Atypical frontoamygdala functional connectivity in youth with autism

Paola Odriozola; Dina R. Dajani; Catherine A. Burrows; Laurel J. Gabard-Durnam; Emma Goodman; Adriana C. Baez; Nim Tottenham; Lucina Q. Uddin; Dylan G. Gee

Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience (Jun 2019)

Atypical frontoamygdala functional connectivity in youth with autism

Paola Odriozola,
Dina R. Dajani,
Catherine A. Burrows,
Laurel J. Gabard-Durnam,
Emma Goodman,
Adriana C. Baez,
Nim Tottenham,
Lucina Q. Uddin,
Dylan G. Gee

Affiliations

Paola Odriozola: Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33124, USA; Corresponding author at: Yale University, 2 Hillhouse Ave, New Haven, CT 06511, USA.
Dina R. Dajani: Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33124, USA
Catherine A. Burrows: Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33124, USA
Laurel J. Gabard-Durnam: Division of Developmental Medicine, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
Emma Goodman: Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
Adriana C. Baez: Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33124, USA
Nim Tottenham: Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
Lucina Q. Uddin: Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33124, USA; Neuroscience Program, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami FL, 33136, USA
Dylan G. Gee: Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 37

Abstract

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Functional connectivity (FC) between the amygdala and the ventromedial prefrontal cortex underlies socioemotional functioning, a core domain of impairment in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Although frontoamygdala circuitry undergoes dynamic changes throughout development, little is known about age-related changes in frontoamygdala networks in ASD. Here we characterize frontoamygdala resting-state FC in a cross-sectional sample (ages 7–25) of 58 typically developing (TD) individuals and 53 individuals with ASD. Contrary to hypotheses, individuals with ASD did not show different age-related patterns of frontoamygdala FC compared with TD individuals. However, overall group differences in frontoamygdala FC were observed. Specifically, relative to TD individuals, individuals with ASD showed weaker frontoamygdala FC between the right basolateral (BL) amygdala and the rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rACC). These findings extend prior work to a broader developmental range in ASD, and indicate ASD-related differences in frontoamygdala FC that may underlie core socioemotional impairments in children and adolescents with ASD. Keywords: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), Amygdala, Development, Resting-state functional connectivity, Adolescence, Prefrontal cortex

Published in Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience

ISSN: 1878-9293 (Print); 1878-9307 (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: Netherlands
LCC subjects: Science: Physiology: Neurophysiology and neuropsychology
Website: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/developmental-cognitive-neuroscience/

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