Fronto-limbic functioning in children and adolescents with and without autism

• Authors: Katherine A. Loveland, University of Texas Houston; Jocelyne Bachevalier, Emory University; Deborah A. Pearson, University of Texas Houston; David M. Lane, Rice University
• Journal Title: Neuropsychologia
• Volume: Volume 46, Number 1
• Publisher: Elsevier | 2008-01-22, Pages 49-62
• Type of Work: Article | Post-print: After Peer Review
• Publisher DOI: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2007.08.017
• Subjects: Biology, Neuroscience; Psychology, Cognitive; Psychology, Behavioral
• Keywords: Adolescent; Autistic Disorder; Avoidance Learning; Child; Discrimination (Psychology); Female; Frontal Lobe; Humans; Limbic System; Male; Memory; Neuropsychological Tests; Pattern Recognition, Visual; Photic Stimulation; Space Perception

Abstract

We used neuropsychological tasks to investigate integrity of brain circuits linking orbitofrontal cortex and amygdala (orbitofrontal-amygdala), and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and hippocampus (dorsolateral prefrontal-hippocampus), in 138 individuals aged 7-18 years, with and without autism. We predicted that performance on orbitofrontal-amygdala tasks would be poorer in the Autism group compared to the Non-Autism group regardless of intellectual level (verbal mental age, VMA) and that performance on dorsolateral prefrontal-hippocampus tasks would be associated primarily with intellectual level. Predicted differences between Autism and Non-Autism groups on orbitofrontal-amygdala tasks were present but greater in individuals with higher VMA. On dorsolateral prefrontal-hippocampus tasks, poorer performance by the Autism compared to the Non-Autism group was found at all VMA levels. Group differences suggest both brain circuits are impaired in autism, but performance on all tasks is also associated with intellectual level.