Brain functional connectivity alterations of Wernicke's area in individuals with autism spectrum conditions in multi-frequency bands: A mega-analysis
Linlin Zhan,
Yanyan Gao,
Lina Huang,
Hongqiang Zhang,
Guofeng Huang,
Yadan Wang,
Jiawei Sun,
Zhou Xie,
Mengting Li,
Xize Jia,
Lulu Cheng,
Yang Yu
Affiliations
Linlin Zhan
School of Western Studies, Heilongjiang University, Harbin, China
Yanyan Gao
College of Teacher Education, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
Lina Huang
Department of Radiology, Changshu No. 2 People's Hospital, The Affiliated Changshu Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Changshu, Jiangsu, China
Hongqiang Zhang
Department of Radiology, Changshu No. 2 People's Hospital, The Affiliated Changshu Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University, Changshu, Jiangsu, China
Guofeng Huang
School of Information and Electronics Technology, Jiamusi University, Jiamusi, China
Yadan Wang
School of Information and Electronics Technology, Jiamusi University, Jiamusi, China
Jiawei Sun
School of Information and Electronics Technology, Jiamusi University, Jiamusi, China
Zhou Xie
School of Information and Electronics Technology, Jiamusi University, Jiamusi, China
Mengting Li
College of Teacher Education, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
Xize Jia
College of Teacher Education, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, China
Lulu Cheng
School of Foreign Studies, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao, China; Shanghai Center for Research in English Language Education, Shanghai International Studies University, Shanghai, China; Corresponding author.School of Foreign Studies, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao, 266580, China; Shanghai Center for Research in English Language Education, Shanghai International Studies University, Shanghai, China.
Yang Yu
Psychiatry Department, The Second Affiliated Hospital Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang, Hangzhou, China; Corresponding author. Psychiatry Department, The Second Affiliated Hospital Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Zhejiang, Hangzhou, China
Characterized by severe deficits in communication, most individuals with autism spectrum conditions (ASC) experience significant language dysfunctions, thereby impacting their overall quality of life. Wernicke's area, a classical and traditional brain region associated with language processing, plays a substantial role in the manifestation of language impairments. The current study carried out a mega-analysis to attain a comprehensive understanding of the neural mechanisms underpinning ASC, particularly in the context of language processing. The study employed the Autism Brain Image Data Exchange (ABIDE) dataset, which encompasses data from 443 typically developing (TD) individuals and 362 individuals with ASC. The objective was to detect abnormal functional connectivity (FC) between Wernicke's area and other language-related functional regions, and identify frequency-specific altered FC using Wernicke's area as the seed region in ASC. The findings revealed that increased FC in individuals with ASC has frequency-specific characteristics. Further, in the conventional frequency band (0.01–0.08 Hz), individuals with ASC exhibited increased FC between Wernicke's area and the right thalamus compared with TD individuals. In the slow-5 frequency band (0.01–0.027 Hz), increased FC values were observed in the left cerebellum Crus II and the right lenticular nucleus, pallidum. These results provide novel insights into the potential neural mechanisms underlying communication deficits in ASC from the perspective of language impairments.
