Smith, Rachel Ellen Welford; (2023) Functional Neural Architecture Associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Psychopathy, and Related Social Cognitive Trait Dimensions. Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London).

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Abstract

The overarching aim of this thesis was to deepen our understanding of the relationship between functional brain organization and disorders of social cognition (and their related trait dimensions). The empirical chapters outlined below addressed outstanding research questions and contribute novel resting-state fMRI findings to the study of ASD, developmental risk for psychopathy, and individual differences within these two trait domains. Chapter 2 provided a contextual foundation for the subsequent studies by detailing the main methodological tool used throughout this thesis: resting-state fMRI. Relevant resting-state findings in ASD, psychopathy, and CP were also reviewed. In Chapter 3, resting-state functional connectivity was compared in males and females with ASD, as existing research is biased towards males. Results revealed a diagnosis-by-sex interaction in cortico-cerebellar connectivity, whereby females and males showed opposite patterns of connectivity, or increases versus decreases, respectively. In Chapter 4, widespread increases in functional connectivity within- and between networks was found to be associated with higher levels of psychopathic traits in a large (n=924) community sample of young adults. Reduced empathic concern partly accounted for this association. However, a significant relationship between ASD traits and resting-state functional connectivity was not found. Chapter 5 demonstrated widespread increases in within-and between- network functional connectivity in boys who are at increased risk of developing psychopathy (CP/HCU) relative to TD boys. The overlap between findings in Chapters 4 and 5 motivated Chapter 6, which directly compared results from the two studies. We detected both spatial commonalities and statistically significant similarity after permutation tests. Common regions were located in areas related to socioemotional and somatomotor function. Taken together, it is clear that baseline functional brain organization is an important correlate of socioemotional function in both normal and clinical populations, and that resting-state fMRI can extend our understanding the mechanisms underlying disorders of social cognition.

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