The autism spectrum among transgender youth: default mode functional connectivity.

The common intersection of autism and transgender identities has been described in clinical and community contexts. This study investigates autism-related neurophenotypes among transgender youth. Forty-five transgender youth, evenly balanced across non-autistic, slightly subclinically autistic, and full-criteria autistic subgroupings, completed resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging to examine functional connectivity. Results confirmed hypothesized default mode network (DMN) hub hyperconnectivity with visual and motor networks in autism, partially replicating previous studies comparing cisgender autistic and non-autistic adolescents. The slightly subclinically autistic group differed from both non-autistic and full-criteria autistic groups in DMN hub connectivity to ventral attention and sensorimotor networks, falling between non-autistic and full-criteria autistic groups. Autism traits showed a similar pattern to autism-related group analytics, and also related to hyperconnectivity between DMN hub and dorsal attention network. Internalizing, gender dysphoria, and gender minority-related stigma did not show connectivity differences. Connectivity differences within DMN followed previously reported patterns by designated sex at birth (i.e. female birth designation showing greater within-DMN connectivity). Overall, findings suggest behavioral diagnostics and autism traits in transgender youth correspond to observable differences in DMN hub connectivity. Further, this study reveals novel neurophenotypic characteristics associated with slightly subthreshold autism, highlighting the importance of research attention to this group.

Data-driven identification of subtypes of executive function across typical development, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and autism spectrum disorders.

BACKGROUND: Impairment of executive function (EF), the goal-directed regulation of thoughts, actions, and emotions, drives negative outcomes and is common across neurodevelopmental disorders including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A primary challenge to its amelioration is heterogeneity in symptom expression within and across disorders. Parsing this heterogeneity is necessary to attain diagnostic precision, a goal of the NIMH Research Domain Criteria Initiative. We aimed to identify transdiagnostic subtypes of EF that span the normal to impaired spectrum and establish their predictive and neurobiological validity. METHODS: Community detection was applied to clinical parent-report measures in 8-14-year-old children with and without ADHD and ASD from two independent cohorts (discovery N = 320; replication N = 692) to identify subgroups with distinct behavioral profiles. Support vector machine (SVM) classification was used to predict subgroup membership of unseen cases. Preliminary neurobiological validation was obtained with existing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data on a subsample (N = 84) by testing hypotheses about sensitivity of EF subgroups versus DSM categories. RESULTS: We observed three transdiagnostic EF subtypes characterized by behavioral profiles that were defined by relative weakness in: (a) flexibility and emotion regulation; (b) inhibition; and (c) working memory, organization, and planning. The same tripartite structure was also present in the typically developing children. SVM trained on the discovery sample and tested on the replication sample classified subgroup membership with 77.0% accuracy. Split-half SVM classification on the combined sample (N = 1,012) yielded 88.9% accuracy (this SVM is available for public use). As hypothesized, frontal-parietal engagement was better distinguished by EF subtype than DSM diagnosis and the subgroup characterized with inflexibility failed to modulate right IPL activation in response to increased executive demands. CONCLUSIONS: The observed transdiagnostic subtypes refine current diagnostic nosology and augment clinical decision-making for personalizing treatment of executive dysfunction in children.

Precision Inhibitory Stimulation of Individual-Specific Cortical Hubs Disrupts Information Processing in Humans.

Noninvasive brain stimulation (NIBS) is a promising treatment for psychiatric and neurologic conditions, but outcomes are variable across treated individuals. In principle, precise targeting of individual-specific features of functional brain networks could improve the efficacy of NIBS interventions. Network theory predicts that the role of a node in a network can be inferred from its connections; as such, we hypothesized that targeting individual-specific "hub" brain areas with NIBS should impact cognition more than nonhub brain areas. Here, we first demonstrate that the spatial positioning of hubs is variable across individuals but reproducible within individuals upon repeated imaging. We then tested our hypothesis in healthy individuals using a prospective, within-subject, double-blind design. Inhibition of a hub with continuous theta burst stimulation disrupted information processing during working-memory more than inhibition of a nonhub area, despite targets being separated by only a few centimeters on the right middle frontal gyrus of each subject. Based upon these findings, we conclude that individual-specific brain network features are functionally relevant and could leveraged as stimulation sites in future NIBS interventions.

Temporal Derivative Distribution Repair (TDDR): A motion correction method for fNIRS.

Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is an optical neuroimaging technique of growing interest as a tool for investigation of cortical activity. Due to the on-head placement of optodes, artifacts arising from head motion are relatively less severe than for functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). However, it is still necessary to remove motion artifacts. We present a novel motion correction procedure based on robust regression, which effectively removes baseline shift and spike artifacts without the need for any user-supplied parameters. Our simulations show that this method yields better activation detection performance than 5 other current motion correction methods. In our empirical validation on a working memory task in a sample of children 7-15 years, our method produced stronger and more extensive activation than any of the other methods tested. The new motion correction method enhances the viability of fNIRS as a functional neuroimaging modality for use in populations not amenable to fMRI.

Cognitive Performance as Predictor and Outcome of Adolescent Bariatric Surgery: A Nonrandomized Pilot Study.

Objectives: Evidence in adults suggests that improvements in cognitive performance may follow weight loss resulting from bariatric surgery, and baseline cognitive performance may be associated with weight loss following surgery. This has not been evaluated in adolescents. Method: Participants were 38 adolescents of age 14-21 years composed of three groups: (1) 12 adolescents with severe obesity who received vertical sleeve gastrectomy during the study (VSG); (2) 14 adolescents with severe obesity who were wait-listed for VSG (WL); and (3) 12 healthy weight controls (HC). Participants completed testing of visual memory, verbal memory, and executive functioning at baseline (T1), which occurred presurgery for the VSG group, and approximately 4 months after baseline (T2). Body mass index (BMI) was assessed at T1, T2, and additionally at 6 months following VSG for the adolescents who received surgery. Results: Although there was evidence of greater improvement for the VSG as compared with WL and HC groups in visual and verbal memory, group differences did not reach significance and effect sizes were small (η2 < 0.01). There was a significant positive association between indices of baseline executive functioning and excess BMI loss at 6 months postsurgery. Conclusions: This small pilot study showed no significant differences by group in cognitive performance post-VSG. There was a significant association of baseline cognitive performance with weight loss outcomes. Given the very preliminary nature of these results in a small sample, future research should examine these relationships in a larger sample and evaluate mechanisms of these associations (e.g., insulin resistance, sleep, physical activity).

Task-related functional connectivity of the caudate mediates the association between trait mindfulness and implicit learning in older adults.

Accumulating evidence shows a positive relationship between mindfulness and explicit cognitive functioning, i.e., that which occurs with conscious intent and awareness. However, recent evidence suggests that there may be a negative relationship between mindfulness and implicit types of learning, or those that occur without conscious awareness or intent. Here we examined the neural mechanisms underlying the recently reported negative relationship between dispositional mindfulness and implicit probabilistic sequence learning in both younger and older adults. We tested the hypothesis that the relationship is mediated by communication, or functional connectivity, of brain regions once traditionally considered to be central to dissociable learning systems: the caudate, medial temporal lobe (MTL), and prefrontal cortex (PFC). We first replicated the negative relationship between mindfulness and implicit learning in a sample of healthy older adults (60-90 years old) who completed three event-related runs of an implicit sequence learning task. Then, using a seed-based connectivity approach, we identified task-related connectivity associated with individual differences in both learning and mindfulness. The main finding was that caudate-MTL connectivity (bilaterally) was positively correlated with learning and negatively correlated with mindfulness. Further, the strength of task-related connectivity between these regions mediated the negative relationship between mindfulness and learning. This pattern of results was limited to the older adults. Thus, at least in healthy older adults, the functional communication between two interactive learning-relevant systems can account for the relationship between mindfulness and implicit probabilistic sequence learning.

Resting-state striato-frontal functional connectivity is sensitive to DAT1 genotype and predicts executive function.

Individual differences in striatal dopamine (DA) signaling have been associated both with individual differences in executive function in healthy individuals and with risk for psychiatric disorders defined by executive dysfunction. We used resting-state functional connectivity in 50 healthy adults to examine whether a polymorphism of the dopamine transporter gene (DAT1), which regulates striatal DA function, affects striatal functional connectivity in healthy adults, and whether that connectivity predicts executive function. We found that 9/10 heterozygotes, who are believed to have higher striatal DA signaling, demonstrated stronger connectivity between dorsal caudate (DC) and insular, dorsal anterior cingulate, and dorsolateral prefrontal regions, as well as between ventral striatum and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, than 10/10 homozygotes. Across subjects, stronger DC-seeded connectivity predicted superior N-back working memory performance, while stronger ventral striatum-seeded connectivity predicted reduced impulsivity in everyday life. Further, mediation analysis suggested that connectivity strength mediated relationships between DAT1 genotype and behavior. These findings suggest that resting-state striato-frontal connectivity may be an endophenotype for executive function in healthy individuals.

