Yu-Chun Lo1, Yu-Jen Chen1, Yung-Chin Hsu1, Susan Shur-Fen Gau2, and Wen-Yih Isaac Tseng1
1Institute of Medical Device and Imaging, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan, 2Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
Impaired social communication skills have been consistently reported in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We used diffusion spectrum imaging to measure white matter integrity of the social communication network, and investigated its relationships with social communication and social interaction in 62 ASD and 55 typically developing (TD) boys. ASD showed partially reduced white matter integrity of the social communication network as compared to TD. Positive correlations were found between white matter integrity and the social interaction in ASD. In conclusion, altered microstructural property of the social communication network might be a structural correlate of social communication deficits in ASD.
