Resting-State Brain Connectivity and Intervention for ASD: Consideration for a Better Outcome

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K13352
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 10030:Clinical psychology-related
• Research Institution: Chiba University
• Principal Investigator: Tsuchiyagaito Aki 千葉大学, 子どものこころの発達教育研究センター, 特任研究員 (30778452)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: MRI / 安静時脳機能 / 脳機能結合 / 反芻 / 考え込み / うつ / ASD

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Among the symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), we focused on cognitive inflexibility and repetitive thinking. We aimed to delineate the brain circuit related to repetitive negative thinking (RNT). Due to the COVID-19, instead of recruiting ASD, we utilized existing dataset with depression and healthy subjects, and analyzed resting-state fMRI data. We found that functional connectivity (FC) between precuneus and right temporo-parietal junction (rTPJ), both of which are located in the default mode network, was highly correlated with general RNT including depressive rumination. In a similar vein, we also found that FC between anterior insular (AI) and superior temporal sulcus (STS) was highly correlated with brooding RNT regardless of the severity of depression and anxiety. STS is a brain region often found to show abnormal activity among ASD populations. Our results indicate that brain's functional alterations in STS could be a feature of trans-diagnostic aspects of RNT.

Free Research Field

臨床心理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

うつ病の脳機能結合不全としては、従来、default mode network (DMN) の関与が報告されてきた。本研究においても、うつ状態および反芻（ルミネーション）といった悲観的な反復思考に関連する脳機能結合として、DMN内の機能不全を認めた。一方、うつや不安の程度を統制したところ、思考の非柔軟性や考え込み（ブルーディング）と関連する脳回路として、島前部と上側頭溝の関与を認めた。上側頭溝は言語やTheory of Mindを担う脳領域であり、ASDにおける機能不全が数多く報告されている部位である。思考の非柔軟性と関連する部位として、上側頭溝の果たす診断横断的機能が示唆された。