Department of Psychology, University of Alabama, Birmingham, CIRC 235G, 1719 6th Avenue South, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA.
Neuropsychol Rev. 2014 Mar;24(1):16-31. doi: 10.1007/s11065-014-9250-0. Epub 2014 Feb 5.
Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder that has been associated with atypical brain functioning. Functional connectivity MRI (fcMRI) studies examining neural networks in autism have seen an exponential rise over the last decade. Such investigations have led to the characterization of autism as a distributed neural systems disorder. Studies have found widespread cortical underconnectivity, local overconnectivity, and mixed results suggesting disrupted brain connectivity as a potential neural signature of autism. In this review, we summarize the findings of previous fcMRI studies in autism with a detailed examination of their methodology, in order to better understand its potential and to delineate the pitfalls. We also address how a multimodal neuroimaging approach (incorporating different measures of brain connectivity) may help characterize the complex neurobiology of autism at a global level. Finally, we also address the potential of neuroimaging-based markers in assisting neuropsychological assessment of autism. The quest for a neural marker for autism is still ongoing, yet new findings suggest that aberrant brain connectivity may be a promising candidate.
自闭症是一种神经发育障碍，与非典型大脑功能有关。在过去的十年中，研究自闭症神经回路的功能连接磁共振成像（fcMRI）研究呈指数级增长。这些研究将自闭症描述为一种分布式神经系统疾病。研究发现广泛的皮质下连接不足、局部连接过度，以及一些结果提示大脑连接中断，这可能是自闭症的一个潜在神经特征。在这篇综述中，我们总结了自闭症功能连接磁共振成像研究的结果，并详细检查了其方法学，以便更好地理解其潜力，并阐明其局限性。我们还探讨了多模态神经影像学方法（结合不同的大脑连接测量方法）如何帮助在整体水平上描绘自闭症的复杂神经生物学。最后，我们还探讨了基于神经影像学的标记物在辅助自闭症神经心理学评估方面的潜力。寻找自闭症的神经标记物仍在进行中，但新的研究结果表明，异常的大脑连接可能是一个有前途的候选者。
