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Resting-State Functional Connectivity Changes Between Dentate Nucleus and Cortical Social Brain Regions in Autism Spectrum Disorders

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Abstract

Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are known to be characterized by restricted and repetitive behaviors and interests and by impairments in social communication and interactions mainly including “theory of mind” (ToM) processes. The cerebellum has emerged as one of the brain regions affected by ASDs. As the cerebellum is known to influence cerebral cortex activity via cerebello-thalamo-cortical (CTC) circuits, it has been proposed that cerebello-cortical “disconnection” could in part underlie autistic symptoms. We used resting-state (RS) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate the potential RS connectivity changes between the cerebellar dentate nucleus (DN) and the CTC circuit targets, that may contribute to ASD pathophysiology. When comparing ASD patients to controls, we found decreased connectivity between the left DN and cerebral regions known to be components of the ToM network and the default mode network, implicated in specific aspects of mentalizing, social cognition processing, and higher order emotional processes. Further, a pattern of overconnectivity was also detected between the left DN and the supramodal cerebellar lobules associated with the default mode network. The presented RS-fMRI data provide evidence that functional connectivity (FC) between the dentate nucleus and the cerebral cortex is altered in ASD patients. This suggests that the dysfunction reported within the cerebral cortical network, typically related to social features of ASDs, may be at least partially related to an impaired interaction between cerebellum and key cortical social brain regions.

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Acknowledgments

Special thanks to the subjects who were involved in this study. The authors also thank Gruppo Asperger onlus, Spazio Asperger onlus, CulturAutismo onlus, and Cooperativa Giuseppe Garibaldi for invaluable assistance, providing supports for subjects’ recruitment.

Funding

This work was supported by the Ministry of Education, Universities, and Research (MIUR) (Grant Number C26A1329AR).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ataxia Laboratory, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Via Ardeatina 306, 00179, Rome, Italy

    Giusy Olivito, Silvia Clausi, Anna Maria Tedesco & Maria Leggio

  2. Department of Psychology, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Via dei Marsi 78, 00185, Rome, Italy

    Giusy Olivito, Silvia Clausi, Anna Maria Tedesco & Maria Leggio

  3. Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Via dei Marsi 78, 00185, Rome, Italy

    Fiorenzo Laghi & Roberto Baiocco

  4. Neuroimaging Laboratory, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Via Ardeatina 306, 00179, Rome, Italy

    Chiara Mastropasqua, Mara Cercignani & Marco Bozzali

  5. Neurological and Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Department A, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Via Ardeatina 306, 00179, Rome, Italy

    Marco Molinari

  6. Clinical Imaging Sciences Centre, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, University of Sussex, Falmer, BN1 9RR, Brighton, UK

    Mara Cercignani

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  1. Giusy Olivito
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Olivito, G., Clausi, S., Laghi, F. et al. Resting-State Functional Connectivity Changes Between Dentate Nucleus and Cortical Social Brain Regions in Autism Spectrum Disorders. Cerebellum 16, 283–292 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12311-016-0795-8

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