A functional and structural study of emotion and face processing in children with autism

Corbett, Blythe A.; Carmean, Vanessa; Ravizza, Susan; Wendelken, Carter; Henry, Melissa L.; Carter, Cameron; Rivera, Susan M.

doi:10.1016/j.pscychresns.2008.08.005

« Previous Next »Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging
Volume 173, Issue 3 , Pages 196-205, 30 September 2009

A functional and structural study of emotion and face processing in children with autism

Blythe A. Corbett
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- M.I.N.D. Institute, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- Imaging Research Center, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- Corresponding author. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, M.I.N.D. Institute, 2825 50th Street, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA. Tel.: +1 916 703 0232; fax: +1 916 703 0244.
Vanessa Carmean
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- M.I.N.D. Institute, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
Susan Ravizza
- Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
Carter Wendelken
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
Melissa L. Henry
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
Cameron Carter
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- Imaging Research Center, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
Susan M. Rivera
- M.I.N.D. Institute, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA

Received 28 February 2008; received in revised form 9 July 2008; accepted 12 August 2008.

Abstract

Children with autism exhibit impairment in the processing of socioemotional information. The amygdala, a core structure centrally involved in socioemotional functioning, has been implicated in the neuropathology of autism. We collected structural and functional magnetic resonance images (MRI) in children 8 to 12 years of age with high-functioning autism (n=12) and typical development (n=15). The functional MRI experiment involved matching facial expressions and people. Volumetric analysis of the amygdala was also performed. The results showed that children with autism exhibited intact emotion matching, while showing diminished activation of the fusiform gyrus (FG) and the amygdala. Conversely, the autism group showed deficits in person matching amidst some FG and variable amygdala activation. No significant between-group differences in the volume of the left or right amygdala were found. There were associations between age, social anxiety and amygdala volume in the children with autism such that smaller volumes were generally associated with more anxiety and younger age. In summary, the data are consistent with abnormalities in circuits involved in emotion and face processing reported in studies of older subjects with autism showing reductions in amygdala activation related to emotion processing and reduced fusiform activation involved in face processing.