Neural basis of interindividual variability in social perception in typically developing children and adolescents using diffusion tensor imaging

Abstract

Humans show great interindividual variability in the degree they engage in social relationship. the neural basis of this variability is still poorly understood, particularly in children. in this study, we aimed to investigate the neural basis of interindividual variability in the first step of social behavior, that is social perception, in typically developing children. For that purpose, we first used eye-tracking to objectively measure eye-gaze processing during passive visualization of social movie clips in 24 children and adolescents (10.5 ± 2.9 y). Secondly, we correlated eye-tracking data with measures of fractional anisotropy, an index of white matter microstructure, obtained using diffusion tensor imaging MRI. The results showed a large interindividual variability in the number of fixations to the eyes of characters during visualization of social scenes. In addition, whole-brain analysis showed a significant positive correlation between FA and number of fixations to the eyes,mainly in the temporal part of the superior longitudinal fasciculi bilaterally, adjacent to the posterior superior temporal cortex. our results indicate the existence of a neural signature associated with the interindividual variability in social perception in children, contributing for better understanding the neural basis of typical and atypical development of a broader social expertise. Human's everyday life is fundamentally social. Whereas social skills are very ubiquitous, the quantitative and the qualitative propensity to engage in social interactions is very heterogeneous, individual and subjective. This variability results in a wide spectrum of social behaviors, that can range from extreme shyness to extreme extroversion 1. Further comprehension of this interindividual variability is crucial to understanding its neural substrates. Over the last decades, brain imaging studies have largely investigated the neural basis of social processes, which allowed to describe a brain network particularly implicated in processing social information: the social brain, composed of the amygdala, the superior temporal sulcus (STS), the orbitofrontal cortex, and fusiform gyrus 2,3. Within this network, the STS is considered a hub for social perception and social cognition, including the perception of eyes, faces and human motion, as well as understanding others' actions and mental states 4. More recently, studies have also started to investigate the anatomo-functional neural correlates of interindividual variability in social functioning. Results from structural MRI studies, for instance, showed a correlation between different degrees of social behavior and gray matter volume in specific brain regions 5-8. Functional MRI (fMRI) activation studies showed different degrees of brain activation in specific regions associated with different levels of social behavior 9-11. Lately, resting state fMRI (rs-fMRI) studies demonstrated that intrinsic brain functional connectivity is associated with interindividual variability in cognitive performances, such ...

Identifying interindividual variability of social perception and associated brain anatomical correlations in children with autism spectrum disorder using eye-tracking and diffusion tensor imaging MRI (DTI-MRI)

“…In participants with typical development, as previously described ( Vinçon-Leite et al. 2020 ), whole brain voxel-by-voxel analyses showed a significant positive correlation between the number of fixations to the eyes and FA in localized WM tracts ( P < 0.05, TFCE-corrected).…”

“…1a,b,c ). As previously reported, we also observed great interindividual variability in gaze pattern to the eyes following a normal distribution in children and adolescents with typical development (range: 14–106 fixations; kurtosis = −0.88; Shapiro-test W = 0.96, P = 0.42) ( Vinçon-Leite et al. 2020 ) ( Fig.…”

“…Twenty-four TD children and adolescents (15 males, 9 females, age = 10.5 ± years, range: 6.0–17.4 years) participated in this study and were recruited using an advertisement. It consists on the same sample as in our previous study ( Vinçon-Leite et al. 2020 ).…”

“…Whole brain analysis showed a significant positive correlation between FA and number of fixations to the eyes of characters, mainly in the temporal part of the superior longitudinal fasciculi bilaterally, adjacent to the posterior superior temporal cortex. Children and adolescents who looked more to the eyes of characters were those who had higher FA values within these tracts ( Vinçon-Leite et al. 2020 ).…”

Dietary and serum tyrosine, white matter microstructure and inter-individual variability in executive functions in overweight adults: relation to sex/gender and age

“…The relevance of white matter connectivity is also supported by numerous studies indicating structure-function associations (Chaddock-Heyman et al, 2013;Cremers et al, 2016;Niogi et al, 2010;M. R. Van Schouwenburg et al, 2014;Vinçon-Leite et al, 2020;Yin et al, 2013). Therefore, differences in regional white matter microstructure should be considered when examining the effects of tyr on cognitive performance.…”