Age-related changes in intrinsic function of the superior temporal sulcus in autism spectrum disorders

作者：Alaerts Kaat; Nayar Kritika; Kelly Clare; Raithel Jessica; Milham Michael P; Di Martino Adriana

来源：Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 2015, 10(10): 1413-1423.

DOI：10.1093/scan/nsv029

• autism spectrum disorders
• posterior superior temporal sulcus
• intrinsic functional connectivity
• developmental changes
• autism brain imaging data exchange

Currently, the developmental trajectories of neural circuits implicated in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are largely unknown. Here, we specifically focused on age-related changes in the functional circuitry of the posterior superior temporal sulcus (pSTS), a key hub underlying social-cognitive processes known to be impaired in ASD. Using a cross-sectional approach, we analysed resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data collected from children, adolescents and adults available through the autism brain imaging data exchange repository [n = 106 with ASD and n = 109 typical controls (TC), ages 7-30 years]. The observed age-related changes of pSTS intrinsic functional connectivity (iFC) suggest that no single developmental pattern characterizes ASD. Instead, pSTS circuitry displayed a complex developmental picture, with some functional circuits showing patterns consistent with atypical development in ASD relative to TC (pSTS-iFC with fusiform gyrus and angular gyrus) and others showing delayed maturation (pSTS-iFC with regions of the action perception network). Distinct developmental trajectories in different functional circuits in ASD likely reflect differential age-related changes in the socio-cognitive processes they underlie. Increasing insight on these mechanisms is a critical step in the development of age-specific interventions in ASD.

• 出版日期2015-10