Young adolescents with autism show abnormal joint attention network: A gaze contingent fMRI study

Abstract

Behavioral research has revealed deficits in the development of joint attention (JA) as one of the earliest signs of autism. While the neural basis of JA has been studied predominantly in adults, we recently demonstrated a protracted development of the brain networks supporting JA in typically developing children and adolescents. The present eye-tracking/fMRI study now extends these findings to adolescents with autism. Our results show that in adolescents with autism JA is subserved by abnormal activation patterns in brain areas related to social cognition abnormalities which are at the core of ASD including the STS and TPJ, despite behavioral maturation with no behavioral differences. Furthermore, in the autism group we observed increased neural activity in a network of social and emotional processing areas during interactions with their mother. Moreover, data indicated that less severely affected individuals with autism showed higher frontal activation associated with self-initiated interactions. Taken together, this study provides first-time data of JA in children/adolescents with autism incorporating the interactive character of JA, its reciprocity and motivational aspects. The observed functional differences in adolescents ASD suggest that persistent developmental differences in the neural processes underlying JA contribute to social interaction difficulties in ASD.

No evidence for differences in contrast of the grey-white matter boundary in Autism Spectrum Disorders: An open replication

“…In addition to primary sensory and motor regions, we also observed an increase in GWPC in parts of STS and TPJ. These regions have been extensively described as being involved in social perception and social cognition (Oberwelland et al 2017, Zilbovicius et al 2006). Our results could provide a neuroanatomical correlate for the deficits in social perceptions in patients with ASD.…”

A review of joint attention and social‐cognitive brain systems in typical development and autism spectrum disorder

“…However, these authors also reported that fractional anisotropy of longitudinal fasciculus connecting the fusiform gyrus, associated with face processing with the anterior cortical system was not associated with joint attention. Indeed, only four of the 24 studies listed in Table have reported fusiform activation in association with joint attention in studies of infants, children, and adults (Gordon et al ., ; Redcay et al ., ; Oberwelland et al ., , ). Moreover, three of those studies suggest that recruitment of fusiform activity in the joint attention tasks used in these studies was limited to familiar partners, but not present with unfamiliar partners (e.g., Oberwelland et al ., ).…”

“…Oberwelland et al . () went on to employ their virtual joint attention imaging paradigm to examine the joint attention system of adolescents with ASD. They found that adolescents with ASD displayed behavioral evidence of IJA and RJA that was comparable to typical controls, but they did not display the same level of neural system specialization for joint attention as did the controls.…”

“…Because their previous work had indicated that increases in the functional role of the precuneus may be part of the adolescent development of IJA, Oberwelland et al . () suggested that underspecified functional contributions of precuneus may be part of atypical childhood IJA development in ASD. In what may be a related finding, Jaime et al .…”

Two-Person Approaches to Studying Social Interaction in Psychiatry: Uses and Clinical Relevance

“…Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by social deficits in communication and inter-personal interactions, as well as non-social deficits in repetitive behavior (61). Social deficits in communication in individuals with ASD are reflected in various aspects, such as joint attention (62)(63)(64), motor imitation (65), and interpersonal coordination (66,67).…”