@article{3add5cdf8ab14e3b9c76f3720efb17fe,
title = "Theory of Mind disruption and recruitment of the right hemisphere during narrative comprehension in autism",
abstract = "The intersection of Theory of Mind (ToM) processing and complex narrative comprehension in high functioning autism was examined by comparing cortical activation during the reading of passages that required inferences based on either intentions, emotional states, or physical causality. Right hemisphere activation was substantially greater for all sentences in the autism group than in a matched control group suggesting decreased LH capacity in autism resulting in a spillover of processing to RH homologs. Moreover, the ToM network was disrupted. The autism group showed similar activation for all inference types in the right temporo-parietal component of the ToM network whereas the control participants selectively activated this network only when appropriate. The autism group had lower functional connectivity within the ToM network and also between the ToM and a left hemisphere language network. Furthermore, the within-network functional connectivity in autism was correlated with the size of the anterior portion of the corpus callosum.",
author = "Mason, {Robert A.} and Williams, {Diane L.} and Kana, {Rajesh K.} and Nancy Minshew and Just, {Marcel Adam}",
note = "Funding Information: This research was supported by the Collaborative Program of Excellence in Autism (CPEA) Grant HD35469 from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, MH029617 from the National Institute of Mental Health Grant, and K23 DC006691 from the National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. Address correspondence to: Robert Mason, Center for Cognitive Brain Imaging, Carnegie Mellon University, Department of Psychology, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 or email:
[email protected] . We appreciate the assistance of current and former members of the Center for help in conducting the experiments. In particular, we would like to thank Sarah Schipul for her assistance in the functional connectivity analysis, Sarah Berson and Vanessa Gorley for their assistance in measuring the corpus callosum, Stacey Becker for editorial comments, Kelsey Woods for developing additional materials, and Chantel Prat for comments on an earlier version of the manuscript. We would also like to express our sincere appreciation for the time and effort of the participants and their families in making this research possible. ",
year = "2008",
doi = "10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2007.07.018",
language = "English (US)",
volume = "46",
pages = "269--280",
journal = "Neuropsychologia",
issn = "0028-3932",
publisher = "Elsevier Limited",
number = "1",
}