@article{Assaf2013321,
title = {Mentalizing and motivation neural function during social interactions in autism spectrum disorders},
author = {M Assaf and C J Hyatt and C G Wong and M R Johnson and R T Schultz and T Hendler and G D Pearlson},
url = {https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84885394367&doi=10.1016%2fj.nicl.2013.09.005&partnerID=40&md5=b63630c997b658167792266e40e855b6},
doi = {10.1016/j.nicl.2013.09.005},
issn = {22131582},
year = {2013},
date = {2013-01-01},
journal = {NeuroImage: Clinical},
volume = {3},
pages = {321-331},
abstract = {Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) are characterized by core deficits in social functions. Two theories have been suggested to explain these deficits: mind-blindness theory posits impaired mentalizing processes (i.e. decreased ability for establishing a representation of others' state of mind), while social motivation theory proposes that diminished reward value for social information leads to reduced social attention, social interactions, and social learning. Mentalizing and motivation are integral to typical social interactions, and neuroimaging evidence points to independent brain networks that support these processes in healthy individuals. However, the simultaneous function of these networks has not been explored in individuals with ASDs. We used a social, interactive fMRI task, the Domino game, to explore mentalizing- and motivation-related brain activation during a well-defined interval where participants respond to rewards or punishments (i.e. motivation) and concurrently process information about their opponent's potential next actions (i.e. mentalizing). Thirteen individuals with high-functioning ASDs, ages 12-24, and 14 healthy controls played fMRI Domino games against a computer-opponent and separately, what they were led to believe was a human-opponent. Results showed that while individuals with ASDs understood the game rules and played similarly to controls, they showed diminished neural activity during the human-opponent runs only (i.e. in a social context) in bilateral middle temporal gyrus (MTG) during mentalizing and right Nucleus Accumbens (NAcc) during reward-related motivation (Pcluster < 0.05 FWE). Importantly, deficits were not observed in these areas when playing against a computer-opponent or in areas related to motor and visual processes. These results demonstrate that while MTG and NAcc, which are critical structures in the mentalizing and motivation networks, respectively, activate normally in a non-social context, they fail to respond in an otherwise identical social context in ASD compared to controls. We discuss implications to both the mind-blindness and social motivation theories of ASD and the importance of social context in research and treatment protocols. © 2013 The Authors.},
note = {cited By 28},
keywords = {Adolescent, Adult, Article, Autism, Brain Function, Children, Computer, Controlled Study, Female, Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Games, Groups by Age, Human, Major Clinical Study, Male, Mental Capacity, Middle Temporal Gyrus, Motivation, Motor Performance, Nerve Cell, Nerve Function, Nucleus Accumbens, Priority Journal, Punishment, Reward, School Child, Social Cognition, Social Environment, Social Interactions, Task Performance, Theory of Mind, Vision},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}

@article{Freeth2011364,
title = {Brief report: How adolescents with ASD process social information in complex scenes. Combining evidence from eye movements and verbal descriptions},
author = {M Freeth and D Ropar and P Mitchell and P Chapman and S Loher},
url = {https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-79956006659&doi=10.1007%2fs10803-010-1053-4&partnerID=40&md5=35b5c8dd813f7eab2963b27081f11e78},
doi = {10.1007/s10803-010-1053-4},
issn = {01623257},
year = {2011},
date = {2011-01-01},
journal = {Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders},
volume = {41},
number = {3},
pages = {364-371},
abstract = {We investigated attention, encoding and processing of social aspects of complex photographic scenes. Twenty-four high-functioning adolescents (aged 11-16) with ASD and 24 typically developing matched control participants viewed and then described a series of scenes, each containing a person. Analyses of eye movements and verbal descriptions provided converging evidence that both groups displayed general interest in the person in each scene but the salience of the person was reduced for the ASD participants. Nevertheless, the verbal descriptions revealed that participants with ASD frequently processed the observed person's emotion or mental state without prompting. They also often mentioned eye-gaze direction, and there was evidence from eye movements and verbal descriptions that gaze was followed accurately. The combination of evidence from eye movements and verbal descriptions provides a rich insight into the way stimuli are processed overall. The merits of using these methods within the same paradigm are discussed. © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2010.},
note = {cited By 21},
keywords = {Adolescent, Article, Association, Attention, Autism, Child Development Disorders, Children, Clinical Article, Controlled Study, Cues, Emotion, Eye Fixation, Eye Movement, Eye Tracking, Female, Gaze, Human, Intelligence Quotient, Male, Mental Function, Mental Health, Perception, Pervasive, Photic Stimulation, Photostimulation, Priority Journal, Psychological Aspect, School Child, Social Aspect, Social Perception, Stimulus Response, Verbal Communication, Vision, Visual Perception, Visual Stimulation},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}