Integrating Brain Imaging Results to Better Understand Autism

Abstract

In this article, we will describe a big summary (called a meta-analysis) of 16 brain mapping studies in people with autism spectrum disorder. People with autism often have difficulty with activities like decision-making, planning, and switching between tasks, which are called executive function (EF) activities. We found that certain parts of the brain become more activated when EF activities are being performed. In people with autism, these brain regions do not seem to communicate as well during EF activities as they do in people without autism. It is possible that these differences in the patterns of brain activity might be a big reason why individuals with autism tend to have trouble with executive function tasks.