Autistische Züge und ihre Beziehung zu strukturellen und funktionellen Parametern von Hirnregionen der frühen Gesichtsverarbeitung in der Allgemeinbevölkerung
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Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder is not only limited to the clinical diagnosis but is also found in
the general population as a subclinical manifestation of deficits in social interaction and
communication as well as restrictive behaviours and interests. In addition, there is
evidence of genetic overlap between the subclinical expression and the clinical expression
of an autism spectrum disorder (Bralten et al. 2018). This dissertation investigated the
relationship between autistic traits in the general population and brain activation and brain
volume in specific regions relevant to face processing. The aim of the work was to test
the hypotheses that autistic traits are associated with specific changes in the activation
and structure of brain regions relevant for face processing: the fusiform face area (FFA),
the posterior superior temporal sulcus (pSTS) and the occipital face area (OFA). The basis
for this was provided by functional and structural data from 288 subjects, which were
collected using an fMRI scan with a face recognition task for neutral and emotional face
stimuli and houses, as well as a self-report questionnaire, the Autism Spectrum Quotient.
In addition to various correlations of the regions of face processing with activation and
the volume of grey matter with the AQ score, exploratory moderation analyses were also
carried out. The hypotheses put forward could not be confirmed in this study. For
example, the main hypotheses, which assumed correlations between the volume of grey
matter for the pSTS and the AQ score on one hand, and between activation in the FFA,
OFA and pSTS regions of the social face network and the AQ score on the other, only
found a few weak correlations, but without statistical significance. Thus, a large
variability in brain activity and volume must be assumed. In the discussion, comparable
studies were consulted and the results discussed based on these and limitations and
influencing factors such as IQ and gender were identified. However, a specific direction
of the results remains open, as even comparable studies delivered many different results.
To this end, the study design and data analysis methods should be reviewed based on the
various limitations, such as the predominantly female study group or the high IQ. As a
result, this study provides valuable insights into the relationships between autistic
characteristics and brain activation as well as the volume of the regions of the facial
network. However, it also highlights the need for further research.
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Issued: 2025-10-20
Faculty
FB20:Medizin
Language
de
Keywords
fMRTautistische Zügetasked-basedFFAOFApSTS
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Marquardt, Viktoria: Autistische Züge und ihre Beziehung zu strukturellen und funktionellen Parametern von Hirnregionen der frühen Gesichtsverarbeitung in der Allgemeinbevölkerung. : 2025-10-20.
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