Connectivity differences between inferior frontal gyrus and mentalizing network in autism as compared to developmental coordination disorder and non-autistic youth

Aditya Jayashankar; Brittany Bynum; Christiana Butera; Emily Kilroy; Laura Harrison; Lisa Aziz-Zadeh

doi:10.1016/j.cortex.2023.06.014

Connectivity differences between inferior frontal gyrus and mentalizing network in autism as compared to developmental coordination disorder and non-autistic youth

Cortex. 2023 Oct:167:115-131. doi: 10.1016/j.cortex.2023.06.014. Epub 2023 Jul 14.

Authors

Aditya Jayashankar¹, Brittany Bynum², Christiana Butera¹, Emily Kilroy¹, Laura Harrison¹, Lisa Aziz-Zadeh³

Affiliations

¹ Center for Neuroscience of Embodied Cognition (CeNEC), Brain and Creativity Institute, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; USC Mrs. T.H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
² Center for Neuroscience of Embodied Cognition (CeNEC), Brain and Creativity Institute, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; USC Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
³ Center for Neuroscience of Embodied Cognition (CeNEC), Brain and Creativity Institute, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; USC Mrs. T.H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA. Electronic address: lazizzad@usc.edu.

PMID: 37549452
PMCID: PMC10543516 (available on 2024-10-01)
DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2023.06.014

Abstract

Prior studies have compared neural connectivity during mentalizing tasks in autism (ASD) to non-autistic individuals and found reduced connectivity between the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and mentalizing regions. However, given that the IFG is involved in motor processing, and about 80% of autistic individuals have motor-related difficulties, it is necessary to explore if these differences are specific to ASD or instead similar across other developmental motor disorders, such as developmental coordination disorder (DCD). Participants (29 ASD, 20 DCD, 31 typically developing [TD]; ages 8-17) completed a mentalizing task in the fMRI scanner, where they were asked to think about why someone was performing an action. Results indicated that the ASD group, as compared to both TD and DCD groups, showed significant functional connectivity differences when mentalizing about other's actions. The left IFG seed revealed ASD connectivity differences with the: bilateral temporoparietal junction (TPJ), left insular cortex, and bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Connectivity differences using the right IFG seed revealed ASD differences in the: left insula, and right DLPFC. These results indicate that connectivity differences between the IFG, mentalizing regions, emotion and motor processing regions are specific to ASD and not a result of potentially co-occurring motor differences.

Keywords: Autism; Developmental coordination disorder; Mentalizing; Mirror neuron; Neurodevelopmental conditions; Theory of mind.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Autism Spectrum Disorder*
Autistic Disorder* / diagnostic imaging
Brain Mapping / methods
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging / methods
Mentalization*
Motor Skills Disorders*
Prefrontal Cortex / diagnostic imaging

Grants and funding

R01 HD079432/HD/NICHD NIH HHS/United States