Fig. 2: Partial least squares correlation (PLS-C) analysis of superior colliculus (SC) whole-brain functional connectivity with age and symptom severity in 46 children with ASD. | Molecular Psychiatry

Fig. 2: Partial least squares correlation (PLS-C) analysis of superior colliculus (SC) whole-brain functional connectivity with age and symptom severity in 46 children with ASD.

From: Translational research approach to social orienting deficits in autism: the role of superior colliculus-ventral tegmental pathway

Fig. 2: Partial least squares correlation (PLS-C) analysis of superior colliculus (SC) whole-brain functional connectivity with age and symptom severity in 46 children with ASD.

a Selection of the superior colliculus (SC) as region of interest (ROI). b Scatter plot depicting correlation (Pearson) between brain (x-axis) and design (y axis) scores. c The design saliences from the significant latent variable (LV) demonstrate a pronounced positive effect of the level of autistic symptoms and a negligible negative effect of age. d The brain salience pattern reveals regions of decreased connectivity with the SC (blue, negative bootstrap ratio (BSR)) in children exhibiting higher symptom severity. Or more severe ASD symptoms correlate with reduced connectivity between the SC and regions integral to attention and reward processing, including the ventral tegmental area (VTA), pulvinar (PUL), ventral anterior cingulate cortex (vACC), precuneus (PREC), primary visual cortex (VIS), left amygdala (AMY), and vermis (VERM).

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