Author: Redcay, E.; Courchesne, E.
Description: BACKGROUND: A failure to develop normal language is one of the most common first signs that a toddler might be at risk for autism. Currently the neural bases underlying this failure to develop language are unknown.
METHODS: In this study, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to identify the brain regions involved in speech perception in 12 2-3-year-old children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) during natural sleep. We also recorded fMRI data from two typically developing control groups: a mental age-matched (MA) (n = 11) and a chronological age-matched (CA) (n = 12) group. During fMRI data acquisition, forward and backward speech stimuli were presented with intervening periods of no sound presentation.
RESULTS: Direct statistical comparison between groups revealed significant differences in regions recruited to process speech. In comparison with their MA-matched control subjects, the ASD group showed reduced activity in an extended network of brain regions, which are recruited in typical early language acquisition. In comparison with their CA-matched control subjects, ASD participants showed greater activation primarily within right and medial frontal regions. Laterality analyses revealed a trend toward greater recruitment of right hemisphere regions in the ASD group and left hemisphere regions in the CA group during the forward speech condition. Furthermore, correlation analyses revealed a significant positive relationship between right hemisphere frontal and temporal activity to forward speech and receptive language skill.
CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that at 2-3 years, children with ASD might be on a deviant developmental trajectory characterized by a greater recruitment of right hemisphere regions during speech perception.
Subject Headings: Age Factors; Autistic Disorder/diagnosis/epidemiology; Brain/abnormalities/physiopathology; Brain Mapping; Child, Preschool; Female; Functional Laterality/physiology; Humans; Language Development Disorders/diagnosis/epidemiology; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Speech Perception/physiology
Keywords: Deviant functional magnetic resonance imaging patterns of brain activity to speech in 2-3-year-old children with autism spectrum disorder
Publication year: 2008
Journal or book title: Biological Psychiatry
Volume: 64
Issue: 7
Pages: 589-598
Find the full text : https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0006322308006677
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Type: Journal Article
Serial number: 2639