Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2015 Mar 4;88(1):17-24.
eCollection 2015 Mar.

Interactive social neuroscience to study autism spectrum disorder

Max J Rolison  1 , Adam J Naples  2 , James C McPartland  2
Affiliations
Review

Interactive social neuroscience to study autism spectrum disorder

Max J Rolison et al. Yale J Biol Med. .

Abstract

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) demonstrate difficulty with social interactions and relationships, but the neural mechanisms underlying these difficulties remain largely unknown. While social difficulties in ASD are most apparent in the context of interactions with other people, most neuroscience research investigating ASD have provided limited insight into the complex dynamics of these interactions. The development of novel, innovative "interactive social neuroscience" methods to study the brain in contexts with two interacting humans is a necessary advance for ASD research. Studies applying an interactive neuroscience approach to study two brains engaging with one another have revealed significant differences in neural processes during interaction compared to observation in brain regions that are implicated in the neuropathology of ASD. Interactive social neuroscience methods are crucial in clarifying the mechanisms underlying the social and communication deficits that characterize ASD.

Keywords: autism spectrum disorder; interactive neuroscience; mirror neuron system; social neuroscience.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Hari R, Kujala MV. Brain basis of human social interaction: from concepts to brain imaging. Physiol Rev. 2009;89:453–479. - PubMed
    1. Brothers L. The social brain: A project for integrating primate behavior and neurophysiology in a new domain. Concepts in Neuroscience. 1990;1:27–51.
    1. Sebanz N, Bekkering H, Knoblich G. Joint action: bodies and minds moving together. Trends Cogn Sci. 2006;10(2):70–76. - PubMed
    1. Schilbach L, Timmermans B, Reddy V, Costall A, Bente G, Schlicht T. et al. Toward a second-person neuroscience. Behav Brain Sci. 2013;36(4):393–414. - PubMed
    1. American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. 5th ed. Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing; 2013.

Publication types