Multi-channel near-infrared spectroscopy shows reduced activation in the prefrontal cortex during facial expression processing in pervasive developmental disorder

Abstract

Aim: The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether individuals with pervasive developmental disorders (PDD) show differential activation during an emotional activation task compared with age- and sex-matched controls, by measuring changes in the concentration of oxygenated (oxyHb) and deoxygenated (deoxyHb) hemoglobin, using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). Methods: Fourteen patients with PDD and 14 age- and sex-matched healthy controls participated in the study. The relative changes of concentrations of oxyHb and deoxyHb were measured on NIRS during an implicit processing task of fearful expression using Japanese standard faces. Results: PDD patients had significantly reduced oxyHb changes in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) compared to healthy controls. Conclusion: PFC dysfunction may exist in PDD. © 2012 Japanese Society of Psychiatry and Neurology.