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. 2014 Sep;121(9):1145-55.
doi: 10.1007/s00702-014-1237-8. Epub 2014 May 21.

Functional connectivity during cognitive control in children with autism spectrum disorder: an independent component analysis

S Ambrosino  1 , D J Bos, T R van Raalten, N A Kobussen, J van Belle, B Oranje, S Durston
Affiliations

Functional connectivity during cognitive control in children with autism spectrum disorder: an independent component analysis

S Ambrosino et al. J Neural Transm (Vienna). 2014 Sep.

Abstract

Restrictive and repetitive behavior in autism may be related to deficits in cognitive control. Here, we aimed to assess functional connectivity during a cognitive control task and compare brain network activity and connectivity in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and typically developing children using a multivariate data-driven approach. 19 high-functioning boys with ASD and 19 age-matched typically developing boys were included in this study. Functional magnetic resonance imaging was performed at 3T during the performance of a cognitive control task (go/no-go paradigm). Functional networks were identified using independent component analysis. Network activity and connectivity was compared between groups and correlated with clinical measures of rigid behavior using multivariate analysis of covariance. We found no differences between the groups in task performance or in network activity. Power analysis indicated that, if this were a real difference, it would require nearly 800 subjects to show group differences in network activity using this paradigm. Neither were there correlations between network activity and rigid behavior. Our data do not provide support for the presence of deficits in cognitive control in children with ASD, or the functional networks supporting this ability.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Overview of all independent components showing neural activity. The MNI coordinates refer to the slice intersections that are shown
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Networks of interest: frontal/attentional networks (ICs 30, 33, 34), default mode networks (ICs 12 and 28), visual networks (ICs 9, 15, 26), hippocampus network (IC 41), auditory network (IC 44) and temporal network (IC 29). The MNI coordinates refer to the slices shown, component labeling follows Allen conventions (Allen et al. 2011)
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Networks of interest in subjects with ASD and typically developing controls. Component spatial maps of the networks of interest are shown in both groups separately to illustrate the between-group similarities. For each network, the first row of images belongs to the ASD group and the second row to the control group. The MNI coordinates refer to the slices shown
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
There is no relation between total RBS-R score and activity in frontal/attentional networks
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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