Cited by 438Autism Spectrum Disorder ResearchFunctional Brain Connectivity StudiesGenetics and Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Decreased interhemispheric functional connectivity in autism

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Anderson, J. S., Druzgal, T. J., Froehlich, A., DuBray, M. B., Lange, N., Alexander, A. L., Abildskov, T., Nielsen, J. A. +4 more·2011·Cerebral Cortex

Abstract

The cortical underconnectivity theory asserts that reduced long-range functional connectivity might contribute to a neural mechanism for autism. We examined resting-state blood oxygen level-dependent interhemispheric correlation in 53 males with high-functioning autism and 39 typically developing males from late childhood through early adulthood. By constructing spatial maps of correlation between homologous voxels in each hemisphere, we found significantly reduced interhemispheric correlation specific to regions with functional relevance to autism: sensorimotor cortex, anterior insula, fusiform gyrus, superior temporal gyrus, and superior parietal lobule. Observed interhemispheric connectivity differences were better explained by diagnosis of autism than by potentially confounding neuropsychological metrics of language, IQ, or handedness. Although both corpus callosal volume and gray matter interhemispheric connectivity were significantly reduced in autism, no direct relationship was observed between them, suggesting that structural and functional metrics measure different aspects of interhemispheric connectivity. In the control but not the autism sample, there was decreasing interhemispheric correlation with subject age. Greater differences in interhemispheric correlation were seen for more lateral regions in the brain. These findings suggest that long-range connectivity abnormalities in autism are spatially heterogeneous and that transcallosal connectivity is decreased most in regions with functions associated with behavioral abnormalities in autism. Autism subjects continue to show developmental differences in interhemispheric connectivity into early adulthood.

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  1. Semel E, Wiig EH, Secord WA. 1995. Clinical evaluation of language fundamentals-3rd edition (CELF-3). San Antonio (TX): Psycholog- ical Corporation.
  2. Wechsler D. 1997. Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Third Edition (WAIS-III). San Antonio (TX): The Psychological Corporation.

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Authors
Anderson, J. S., Druzgal, T. J., Froehlich, A., DuBray, M. B., Lange, N., Alexander, A. L., Abildskov, T., Nielsen, J. A., Cariello, A. N., Cooperrider, J. R., Bigler, E. D., & Lainhart, J. E.
Affiliations
  • University of Utah (US)
  • Harvard University (US)
  • University of Wisconsin–Madison (US)
  • Brigham Young University (US)
Venue
Cerebral Cortex
Published
2010-10-12
Volume
21
Issue
5
Pages
1134-1146
ISSN
  • 1047-3211 (ISSN-L)
  • 1460-2199
OpenAlex
W2115205784
Cited by
438
References
99
Citations by year
2026: 14 · 2025: 16 · 2024: 17 · 2023: 16 · 2022: 22 · 2021: 29 · 2020: 24 · 2019: 25 · 2018: 38 · 2017: 31 · 2016: 42 · 2015: 39 · 2014: 28 · 2013: 50 · 2012: 29
FWCI
18.43
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Cerebral Cortex (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • University of Utah
  • National Institutes of Health
  • National Institute of Mental Health (P50MH060450, R01MH080826, P50-MH60450, K08MH092697)
  • National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (T32DC008553, 1F31 DC10143-01, F31DC010143)
  • National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (R01 NS34783, R01NS034783)
  • Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (P30HD003352)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Functional Brain Connectivity Studies
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Genetics and Neurodevelopmental Disorders
Keywords
autism spectrum disorder, interhemispheric functional connectivity, resting-state fMRI, corpus callosum, sensorimotor cortex, anterior insula, fusiform gyrus, superior temporal gyrus, superior parietal lobule, high-functioning autism
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Adult, Autistic Disorder, Axons, Mental Disorders, Brain Mapping, Cerebral Cortex, Child, Corpus Callosum, Dominance, Cerebral, Humans, Functional Laterality, Male, Neural Pathways

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