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REVIEW article

Front. Psychiatry
Sec. Autism
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1464142

Neural Correlates of Facial Recognition Deficits in Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Comprehensive Review

Provisionally accepted
Jianmei Liu Jianmei Liu 1,2Huihui Chen Huihui Chen 2Haijing Wang Haijing Wang 2Zhidan Wang Zhidan Wang 2*
  • 1 China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province, China
  • 2 Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by significant impairments in social interaction, often manifested in facial recognition deficits. These deficits hinder individuals with ASD from recognizing facial identities and interpreting emotions, further complicating social communication. This review explores the neural mechanisms underlying these deficits, focusing on both functional anomalies and anatomical differences in key brain regions such as the fusiform gyrus (FG), amygdala, superior temporal sulcus (STS), and prefrontal cortex (PFC). It has been found that the reduced activation in the FG and atypical activation of the amygdala and STS contribute to difficulties in processing facial cues, while increased reliance on the PFC for facial recognition tasks imposes a cognitive load. Additionally, disrupted functional and structural connectivity between these regions further exacerbates facial recognition challenges. Future research should emphasize longitudinal, multimodal neuroimaging approaches to better understand developmental trajectories and design personalized interventions, leveraging AI and machine learning to optimize therapeutic outcomes for individuals with ASD.

    Keywords: ASD, facial recognition deficits, Fg, Amygdala, STS, PFC, social cognition

    Received: 13 Jul 2024; Accepted: 22 Oct 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Liu, Chen, Wang and Wang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Zhidan Wang, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.