Atypical cross talk between mentalizing and mirror neuron networks in autism spectrum disorder.

ABSTRACT:

Importance

Converging evidence indicates that brain abnormalities in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) involve atypical network connectivity, but it is unclear whether altered connectivity is especially prominent in brain networks that participate in social cognition.

Objective

To investigate whether adolescents with ASD show altered functional connectivity in 2 brain networks putatively impaired in ASD and involved in social processing, theory of mind (ToM) and mirror neuron system (MNS).

Design, setting, and participants

Cross-sectional study using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging involving 25 adolescents with ASD between the ages of 11 and 18 years and 25 typically developing adolescents matched for age, handedness, and nonverbal IQ.

Main outcome

SUBMITTER: Fishman I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4404406 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature