Grant: Doctoral Research Award: Canada Graduate Scholarships

Social processes (also termed social cognition) refers to the mental functions essential for daily social interactions, allowing individuals to understand, interpret, and respond to the behaviors of others. However, individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSDs) often face significant challenges in social processes, which negatively affect their quality of life and mental health. While certain brain networks are known to be involved in social processes, such as the mirror neuron system (MNS) and the mentalizing network, specific features of these networks that contribute to social cognitive impairments in ASD and SSDs remain unclear. This study aims to investigate how variations in brain structure are linked to difficulties in social processing among individuals with ASD and SSDs. Using brain imaging data and advanced statistical techniques, we will examine how brain structures across individuals with ASD, SSDs, and typically developing controls (TDCs) relate to measures of social cognition. This study will draw on a large dataset from two National Institute of Mental Health funded studies-including 106 individuals with ASD, 359 with SSDs, and 234 TDCs-where participants completed social and neuro-cognitive assessments, as well as brain imaging (magnetic resonance and diffusion tensor imaging). A statistical method called partial least squares correlation will be used to explore how brain structure relates to social processing performance. By exploring how these brain regions relate to social cognition across individuals with ASD and SSDs, and TDCs, this research could help clarify the neural basis of social cognition and social cognitive impairments. This knowledge may inform the development of targeted interventions aimed at improving social functioning for individuals with ASD and SSDs, with the ultimate aim that such interventions could be used to enhance quality of life and mental health outcomes.