1997) and reduced fractional anisotropy in

white matter underlying the ACC (indicating abnormal microstructural integrity of the white matter) in ASD (Thakkar et al. 2008), and new evidence from our recent magnetic resonance spectroscopy study of the attentional networks in ASD showing lower glutamate/glutamine concentration in the right ACC (Bernardi et al. 2011), may explain this absence of ACC activation during conflict processing. Previous studies on ASD have also shown hypoactivation in the RCZa for conflict processing to response shifts (Shafritz et al. 2008), social–cognitive stimuli (Dichter and Belger 2007) and response inhibition (Kana et al. 2007), and reduced discrimination Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical between errors and correct responses in a subregion defined as an affective division of the ACC (Bush et al. 2000). Higher error rates are typically related Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical to greater ACC activation for conflict monitoring. While we found a negative correlation between ACC activation and error rates in the ASD group, there was no such correlation in the HC group. We speculate that decreased ACC activity is associated with low awareness (which is also associated with more errors), particularly in individuals with ASD. The ACC, coupled with other brain areas such as the anterior insular cortex, plays

a major Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical role in executive control of attention (Bush et al. 2000; Posner and Fan 2008), response selection, preparation, execution (Frith et al. 1991), and emotion (Bush et al. 2000). Lack of control may lead to deficits in reciprocal social interaction, communication and language, and repetitive, stereotyped Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical activity, as well as other behaviors commonly associated with autism. The current finding of an intact frontoparietal network in conflict processing in ASD distinguishes the ACC from the frontoparietal network, consistent with recent work by other groups (e.g., Dosenbach et al. 2008). It has been suggested that Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical the ACC is involved in rapid information processing, whereas the frontoparietal network underpins more deliberate, adaptive control (Garavan et al. 2002; Kana et al. 2007; Dosenbach

et because al. 2008). Deficits in attentional domains may manifest when there is a requirement for rapid executive control during conditions involving high demands on information processing. Although alterations in ACC activity are not specific to ASD, the heterogeneity of autistic symptoms may be related to ASD-specific abnormalities in structural and functional connectivity of the ACC with other brain structures and networks interacting with different cognitive domains. One recent study has shown that ASD is associated with deficits in the frontoparietal network, related to executive control (Solomon et al. 2009). However, current Luminespib price results indicate that the deficit is more localized; between-group differences in other regions such as the frontoparietal network and the anterior insular cortex were not significant.