Kleinhans Natalia, Larsen Sarah F, Estes Annette, Aylward Elizabeth
Department of Radiology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98109, USA.
Integrated Brain Imaging Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
NeuroSci. 2025 Apr 1;6(2):29. doi: 10.3390/neurosci6020029.
Intrinsic connectivity of the fusiform face area (FFA) was assessed using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to compare adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD; = 17) and age-, sex-, and IQ-matched typically developing controls (TD; = 22). The FFA seed region was delineated in each participant using a functional localizer task. Whole brain analyses of FFA connectivity revealed increased connectivity between the right FFA and the vermis, sensorimotor cortex, and extended face-processing network in individuals with ASD compared to TD participants; the TD group did not demonstrate increased functional connectivity. No group differences were observed from the left FFA. The relationship between FFA connectivity and the ability to remember faces significantly differed between the groups. Better face memory performance was positively correlated with increased connectivity within general visual processing areas in the ASD participants; whereas for the TD group, better face memory performance was associated with increased connectivity with brain regions related to face encoding, recognition, and retrieval. FFA overconnectivity with face, emotion, and memory processing areas, along with atypical relationships between FFA-occipito-temporal connections and face memory performance highlights a possible mechanism underlying social dysfunction in individuals with ASD.
使用静息态功能磁共振成像（fMRI）评估梭状回面孔区（FFA）的内在连接性，以比较患有自闭症谱系障碍（ASD；n = 17）的成年人与年龄、性别和智商匹配的典型发育对照组（TD；n = 22）。使用功能性定位任务在每个参与者中划定FFA种子区域。与TD参与者相比，对FFA连接性的全脑分析显示，ASD个体的右侧FFA与蚓部、感觉运动皮层和扩展的面孔处理网络之间的连接性增加；TD组未表现出功能连接性增加。左侧FFA未观察到组间差异。两组之间FFA连接性与面孔记忆能力之间的关系存在显著差异。在ASD参与者中，更好的面孔记忆表现与一般视觉处理区域内连接性增加呈正相关；而对于TD组，更好的面孔记忆表现与与面孔编码、识别和检索相关的脑区连接性增加有关。FFA与面孔、情感和记忆处理区域的过度连接，以及FFA-枕颞连接与面孔记忆表现之间的非典型关系，突出了ASD个体社交功能障碍的一种可能机制。