Reduced language connectivity in pediatric epilepsy.

OBJECTIVE: Functional connectivity (FC) among language regions is decreased in adults with epilepsy compared to controls, but less is known about FC in children with epilepsy. We sought to determine if language FC is reduced in pediatric epilepsy, and examined clinical factors that associate with language FC in this population. METHODS: We assessed FC during an age-adjusted language task in children with left-hemisphere focal epilepsy (n = 19) compared to controls (n = 19). Time series data were extracted for three left regions of interest (ROIS) and their right homologues: inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), middle frontal gyrus (MFG), and Wernicke's area (WA) using SPM8. Associations between FC and factors such as cognitive performance, language dominance, and epilepsy duration were assessed. RESULTS: Children with epilepsy showed decreased interhemispheric connectivity compared to controls, particularly between core left language regions (IFG, WA) and their right hemisphere homologues, as well as decreased intrahemispheric right frontal FC. Increased intrahemispheric FC between left IFG and left WA was a positive predictor of language skills overall, and naming ability in particular. FC of language areas was not affected by language dominance, as the effects remained only when examining participants with left language dominance. Overall FC did not differ according to duration of epilepsy or age of onset. SIGNIFICANCE: FC during a language task is reduced in children, similar to findings in adults. In specific, children with left focal epilepsy demonstrated decreased interhemispheric FC in temporal and frontal language connections and decreased intrahemispheric right frontal FC. These differences were present near the onset of epilepsy. Greater FC between left language centers is related to better language ability. Our results highlight that connectivity of language areas has a developmental pattern and is related to cognitive ability.

Working memory-related changes in functional connectivity persist beyond task disengagement.

We examined whether altered connectivity in functional networks during working memory performance persists following conclusion of that performance, into a subsequent resting state. We conducted functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in 50 young adults during an initial resting state, followed by an N-back working memory task and a subsequent resting state, in order to examine changes in functional connectivity within and between the default-mode network (DMN) and the task-positive network (TPN) across the three states. We found that alterations in connectivity observed during the N-back task persisted into the subsequent resting state within the TPN and between the DMN and TPN, but not within the DMN. Further, both speed of working memory performance and TPN connectivity strength during the N-back task predicted connectivity strength in the subsequent resting state. Finally, DMN connectivity measured before and during the N-back task predicted individual differences in self-reported inattentiveness, but this association was not found during the post-task resting state. Together, these findings have important implications for models of how the brain recovers following effortful cognition, as well as for experimental designs using resting and task scans.

Regional differences in the developmental trajectory of lateralization of the language network.

The timing and developmental factors underlying the establishment of language dominance are poorly understood. We investigated the degree of lateralization of traditional frontotemporal and modulatory prefrontal-cerebellar regions of the distributed language network in children (n = 57) ages 4 to 12--a critical period for language consolidation. We examined the relationship between the strength of language lateralization and neuropsychological measures and task performance. The fundamental language network is established by four with ongoing maturation of language functions as evidenced by strengthening of lateralization in the traditional frontotemporal language regions; temporal regions were strongly and consistently lateralized by age seven, while frontal regions had greater variability and were less strongly lateralized through age 10. In contrast, the modulatory prefrontal-cerebellar regions were the least strongly lateralized and degree of lateralization was not associated with age. Stronger core language skills were significantly correlated with greater right lateralization in the cerebellum.

Change in Striatal Functional Connectivity Networks Across Two Years Due to Stimulant Exposure in Childhood ADHD: Results from the ABCD Sample.

