Brain Networks and Social Skills in Teens with Autism or Early Psychosis

In adolescence, the brain’s “default mode, ” “central executive, ” and “salience” networks are thought to work together for social understanding. When these networks do not connect properly, people may find it hard to read others’ feelings or intentions. Researchers compared teens with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), those with early‑onset psychosis (EOP), and healthy peers to see how these networks differ. The study examined whole‑brain connectivity in 24 teens with ASD, 25 with EOP, and 26 typical controls. All participants were around sixteen years old, and the groups were matched for age and gender. By mapping how strongly each network linked to others, scientists could identify patterns that might explain social difficulties.Results showed distinct profiles. Teens with ASD had a mix of too‑strong and weak connections in the default mode network, consistently stronger links within the central executive network, and weaker ties in the salience network. In contrast, those with EOP displayed stronger default mode and central executive connections but kept salience links mostly normal. Compared to the EOP group, ASD participants had less salience connectivity and varied default mode disruptions. When researchers linked these brain patterns to real‑world social tests, new insights emerged. For EOP teens, stronger default mode connectivity was tied to poorer social cognition scores. For ASD teens, weaker salience connectivity correlated with worse social performance. These associations suggest that different brain misalignments underlie similar social challenges across disorders. Overall, the work highlights both common and unique network abnormalities in ASD and EOP. It supports ideas that social cognition problems can arise from shared brain mechanisms while also pointing to disorder‑specific pathways. Importantly, adolescence appears to be a critical period when these network changes are most evident.