19320
Structural Connectivity Between Orbitofrontal Cortex and Amygdala and Its Association with Socio-Emotional Skills in Autism Spectrum Disorder

Saturday, May 16, 2015: 11:30 AM-1:30 PM
Imperial Ballroom (Grand America Hotel)
A. C. Samson1, J. J. Gross1, Y. Enav1, R. F. Dougherty2, J. M. Phillips3 and A. Y. Hardan3, (1)Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, (2)Stanford Center for Neurobiological Imaging, Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, (3)Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
Background:   Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have social and communication deficits, demonstrate restricted and repetitive behavior, and show difficulties with emotion regulation.

Objectives:   The goal of this investigation is to increase our understanding of the neural correlates of social skills and emotional regulation in children and adolescents with ASD. We particularly focused on the uncinate fasciculus since this white matter tract connects the amygdala with the orbito-frontal cortex which are involved in socio-emotional processing.

Methods:   The association between white matter integrity in the left and right uncinate fasciculus and social skills and emotion regulation was examined in 18 high functioning individuals with ASD and 18 group-matched typically developing (TD) controls using Diffusion Tensor Imaging. To test specificity of the associations between white matter integrity and socio-emotional skills, the relationship between the uncinate fasciculus and restricted and repetitive behaviors was examined as well. Emotion regulation, social skills, and repetitive behaviors were assessed using parent-report measures.

Results:   Compared to TD individuals, individuals with ASD had lower fractional anisotropy in the left uncinate, but not in the right uncinate. Group moderated the association between left uncinate and socio-emotional skills, indicating that within the ASD group, white matter integrity was associated with socio-emotional skills. Further analyses revealed that individuals with ASD with lower white matter integrity had increased social deficits and increased difficulties regulating emotions. There was no association between white matter integrity in the left and right uncinate and restricted and repetitive behaviors. 

Conclusions:  This study provides preliminary evidence that the left uncinate may play a critical role in social skills and emotion regulation in individuals with ASD. Additional investigations are needed to examine these relationships in a larger sample size that includes lower functioning individuals.