Widely prescribed for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), stimulants (e.g., methylphenidate) have been studied for their chronic effects on the brain in prospective designs controlling dosage and adherence. While controlled approaches are essential, they do not approximate real-world stimulant exposure contexts where medication interruptions, dosage non-compliance, and polypharmacy are common. Brain changes in real-world conditions are largely unexplored. To fill this gap, we capitalized on the observational design of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study to examine effects of stimulants on large-scale bilateral cortical networks' resting-state functional connectivity (rs-FC) with 6 striatal regions (left and right caudate, putamen, and nucleus accumbens) across two years in children with ADHD. Bayesian hierarchical regressions revealed associations between stimulant exposure and change in rs-FC of multiple striatal-cortical networks, affiliated with executive and visuo-motor control, which were not driven by general psychotropic medication. Of these connections, three were selective to stimulants versus stimulant naive: reduced rs-FC between caudate and frontoparietal network, and between putamen and frontoparietal and visual networks. Comparison with typically developing children in the ABCD sample revealed stronger rs-FC reduction in stimulant-exposed children for putamen and frontoparietal and visual networks, suggesting a normalizing effect of stimulants. 14% of stimulant-exposed children demonstrated reliable reduction in ADHD symptoms, and were distinguished by stronger rs-FC reduction between right putamen and visual network. Thus, stimulant exposure for a two-year period under real-world conditions modulated striatal-cortical functional networks broadly, had a normalizing effect on a subset of networks, and was associated with potential therapeutic effects involving visual attentional control.

Probing heterogeneity to identify individualized treatment approaches in autism: Specific clusters of executive function challenges link to distinct co-occurring mental health problems.

LAY ABSTRACT: Many autistic people struggle with mental health problems like anxiety, depression, inattention, and aggression, which can be challenging to treat. Executive function challenges, which impact many autistic individuals, may serve as a risk factor for mental health problems or make treating mental health conditions more difficult. While some people respond well to medication or therapy, others do not. This study tried to understand if there are different subgroups of autistic young people who may have similar patterns of executive function strengths and challenges-like flexibility, planning, self-monitoring, and emotion regulation. Then, we investigated whether executive function subgroups were related to mental health problems in autistic youth. We found three different types of executive function subgroups in autistic youth, each with different patterns of mental health problems. This helps us identify specific profiles of executive function strengths and challenges that may be helpful with identifying personalized supports, services, and treatment strategies for mental health conditions.

Modulation of attentional blink with emotional faces in typical development and in autism spectrum disorders.

BACKGROUND: The attentional blink (AB) phenomenon was used to assess the effect of emotional information on early visual attention in typically developing (TD) children and children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The AB effect is the momentary perceptual unawareness that follows target identification in a rapid serial visual processing stream. It is abolished or reduced for emotional stimuli, indicating that emotional information has privileged access to early visual attention processes. METHODS: We examined the AB effect for faces with neutral and angry facial expressions in 8- to 14-year-old children with and without an ASD diagnosis. RESULTS: Children with ASD exhibited the same magnitude AB effect as TD children for both neutral and angry faces. CONCLUSIONS: Early visual attention to emotional facial expressions was preserved in children with ASD.

Effect of dopamine transporter genotype on intrinsic functional connectivity depends on cognitive state.

Functional connectivity between brain regions can define large-scale neural networks and provide information about relationships between those networks. We examined how relationships within and across intrinsic connectivity networks were 1) sensitive to individual differences in dopaminergic function, 2) modulated by cognitive state, and 3) associated with executive behavioral traits. We found that regardless of cognitive state, connections between frontal, parietal, and striatal nodes of Task-Positive networks (TPNs) and Task-Negative networks (TNNs) showed higher functional connectivity in 10/10 homozygotes of the dopamine transporter gene, a polymorphism influencing synaptic dopamine, than in 9/10 heterozygotes. However, performance of a working memory task (a state requiring dopamine release) modulated genotype differences selectively, such that cross-network connectivity between TPNs and TNNs was higher in 10/10 than 9/10 subjects during working memory but not during rest. This increased cross-network connectivity was associated with increased self-reported measures of impulsivity and inattention traits. By linking a gene regulating synaptic dopamine to a phenotype characterized by inefficient executive function, these findings validate cross-network connectivity as an endophenotype of executive dysfunction.

Cingulate-Prefrontal Connectivity During Dynamic Cognitive Control Mediates Association Between p Factor and Adaptive Functioning in a Transdiagnostic Pediatric Sample.

BACKGROUND: Covariation among psychiatric symptoms is being actively pursued for transdiagnostic dimensions of psychopathology with predictive utility. A superordinate dimension, the p factor, reflects overall psychopathology burden and has support from genetic and neuroimaging correlates. However, the neurocognitive correlates that link an elevated p factor to maladaptive outcomes are unknown. We tested the mediating potential of dynamic adjustments in cognitive control rooted in functional connections anchored by the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) in a transdiagnostic pediatric sample. METHODS: A multiple mediation model tested the association between the p factor (derived by principal component analysis of Child Behavior Checklist syndrome scales) and outcome measured with the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale-II in 89 children ages 8 to 13 years (23 female) with a variety of primary neurodevelopmental diagnoses who underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging during a socioaffective Stroop-like task with eye gaze as distractor. Mediators included functional connectivity of frontoparietal- and salience network-affiliated dACC seeds during conflict adaptation. RESULTS: Higher p factor scores were related to worse adaptive functioning. This effect was partially mediated by conflict adaptation-dependent functional connectivity between the frontoparietal network-affiliated dACC seed and the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Post hoc follow-up indicated that the p factor was related to all Vineland Adaptive Behaviors Scale-II domains; the association was strongest for socialization followed by daily living skills and then communication. Mediation results remained significant for socialization only. CONCLUSIONS: Higher psychopathology burden was associated with worse adaptive functioning in early adolescence. This association was mediated by weaker dACC-dorsolateral prefrontal cortex functional connectivity underlying modulation of cognitive control in response to contextual contingencies. Our results contribute to the identification of transdiagnostic and developmentally relevant neurocognitive endophenotypes of psychopathology.

The effects of aging on the neural basis of implicit associative learning in a probabilistic triplets learning task.

Few studies have investigated how aging influences the neural basis of implicit associative learning, and available evidence is inconclusive. One emerging behavioral pattern is that age differences increase with practice, perhaps reflecting the involvement of different brain regions with training. Many studies report hippocampal involvement early on with learning becoming increasingly dependent on the caudate with practice. We tested the hypothesis that the contribution of these regions to learning changes with age because of differential age-related declines in the striatum and hippocampi. We assessed age-related differences in brain activation during implicit associative learning using the Triplets Learning Task. Over three event-related fMRI runs, 11 younger and 12 healthy older adults responded to only the third (target) stimulus in sequences of three stimuli ("triplets") by corresponding key press. Unbeknown to participants, the first stimulus' location predicted one target location for 80% of trials and another target location for 20% of trials. Both age groups learned associative regularities but differences in favor of the younger adults emerged with practice. The neural basis of learning (response to predictability) was examined by identifying regions that showed a greater response to triplets that occurred more frequently. Both age groups recruited the hippocampus early, but with training, the younger adults recruited their caudate whereas the older adults continued to rely on their hippocampus. This pattern enables older adults to maintain near-young levels of performance early in training, but not later, and adds to evidence that implicit associative learning is supported by different brain networks in younger and older adults.

Using spatial multiple regression to identify intrinsic connectivity networks involved in working memory performance.

Many researchers have noted that the functional architecture of the human brain is relatively invariant during task performance and the resting state. Indeed, intrinsic connectivity networks (ICNs) revealed by resting-state functional connectivity analyses are spatially similar to regions activated during cognitive tasks. This suggests that patterns of task-related activation in individual subjects may result from the engagement of one or more of these ICNs; however, this has not been tested. We used a novel analysis, spatial multiple regression, to test whether the patterns of activation during an N-back working memory task could be well described by a linear combination of ICNs delineated using Independent Components Analysis at rest. We found that across subjects, the cingulo-opercular Set Maintenance ICN, as well as right and left Frontoparietal Control ICNs, were reliably activated during working memory, while Default Mode and Visual ICNs were reliably deactivated. Further, involvement of Set Maintenance, Frontoparietal Control, and Dorsal Attention ICNs was sensitive to varying working memory load. Finally, the degree of left Frontoparietal Control network activation predicted response speed, while activation in both left Frontoparietal Control and Dorsal Attention networks predicted task accuracy. These results suggest that a close relationship between resting-state networks and task-evoked activation is functionally relevant for behavior, and that spatial multiple regression analysis is a suitable method for revealing that relationship.

Comorbidity of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Autism Spectrum Disorders: Current Status and Promising Directions.

