Imaging studies question connectivity theory of autism The
results contradict the so-called connectivity theory of autism,
which holds that the brains of people with the disorder have
weak long-range functional connections compared with controls.
The studies all examined brain connectivity using resting-state
analysis, in which researchers use functional magnetic resonance
imaging (fMRI) to record brain activity as participants lie
quietly in the scanner. They then use these data to infer
functional connections in the brain. (Functional connections
often reflect structural connections, but not always1,2.) One
study, led by Kevin Pelphrey at Yale University, confirmed
previous research showing weak functional connections in the
default mode network of people with autism compared with
controls. The default mode network is active when the brain is
not performing a cognitive task. Comparing 28 children with
autism and 28 controls, ages 8 to 17, the researchers also found
that some regions in the sensory and motor