Deficits in mesolimbic reward pathway underlie social interaction impairments in children with autism.

ABSTRACT: Lack of interest in social interaction is a hallmark of autism spectrum disorder. Animal studies have implicated the mesolimbic reward pathway in driving and reinforcing social behaviour, but little is known about the integrity of this pathway and its behavioural consequences in children with autism spectrum disorder. Here we test the hypothesis that the structural and functional integrity of the mesolimbic reward pathway is aberrant in children with autism spectrum disorder, and these aberrancies contribute to the social interaction impairments. We examine structural and functional connectivity of the mesolimbic reward pathway in two independent cohorts totalling 82 children aged 7-13 years with autism spectrum disorder and age-, gender-, and intelligence quotient-matched typically develo

SUBMITTER: Supekar K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6113649 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature