Intrinsic Visual-Motor Synchrony Correlates With Social Deficits in Autism.

Background: Imitation, which is impaired in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and critically depends on the integration of visual input with motor output, likely impacts both motor and social skill acquisition in children with ASD; however, it is unclear what brain mechanisms contribute to this impairment. Children with ASD also exhibit what appears to be an ASD-specific bias against using visual feedback during motor learning. Does the temporal congruity of intrinsic activity, or functional connectivity, between motor and visual brain regions contribute to ASD-associated deficits in imitation, motor, and social skills?

Methods: We acquired resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scans from 100 8- to 12-year-old children (50 ASD).