Dynamic functional connectivity analysis reveals decreased variability of the default-mode network in developing autistic brain.
In young ASD, the default-mode network gets stuck in a rigid groove that tracks with low social motivation.
01Research in Context
What this study did
He et al. (2018) scanned preschool and early-elementary kids while they lay still. Half had autism, half were typical.
The team tracked how the default-mode network changed every few seconds. They focused on the link between the back hub (PCC) and the sensorimotor strip.
What they found
Autistic kids showed less flexible PCC–sensorimotor links. The signal stayed more rigid moment-to-moment.
Lower flexibility lined up with weaker social motivation and social relating scores.
How this fits with other research
Guo et al. (2024) repeated the idea and saw the same DMN oddity, but they used a different brain measure (temporal ALFF). The match boosts confidence that DMN timing is off in young ASD.
Zhao et al. (2024) extended the finding with fancy math (Hidden-Markov models). They showed ASD brains get 'stuck' in a hyper-connected state that isolates the DMN even more.
Long et al. (2025) turned the same rigid-connectivity pattern into a near-perfect ASD classifier (98 % accuracy). What started as a basic difference now looks like a future screening tool.
Why it matters
You now have a neural reason why some little clients seem locked into their own world. Less DMN flexibility may flag poor social drive before behavior fully shows it. When you see a preschooler with flat social initiation, remember the back-to-sensorimotor link may be part of the story. Pair your PRT or ESDM sessions with future fMRI only if the family asks, but use the finding to explain why varied, high-interest social cues are needed: you are literally trying to loosen a rigid brain loop.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Accumulating neuroimaging evidence suggests that abnormal functional connectivity of the default mode network (DMN) contributes to the social-cognitive deficits of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Although most previous studies relied on conventional functional connectivity methods, which assume that connectivity patterns remain constant over time, understanding the temporal dynamics of functional connectivity during rest may provide new insights into the dysfunction of the DMN in ASD. In this work, dynamic functional connectivity analysis based on sliding time window correlation was applied to the resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data of 28 young children with ASD (age range: 3-7 years) and 29 matched typically developing controls (TD group). In addition, k-means cluster analysis was performed to identify distinct temporal states based on the spatial similarity of each functional connectivity pattern. Compared with the TD group, young children with ASD showed decreased dynamic functional connectivity variance between the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) and the right precentral gyrus, which is negatively correlated with social motivation and social relating. Cluster analysis revealed significant differences in functional connectivity patterns between the ASD and TD groups in discrete temporal states. Our findings reveal that atypical dynamic interactions between the PCC and sensorimotor cortex are associated with social deficits in ASD. Results also highlight the critical role of PCC in the social-cognitive deficits of ASD and support the concept that understanding the dynamic neural interactions among brain regions can provide insights into functional abnormalities in ASD. Autism Research 2018, 11: 1479-1493. © 2018 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY: Social cognitive dysfunction in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with dysfunction of the default mode network (DMN), a set of brain areas involved in various domains of social processing. We found that decreases in the dynamic functional connectivity variance between the posterior cingulate cortex and the sensorimotor cortex are associated with deficits in social motivation and social relating in young children with ASD. This result suggests that aberrations in the DMN and its dynamic interactions with other networks contribute to atypical integration of information with respect to self and others.
Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism Research, 2018 · doi:10.1002/aur.2020