Functional connectivity for an "island of sparing" in autism spectrum disorder: an fMRI study of visual search.

ABSTRACT: Although autism is usually characterized with respect to sociocommunicative impairments, visual search is known as a domain of relative performance strength in this disorder. This study used functional MRI during visual search in children with autism spectrum disorder (n = 19; mean age = 13;10) and matched typically developing children (n = 19; mean age = 14;0). We selected regions of interest within two attentional networks known to play a crucial role in visual search processes, such as goal-directed selective attention, filtering of irrelevant distractors, and detection of behaviorally-relevant information, and examined activation and connectivity within and between these attentional networks. Additionally, based on prior research suggesting links between visual search abilities and aut

SUBMITTER: Keehn B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3720763 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature