Salience Network Connectivity in Autism Is Related to Brain and Behavioral Markers of Sensory Overresponsivity

• Published in: Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Vol. 55; no. 7; pp. 618 - 626.e1
• Main Authors: Green, Shulamite A., Hernandez, Leanna, Bookheimer, Susan Y., Dapretto, Mirella
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01-07-2016; Elsevier BV
• Subjects: Adolescent; Attention; Atypical; Auditory stimuli; Autism; Autism Spectrum Disorder - complications; Autism Spectrum Disorder - diagnostic imaging; Autism Spectrum Disorder - physiopathology; Autism Spectrum Disorders; Autistic children; Aversive; Biomarkers; Brain; Brain activity; Brain mapping; Cerebral Cortex - diagnostic imaging; Cerebral Cortex - physiopathology; Child; Connectome; Coping; Coping strategies; External stimuli; Feedback (Response); Female; fMRI; Functional connectivity; Functional magnetic resonance imaging; Humans; Information processing; Intelligence tests; Intervention; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Mildly; Networks; Neural networks; Neuroimaging; Neurology; Neuropsychology; NMR; Nuclear magnetic resonance; Resting; resting state; salience network; Sensation Disorders - diagnostic imaging; Sensation Disorders - etiology; Sensation Disorders - physiopathology; Sensory integration; sensory overresponsivity; Sensory perception; Sensory processes; Sensory stimuli; Social interventions; Stimuli; Tactile stimuli; Youth; fMRI; resting state; autism spectrum disorders; sensory overresponsivity; salience network
• ISSN: 0890-8567; 1527-5418
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2016.04.013

The salience network, an intrinsic brain network thought to modulate attention to internal versus external stimuli, has been consistently found to be atypical in autism spectrum disorders (ASD). However, little is known about how this altered resting-state connectivity relates to brain activity during information processing, which has important implications for understanding sensory overresponsivity (SOR), a common and impairing condition in ASD related to difficulty downregulating brain responses to sensory stimuli. This study examined how SOR in youth with ASD relates to atypical salience network connectivity and whether these atypicalities are associated with abnormal brain response to basic sensory information.
Functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to examine how parent-rated SOR symptoms related to salience network connectivity in 61 youth (aged 8−17 years; 28 with ASD and 33 IQ-matched typically developing youth). Correlations between resting-state salience network connectivity and brain response to mildly aversive tactile and auditory stimuli were examined.
SOR in youth with ASD was related to increased resting-state functional connectivity between salience network nodes and brain regions implicated in primary sensory processing and attention. Furthermore, the strength of this connectivity at rest was related to the extent of brain activity in response to auditory and tactile stimuli.
Results support an association between intrinsic brain connectivity and specific atypical brain responses during information processing. In addition, findings suggest that basic sensory information is overly salient to individuals with SOR, leading to overattribution of attention to this information. Implications for intervention include incorporating sensory coping strategies into social interventions for individuals with SOR.