Amygdala engagement in response to subthreshold presentations of anxious face stimuli in adults with autism spectrum disorders: preliminary insights

Geoffrey B C Hall, Krissy A R Doyle, Jeremy Goldberg, Dianne West, Peter Szatmari, Geoffrey B C Hall, Krissy A R Doyle, Jeremy Goldberg, Dianne West, Peter Szatmari

Abstract

Current theoretical models of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have proposed that impairments in the processing of social/emotional information may be linked to amygdala dysfunction. However, the extent to which amygdala functions are compromised in ASD has become a topic of debate in recent years. In a jittered functional magnetic resonance imaging study, sub-threshold presentations of anxious faces permitted an examination of amygdala recruitment in 12 high functioning adult males with ASD and 12 matched controls. We found heightened neural activation of the amygdala in both high functioning adults with ASD and matched controls. Neither the intensity nor the time-course of amygdala activation differed between the groups. However, the adults with ASD showed significantly lower levels of fusiform activation during the trials compared to controls. Our findings suggest that in ASD, the transmission of socially salient information along sub-cortical pathways is intact: and yet the signaling of this information to structures downstream may be impoverished, and the pathways that facilitate subsequent processing deficient.

Conflict of interest statement

Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Figure 1. Design of backward masking trials…
Figure 1. Design of backward masking trials used in the fMRI study.
From trial onset the subject is presented with a male or female face. Inserted into this presentation are two subthreshold presentations of different corresponding male or female face. Each trial began with the presentation a neutral face. After an average of 373 msec, a 33 msec anxious face appeared followed by the reappearance of the neutral face for 200 msec. A second 33 mec presentation of the anxious face occurred followed by the final presentation of the neutral face. Participants were asked to identify if the neutral face was a man or a woman. Each trial was followed by a fixation screen for an average of 5400 msec.
Figure 2. Performance data for gender discrimination…
Figure 2. Performance data for gender discrimination of neutral mask faces.
Performance by individuals with ASD (blue) and controls (red) was associated with mean group percent errors (a.) and response latencies (b.). The asterisk (*) indicates significant group differences.
Figure 3. Amygdala activation during backward masking…
Figure 3. Amygdala activation during backward masking trials.
Statistical maps of a priori regions of interest defined using the Talairach Atlas and superimposed on a composite average of 24 anatomical T1 image sets normalized to Talairach space. Note bilateral amygdala activation in both individuals with ASD (a.) and age-matched controls (b.) during the presentation of subthreshold anxious face stimuli. Images are presented according to radiological convention. Mean peristimulus plots of the average estimated hemodynamic responses to subthreshold anxious face images are shown (c.) for the right and left amygdala in individuals with ASD and controls. The control group is shown in red, and the ASD group is shown in blue.
Figure 4. Fusiform activation during backward masking…
Figure 4. Fusiform activation during backward masking trials – between group comparison.

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