Abnormal activation of the social brain during face perception in autism
Abnormal activation of the social brain during face perception in autism
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DOI：
10.1002/hbm.20283
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发表时间：
2007-05-01
影响因子：
4.8
通讯作者：
Tager-Flusberg, Helen
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Hadjikhani, Nouchine;Joseph, Robert M.;Tager-Flusberg, Helen
ASD涉及处理来自面部的社交信息的基本障碍。最近的几项研究挑战了早期的发现，即自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）患者在观看面部时没有梭状回（梭状面区，FFA）的激活。在这项研究中，我们研究了在更广泛的面部处理模块网络中对面部的激活，这些模块包括所谓的社会大脑。使用3T功能共振成像，我们测量了10名ASD受试者和7名健康对照者被动观看非情绪面孔时BOLD信号的变化。我们重复了我们最初的发现，即ASD患者的面部身份处理区（FFA和枕下回，IOG）显著激活。然而，除此之外，我们还发现了一个更广泛分布的涉及面部处理的大脑区域网络（包括右杏仁核、下额叶皮层（IFC）、上级颞沟（STS）以及与面部相关的躯体感觉和运动前皮层）的激活不足。在ASD中，我们发现了社交脑中属于镜像神经元系统（IFC，STS）的一个亚组区域与其他面部处理区域之间的功能相关性。孤独症诊断观察表测量的社会症状的严重程度与右侧IFC皮质厚度和该区域的功能激活相关。当观看面孔时，ASD成年人在形成更广泛的面孔处理网络和社会大脑的区域中显示出非典型的激活模式，这些区域位于核心FFA和IOG区域之外。这些模式表明，属于镜像神经元系统的区域参与了ASD患者的面孔加工障碍。
ASD involves a fundamental impairment in processing social-communicative information from faces. Several recent studies have challenged earlier findings that individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have no activation of the fusiform gyrus (fusiform face area, FFA) when viewing faces. In this study, we examined activation to faces in the broader network of face-processing modules that comprise what is known as the social brain. Using 3T functional resonance imaging, we measured BOLD signal changes in 10 ASD subjects and 7 healthy controls passively viewing nonemotional faces. We replicated our original findings of significant activation of face identity-processing areas (FFA and inferior occipital gyrus, IOG) in ASD. However, in addition, we identified hypoactivation in a more widely distributed network of brain areas involved in face processing [including the right amygdala, inferior frontal cortex (IFC), superior temporal sulcus (STS), and face-related somatosensory and premotor cortex]. In ASD, we found functional correlations between a subgroup of areas in the social brain that belong to the mirror neuron system (IFC, STS) and other face-processing areas. The severity of the social symptoms measured by the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule was correlated with the right IFC cortical thickness and with functional activation in that area. When viewing faces, adults with ASD show atypical patterns of activation in regions forming the broader face-processing network and social brain, outside the core FFA and IOG regions. These patterns suggest that areas belonging to the mirror neuron system are involved in the face-processing disturbances in ASD.