Functional connectivity of the amygdala and the emotion perception-regulation system in autism

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder that causes a great burden for those
with autism and their families. The disorder affects approximately 1-2 per 100
children. Core symptoms include disordered social interaction, communication
and restricted-repetitive behavior and interests. The exact neural mechanism
underlying this neurodevelopmental disorder is still unclear, although a number
of abnormal brain regions have been found. These include the prefrontal cortex
and the amygdale, which govern emotion regulation and social behavior.
Additionally, many studies have found that the collaboration between brain
areas, as measured with functional connectivity, is impaired in autism.
Inadequate collaboration between brain areas, especially between the amygdala
and prefrontal areas, may therefore explain key symptoms in autism.

We aim to investigate amygdalar functional connectivity in young people with
autism using non-invasive fMRI measures. Specifically, we aim to investigate
the functional connectivity of the amygdalar nuclei to the rest of the brain.

The study is cross-sectional, observational, and non-invasive. In a period of 6
months, 30 people with autism and 30 age, IQ and gender matched controls will
be recruited and scanned at the Donders Institute (Nijmegen) using a 3T MRI
scanner.

In a period of 30 minutes both structural and resting state functional scans
will be acquired. During the scan period, participants are asked to stay awake
but are not presented with any stimulus material. They need not do any
particular task, but are asked to keep their eyes open.

The overall period of the study is 1.5 year: 6 months data gathering, including
participant recruitment, scanning and acquiring psychometric tests. The results
will be analyzed and published in the subsequent year

MRI scans do not pose (medical) risks. The burden posed by MRI scanning
consists of lying still in a semi-confined space while listening to loud
noised, an idea that may be scary for some. However, since 2006 we (the
subscriber personally and the Donders Institute as an organization) have
gathered a wealth of experience scanning adolescents at the Donders Institute.
Using a Dummy MRI scanner, adolescents are able to practice lying still in a
MRI scanner that produces noise. This greatly increases confidence for
adolescent participants; previous experiences have learned that adolescents
(with autism) do not experience scanning as stressful. Of course, all
participants can opt out before participation, during practice with the dummy
scanner and during the actual scanning.