High rates of co-occurring Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) suggest common causal pathways, which await elucidation. What is well-established, however, is the negative impact of comorbid ADHD and ASD on outcomes for everyday living, particularly in social interaction and communication and on broader psychopathology. Neurocognitive approaches suggest correlates of comorbidity are rooted in functional connectivity networks associated with executive control. There is support for familial origins, with molecular-genetic studies suggesting a causal role of pleiotropic genes. Further investigation is needed to elucidate fully how genetic risk for ADHD and ASD affects neurodevelopment and to identify structural and functional neural correlates and their behavioral sequelae. Identification of intermediate phenotypes is necessary to advance understanding, which requires studies that include the full spectrum of ASD and ADHD symptom severity, use longitudinal designs and multivariate methods to probe broad constructs, such as executive and social function, and consider other sources of heterogeneity, such as age, sex, and other psychopathology. Randomized efficacy trials targeting comorbid symptomatology are needed to mitigate negative developmental outcomes.

Functional Connectivity as a Potential Mechanism for Language Plasticity.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Task fMRI is a clinical tool for language lateralization, but has limitations, and cannot provide information about network-level plasticity. Additional methods are needed to improve the precision of presurgical language mapping. We investigate language resting-state functional connectivity (RS fMRI; FC) in typically developing children (TD) and children with epilepsy. Our objectives were to (1) understand how FC components differ between TD children and those with epilepsy; (2) elucidate how the location of disease (frontal/temporal epilepsy foci) affects FC; and (3) investigate the relationship between age and FC. METHODS: Our sample included 55 TD children (mean age 12 years, range 7-18) and 31 patients with focal epilepsy (mean age 13 years, range 7-18). All participants underwent RS fMRI. Using a bilateral canonical language map as target, vertex-wise intrahemispheric FC map and interhemispheric FC map for each participant were computed and thresholded at top 10% to compute an FC laterality index (FCLI; [(L - R)/(L + R)]) of the frontal and temporal regions for both integration (intrahemispheric FC; FCLIi) and segregation (interhemispheric FC; FCLIs) maps. RESULTS: We found FC differences in the developing language network based on disease, seizure foci location, and age. Frontal and temporal FCLIi was different between groups (t[84] = 2.82, p < 0.01; t[84] = 4.68, p < 0.01, respectively). Frontal epilepsy foci had the largest differences from TD (Cohen d frontal FCLIi = 0.84, FCLIs = 0.51; temporal FCLIi = 1.29). Development and disease have opposing influences on the laterality of FC based on groups. In the frontal foci group, FCLIi decreased with age (r = -0.42), whereas in the temporal foci group, FCLIi increased with age (r = 0.40). Within the epilepsy group, increases in right frontal integration FCLI relates to increased right frontal task activation in our mostly left language dominant group (r = 0.52, p < 0.01). Language network connectivity is associated with higher verbal intelligence in children with epilepsy (r = 0.45, p < 0.05). DISCUSSION: These findings lend preliminary evidence that FC reflects network plasticity in the form of adaptation and compensation, or the ability to recruit support and reallocate resources within and outside of the traditional network to compensate for disease. FC expands on task-based fMRI and provides complementary and potentially useful information about the language network that is not captured using task-based fMRI alone.

Controlling attention to gaze and arrows in childhood: an fMRI study of typical development and Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to examine functional anatomy of attention to social (eye gaze) and nonsocial (arrow) communicative stimuli in late childhood and in a disorder defined by atypical processing of social stimuli, Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Children responded to a target word ('LEFT'/'RIGHT') in the context of a distracting arrow or averted gaze pointing in a direction that was congruent, incongruent, or neutral (bar without arrowheads, central gaze) relative to the target word. Despite being irrelevant to the target task, both arrow and averted gaze facilitated responses (Congruent vs. Neutral trials) to the same extent in the two groups and led to interference (Incongruent vs. Congruent trials), which was greater from arrows in ASD than control children. In the brain, interaction between group and distracter-domain was observed in frontal-temporal regions during facilitation and frontal-striatal regions during interference. During facilitation, regions associated with attention to gaze in control children (left superior temporal sulcus, premotor) were associated with attention to arrows in ASD children; gaze was associated with medial temporal involvement in ASD children. During interference, regions associated with arrows in control children (anterior cingulate, right caudate) were activated in response to gaze in ASD children; further, left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, a region not observed in control children, was activated during gaze-interference in ASD children. Thus, functional anatomy was atypical in ASD children during spontaneous processing of social and nonsocial communicative cues.