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Molecular Autism
Published in: Molecular Autism 1/2017

Open Access 01-12-2017 | Research

Disconnection from others in autism is more than just a feeling: whole-brain neural synchrony in adults during implicit processing of emotional faces

Authors: Rocco Mennella, Rachel C. Leung, Margot J. Taylor, Benjamin T. Dunkley

Published in: Molecular Autism | Issue 1/2017

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Abstract

Background

Socio-emotional difficulties in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are thought to reflect impaired functional connectivity within the “social brain”. Nonetheless, a whole-brain characterization of the fast responses in functional connectivity during implicit processing of emotional faces in adults with ASD is lacking.

Methods

The present study used magnetoencephalography to investigate early responses in functional connectivity, as measured by interregional phase synchronization, during implicit processing of angry, neutral and happy faces. The sample (n = 44) consisted of 22 young adults with ASD and 22 age- and sex-matched typically developed (TD) controls.

Results

Reduced phase-synchrony in the beta band around 300 ms emerged during processing of angry faces in the ASD compared to TD group, involving key areas of the social brain. In the same time window, de-synchronization in the beta band in the amygdala was reduced in the ASD group across conditions.

Conclusions

This is the first demonstration of atypical global and local synchrony patterns in the social brain in adults with ASD during implicit processing of emotional faces. The present results replicate and substantially extend previous findings on adolescents, highlighting that atypical brain synchrony during processing of socio-emotional stimuli is a hallmark of clinical sequelae in autism.
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Metadata
Title
Disconnection from others in autism is more than just a feeling: whole-brain neural synchrony in adults during implicit processing of emotional faces
Authors
Rocco Mennella
Rachel C. Leung
Margot J. Taylor
Benjamin T. Dunkley
Publication date
01-12-2017
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
Molecular Autism / Issue 1/2017
Electronic ISSN: 2040-2392
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s13229-017-0123-2

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