Differential neural correlates underlying mental rotation processes in two distinct cognitive profiles in autism

• Published in: NeuroImage clinical 2022-01, Vol.36, p.103221-103221, Article 103221
• Main Authors: Thérien, Véronique D., Degré-Pelletier, Janie, Barbeau, Elise B., Samson, Fabienne, Soulières, Isabelle
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Autism; Autistic Disorder; Block Design peak; Brain; Brain Mapping; Cognition; Cognitive strength; fMRI; Functional connectivity; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging - methods; Male; Mental rotation; Regular; Space Perception - physiology; Visual Perception - physiology
• ISSN: 2213-1582; 2213-1582
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2022.103221

•Autistics with a Block Design peak were faster at a mental rotation task.•Distinct cognitive profiles in autism modulate brain activation and functional connectivity.•Greater parietal and occipital functioning is specific to autistics with visuospatial strengths.•Increased fronto-occipital connectivity characterized autistics with visuospatial peaks. Enhanced visuospatial abilities characterize the cognitive profile of a subgroup of autistics. However, the neural correlates underlying such cognitive strengths are largely unknown. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we investigated the neural underpinnings of superior visuospatial functioning in different autistic subgroups. Twenty-seven autistic adults, including 13 with a Wechsler’s Block Design peak (AUTp) and 14 without (AUTnp), and 23 typically developed adults (TYP) performed a classic mental rotation task. As expected, AUTp participants were faster at the task compared to TYP. At the neural level, AUTp participants showed enhanced bilateral parietal and occipital activation, stronger occipito-parietal and fronto-occipital connectivity, and diminished fronto-parietal connectivity compared to TYP. On the other hand, AUTnp participants presented greater activation in right and anterior regions compared to AUTp. In addition, reduced connectivity between occipital and parietal regions was observed in AUTnp compared to AUTp and TYP participants. A greater reliance on posterior regions is typically reported in the autism literature. Our results suggest that this commonly reported finding may be specific to a subgroup of autistic individuals with enhanced visuospatial functioning. Moreover, this study demonstrated that increased occipito-frontal synchronization was associated with superior visuospatial abilities in autism. This finding contradicts the long-range under-connectivity hypothesis in autism. Finally, given the relationship between distinct cognitive profiles in autism and our observed differences in brain functioning, future studies should provide an adequate characterization of the autistic subgroups in their research. The main limitations are small sample sizes and the inclusion of male-only participants.