Altered Extended Locus Coeruleus and Ventral Tegmental Area Networks in Boys with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Resting-State Functional Connectivity Study

Previous studies have suggested that cerebral projections of the norepinephrine (NE) and dopamine (DA) systems have important etiology and treatment implications for autism spectrum disorder (ASD).We used functional magnetic resonance imaging to evaluate spontaneous resting state functional connectivity in boys aged 7-15 years with ASD (n=86) and age-, intelligence quotient-matched typically developing boys (TD, n=118). Specifically, we...