{"id":85289,"date":"2025-07-11T12:00:29","date_gmt":"2025-07-11T03:00:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/top\/en\/?p=85289"},"modified":"2025-07-24T17:06:54","modified_gmt":"2025-07-24T08:06:54","slug":"life-in-a-nutshell-new-species-found-in-the-carapace-of-late-cretaceous-marine-turtle-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-2-3-3-2-2-3-2-3-2-2-2-3-2-2-2-3-3-3-3-2-2-2-3-2-2-2-2-2-2-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.waseda.jp\/top\/en\/news\/85289","title":{"rendered":"Adults with Autism Show Similar Brain Mapping of Body Parts as Typically Developing Adults"},"content":{"rendered":"

Adults with Autism Show Similar Brain Mapping of Body Parts as Typically Developing Adults<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Researchers reveal that adults with autism show brain patterns for body part perception similar to typical adults, despite behavioral differences<\/em><\/p>\n

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is linked to difficulties in understanding emotions and intentions from body cues. However, whether these challenges stem from visual perception differences remains unclear. To explore this, researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging to compare body part representation in the lateral occipitotemporal cortex of adults with and without ASD. They found highly similar representational structures in both groups, suggesting ASD social difficulties may arise from higher-order cognitive processes rather than visual perception.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a neurodevelopmental condition, is often associated with difficulties in social communication and repetitive behavior. Previous research reveals that people with ASD often find it challenging to interpret intentions from body language and have difficulty recognizing faces and emotions, which may contribute to their social communication problems. Scientists speculate that these challenges might arise from differences in how the brain perceives faces and body parts, i.e., how individuals with ASD represent the human body. However, until now, no study had clearly mapped how body parts are represented in the brains of adults with autism or whether that organization differs from normal or typically developing (TD) adults.<\/p>\n

In a detailed neuroimaging study involving adults in Japan, researchers addressed this knowledge gap by examining how ASD represents body parts in the brain. This study was published in Volume 3 of the journal Imaging Neuroscience<\/em><\/a> on 5 June 2025. A team of researchers, including Professor Hirotaka Kosaka from Fukui University, Professor Rieko Osu, and Guest Junior Researcher Yuko Okamoto from Waseda University, was led by Assistant Professor Yuto Kurihara from the Faculty of Human Sciences, Waseda University, Japan, and used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to compare brain activity patterns in adults with ASD and TD adults as they viewed images of body parts. \u201cOur goal was to test whether the<\/em> lateral occipitotemporal cortex (LOTC)\u2014a brain region known to represent visual information about different body parts in a clustered way\u2014functions differently in adults with autism,\u201d<\/em> says Kurihara.<\/p>\n

The research team recruited 23 adults with ASD and 23 TD adults. Each participant underwent fMRI scanning while viewing grayscale images of eight body parts (e.g., hands, legs, face), the whole body, and chairs as a control object. Participants completed a 1-back task, pressing a button whenever an identical image appeared twice in a row, to ensure attention during the scan. The fMRI data showed that both groups activated the LOTC when viewing whole-body images. Importantly, there were no significant differences in the size or strength of this activation between the ASD and TD groups, indicating similar basic visual responsiveness.<\/p>\n

To look deeper, the researchers used an advanced analysis method to understand how the brain organizes information about different body parts. They found that in both groups, the LOTC grouped body parts into three categories: action effectors (hands, feet, arms, and legs), non-effectors (chest and waist), and facial parts (upper and lower face). \u201cThese results suggest that adults with autism perceive visual body information in much the same way as neurotypical adults,\u201d<\/em> says Kurihara. \u201cThese challenges long-standing assumptions that differences in body-related perception contribute to social difficulties in ASD.\u201d<\/em> To make sure the results were solid, the team also tested whether brain activity patterns could accurately distinguish between different body parts. Again, both groups performed similarly. The researchers also analyzed whether brain patterns were linked to individual differences\u2014such as autism symptom severity or sensory traits\u2014but found no strong connections. Interestingly, earlier studies in autistic children showed different brain responses in the LOTC. But Kurihara\u2019s team thinks this may change with age. \u201cChildren with autism may see body-related information differently, but those differences seem to fade as they grow up,\u201d<\/em> Kurihara explains.<\/p>\n

Overall, the study shows that while people with autism may struggle to read emotions or intentions from gestures or expressions, the challenge may lie in interpreting these signals\u2014not in seeing them differently. This insight could help shape more effective interventions, such as teaching social understanding or imitation, especially for adults.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur brains keep learning,\u201d<\/em> Kurihara says. \u201cThis study gives us hope\u2014and a reason to keep improving how we support people with autism at every stage of life.<\/em>\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Reference<\/strong><\/p>\n

Title of original paper<\/strong>: Visual body part representation of the lateral occipitotemporal cortex in individuals with autism spectrum disorder: A univariate and multivariate fMRI study
\nDOI<\/strong>:10.1007\/s00299-025-03538-2<\/a>
\nJournal<\/strong>: Imaging Neuroscience<\/em>
\n<\/em>Article Publication Date<\/strong>: 05 June 2025
\nAuthors<\/strong><\/strong>:Yuto Kuriharaa<\/sup>, Hirotaka Kosakab,c,d,e<\/sup>, Bianca\u00a0A. Schustera,f<\/sup>, Ryo Kitadag<\/sup>, Takanori Kochiyamah<\/sup>, Hidehiko Okazawai<\/sup>, Rieko Osua<\/sup>, and Yuko Okamotoa
\n<\/sup>Affiliation<\/strong>:
\na<\/sup>Faculty of Human Sciences, Waseda University
\nb<\/sup>Research Center for Child Mental Development, University of Fukui
\nc<\/sup>Department of Child and Adolescent Psychological Medicine, University of Fukui Hospital
\nd<\/sup>Department of Neuropsychiatry, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Fukui
\ne<\/sup>Division of Developmental Higher Brain Functions, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Kanazawa University, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Chiba University, and University of Fukui
\nf<\/sup>Department of Cognition, Emotion and Methods in Psychology, University of Vienna
\ng<\/sup>Graduate School of Intercultural Studies, Kobe University, Japan
\nh<\/sup>Brain activity imaging center, ATR- Promotions
\ni<\/sup>Biomedical Imaging Research Center, University of Fukui<\/p>\n

About Assistant Professor Yuto Kurihara<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dr. Yuto Kurihara is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Human Sciences at Waseda University, Japan. He earned his Ph.D. in Human Sciences from Waseda University and has over 4 years of research experience. His work focuses on social and cognitive neuroscience, particularly autism spectrum disorder, emotional processing, and social interaction using neuroimaging techniques like fMRI, EEG, and fNIRS. He has authored over a dozen peer-reviewed publications and received a Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Research Fellowship. Dr. Kurihara\u2019s research advances understanding of social brain function, and his recent work explores how individuals with autism perceive and process visual body information.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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