Bradstreet Lauren E, Hecht Erin E, King Tricia Z, Turner Jessica L, Robins Diana L
Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, P.O. Box 5010, Atlanta, GA, 30302-5010, USA.
A.J. Drexel Autism Institute, Drexel University, 3020 Market Street, Suite 560, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
Exp Brain Res. 2017 Jan;235(1):259-267. doi: 10.1007/s00221-016-4791-5. Epub 2016 Oct 3.
Whereas a number of studies have examined relationships among brain activity, social cognitive skills, and autistic traits, fewer studies have evaluated whether structural connections among brain regions relate to these traits and skills. Uncinate fasciculus (UF) and inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF) are white matter tracts that may underpin the behavioral expression of these skills because they connect regions within or provide sensory information to brain areas implicated in social cognition, and structural differences in these tracts have been associated with autistic traits. We examined relationships among self-reported autistic traits, mentalizing, and water diffusivity in UF and ILF in a nonclinical sample of 24 young adults (mean age = 21.92 years, SD = 4.72 years; 15 women). We measured autistic traits using the Autism-Spectrum Quotient, and we measured mentalizing using the Dynamic Interactive Shapes Clips task. We used Tract-Based Spatial Statistics and randomize to examine relationships among fractional anisotropy (FA) values in bilateral ILF and UF, age, cognitive abilities, autistic traits, and mentalizing. Autistic traits were positively related to FA values in left ILF. No other relationships between FA values and other variables were significant. Results suggest that left ILF may be involved in the expression of autistic traits in individuals without clinical diagnoses.
尽管已有多项研究探讨了大脑活动、社会认知技能和自闭症特征之间的关系，但较少有研究评估大脑区域之间的结构连接是否与这些特征和技能相关。钩束（UF）和下纵束（ILF）是白质束，可能是这些技能行为表现的基础，因为它们连接社会认知相关脑区内的区域或向这些区域提供感觉信息，并且这些束的结构差异与自闭症特征有关。我们在24名年轻成年人（平均年龄=21.92岁，标准差=4.72岁；15名女性）的非临床样本中，研究了自我报告的自闭症特征、心理理论以及UF和ILF中的水扩散率之间的关系。我们使用自闭症谱系商数测量自闭症特征，使用动态交互式形状剪辑任务测量心理理论。我们使用基于体素的空间统计学和随机化方法，来研究双侧ILF和UF中的各向异性分数（FA）值、年龄、认知能力、自闭症特征和心理理论之间的关系。自闭症特征与左侧ILF中的FA值呈正相关。FA值与其他变量之间没有其他显著关系。结果表明，左侧ILF可能参与了无临床诊断个体自闭症特征的表达。
