Reduced interhemispheric connectivity in childhood autism detected by electroencephalographic photic driving coherence.

The EEG coherence among 14 scalp points during intermittent photic stimulation at 11 fixed frequencies of 3-24 Hz was studied in 14 boys with autism, aged 6-14 years, with relatively intact verbal and intellectual functions, and 19 normally developing boys. The number of interhemispheric coherent connections pertaining to the 20 highest connections of each individual was significantly lower in autistic patients than in the control group at all the EEG beta frequencies corresponding to those of stimulation. The coefficient of coherence values between homologous occipital, parietal and central areas at the same frequencies were also lower in the autistic group in both mono- and bipolar montages due to a deficit in reactive photic driving increase. No differences between the groups were observed in the spontaneous EEG.