to investigate network connectivity during ASD. Twenty-two males with ASD without intellectual disability and 22 individually matched controls performed a mental rotation task functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) which two rotated stimuli were judged be same (“Same Trials”) or mirror-imaged (“Mirror Trials”). Behavioral results revealed relative advantage group—controls slower responding more difficult Mirror Trials than Same whereas group completed Same-trials at similar speeds. In group, brain activity was reduced frontal, temporal, occipital, striatal, cerebellar regions and, consistent previous literature, between number reduced. However, some connections appeared conserved recruited qualitatively different way groups. As difficulty increased (on Trials), tended increase certain regions, suppress these regions. There an interesting exception pattern visual cortex, finding that may suggest early perceptual Overall, has identified associated aberrant stem from enhanced processing. Autism Res 2012, 5: 314–330. © 2012 International Society for Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.