PNAS：大脑扫描中的自闭症特征神经信号

　　一项研究说，科学家发现了大脑活动的一种模式可能是发展出自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）的遗传脆弱性的特征。这种神经发育障碍削弱了社会互动与交流，而且已经被证明会破坏大脑解释其他人的运动（称为“生物运动”）的能力。

　　Kevin A. Pelphrey及其同事使用功能磁共振成像（fMRI）扫描了自闭症儿童及其没有自闭症的兄弟姐妹在观看生物运动的动画的时候的大脑。这组作者把他们与对照组进行了比较，结果观察到了3个独特的“神经特征”：自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）儿童与未患此病的兄弟姐妹共有的大脑活动减少区域；自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）儿童特有的活动减少区域；以及未患此病的兄弟姐妹特有的活动增加区域。

　　这组作者说，第一个特征与可能发展出此病的遗传脆弱性有关，而第二个特征意味着活跃的自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）。这组作者提出，未患此病的兄弟姐妹大脑区域活动增加的第三个特征可能补偿了这些儿童继承到的缺陷。这组作者说，该研究可能对更好地理解自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）破坏的神经系统网络以及这种疾病的遗传和分子病因学做出贡献。（生物谷Bioon.com）

　　生物谷推荐英文摘要：

　　PNAS doi: 10.1073/pnas.1010412107

　　Neural signatures of autism

　　Martha D. Kaisera, Caitlin M. Hudaca, Sarah Shultza,b, Su Mei Leea,b, Celeste Cheunga, Allison M. Berkena, Ben Deena, Naomi B. Pitskela, Daniel R. Sugruea, Avery C. Voosa, Celine A. Saulniera, Pamela Ventolaa, Julie M. Wolfa, Ami Klina, Brent C. Vander Wyka, and Kevin A. Pelphreya,b,1

　　aYale Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, and bDepartment of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520

　　Functional magnetic resonance imaging of brain responses to biological motion in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), unaffected siblings (US) of children with ASD, and typically developing (TD) children has revealed three types of neural signatures: (i) state activity, related to the state of having ASD that characterizes the nature of disruption in brain circuitry; (ii) trait activity, reflecting shared areas of dysfunction in US and children with ASD, thereby providing a promising neuroendophenotype to facilitate efforts to bridge genomic complexity and disorder heterogeneity; and (iii) compensatory activity, unique to US, suggesting a neural system–level mechanism by which US might compensate for an increased genetic risk for developing ASD. The distinct brain responses to biological motion exhibited by TD children and US are striking given the identical behavioral profile of these two groups. These findings offer far-reaching implications for our understanding of the neural systems underlying autism.