Context-dependent amygdala-prefrontal connectivity in youths with autism spectrum disorder

Background: The amygdala-prefrontal cortex circuit is involved in processing socio-emotional cues and may partially mediate social impairment in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Past task-based fMRI studies in ASD indicate a mix of hypo- and hyper-connectivity in response to socioemotional stimuli whereas resting state studies report hypoconnectivity between these regions. However, it is still unknown whether ASD-related alterations in amygdala-prefrontal circuitry are present across socio-emotional tasks and resting state contexts within the same sample or instead, depend on context. Method: ASD (n = 47) and typically developing individuals (TD; n = 72) underwent fMRI during an implicit emotional face processing task and during rest, and whole-brain amygdala connectivity was calculated to determine patterns that differed by context and diagnosis. Results: Relative to TD, the ASD group demonstrated weaker left amygdala connectivity with the medial frontal gyrus and the left superior frontal gyrus during rest, but stronger connectivity during task. Furthermore, across both contexts, ASD vs. TD had stronger right amygdala connectivity with the left insula/superior temporal gyros. Conclusion: Findings suggest some alterations in amygdala connectivity of ASD may depend on context while others are pervasive across task and rest conditions. Understanding context-dependent brain alterations in ASD may help disambiguate the mechanisms subserving social impairment and provide targets for treatment.

Automated summary

This study found differences in amygdala connectivity in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) during socio-emotional tasks and resting state. Compared to typically developing individuals, ASD patients showed weaker amygdala connectivity with the medial frontal gyrus and the left superior frontal gyrus during rest, but stronger connectivity during task. Additionally, regardless of the task context, ASD patients had stronger connectivity between the right amygdala and the left insula/superior temporal gyrus.