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Brain activity during facial processing in autism spectrum disorder: an activation likelihood estimation (ALE) meta‐analysis of neuroimaging studies
Author(s) -
Costa Cristiano,
Cristea Ioana Alina,
Dal Bò Elisa,
Melloni Caterina,
Gentili Claudio
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of child psychology and psychiatry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.652
H-Index - 211
eISSN - 1469-7610
pISSN - 0021-9630
DOI - 10.1111/jcpp.13412
Subject(s) - psychology , autism spectrum disorder , neuroimaging , face perception , autism , meta analysis , functional neuroimaging , brain activity and meditation , functional magnetic resonance imaging , audiology , developmental psychology , cognitive psychology , perception , neuroscience , electroencephalography , medicine
Background Though aberrant face processing is a hallmark of autistic spectrum disorder (ASD), findings on accompanying brain activity are divergent. Therefore, we conducted an activation likelihood estimation (ALE) meta‐analysis of studies examining brain activity during face processing. Methods We searched PubMed and PsycINFO using combinations of terms as ‘fMRI’, ‘Autism Spectrum Disorder’, ‘Face Perception’. Eligible studies reported on DSM‐diagnosed ASD individuals, compared to controls (HC), using face stimuli presented in fMRI and reporting whole‐brain analysis coordinates. We compared two approaches: ‘convergence of differences’ (primary analysis) using study‐level coordinates from ASD vs. HC contrasts, and ‘differences in convergence’ (secondary) pooling coordinates within each group separately, and contrasting the resultant ALE maps. Results Thirty‐five studies (655 ASD and 668 HC) were included. Primary analysis identified a cluster in amygdala/parahippocampus where HC showed greater convergence of activation. Secondary analysis yielded no significant results. Conclusions Results suggest that ASD dysfunction in face processing relies on structures involved in emotional processing rather than perception. We also demonstrate that the two ALE methodologies lead to divergent results.