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Pereira Camejo M, Escobar Saade L, Liverani MC, Fischi-Gomez E, Gui L, Borradori Tolsa C, Ha-Vinh Leuchter R, Hüppi PS, Siffredi V. Amygdala volumes and associations with socio-emotional competencies in preterm youth: cross-sectional and longitudinal data. Pediatr Res 2024:10.1038/s41390-024-03227-y. [PMID: 38762662 DOI: 10.1038/s41390-024-03227-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2023] [Revised: 03/13/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/20/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Socio-emotional difficulties often result from very preterm (VPT) birth. The amygdala's developmental trajectory, including its nuclei, has been recognized as a significant factor in observed difficulties. This study aims to assess the relationship between amygdala volume and socio-emotional competencies in VPT children and adolescents. METHODS Socio-emotional competencies were assessed, and amygdala volumes, including subnuclei, were extracted automatically from structural scans in a cross-sectional cohort of VPT (n = 75) and full-term (FT, n = 41) aged 6-14 years. Group differences in amygdala volumes were assessed using ANCOVA, and associations with socio-emotional competencies were studied using partial least squares correlation (PLSC). In a VPT subgroup, additional longitudinal data with amygdala volumes at term-equivalent age (TEA) were manually extracted, growth rates calculated, and associations with school-age socio-emotional competencies investigated using PLSC. RESULTS Using cross-sectional data at school-age, amygdala volumes displayed comparable developmental patterns between the VPT and the FT groups. Greater volumes were associated with more emotional regulation difficulties in VPT and lower affect recognition competencies in FT. In the longitudinal VPT subgroup, no significant associations were found between amygdala volume trajectory and socio-emotional competencies. CONCLUSION Although our findings suggest typical amygdala development after VPT birth, further research is necessary to elucidate the developmental trajectory of amygdala and the role of resilience factors. IMPACT In our cohort, amygdala volumes, including subnuclei, displayed comparable developmental trajectories between the very preterm and the full-term groups. Higher amygdala volumes at school-age were associated with higher emotional regulation difficulties in the very-preterm born group, and with lower affect recognition abilities in full-term born children and adolescents. In a subgroup of very-preterm children and adolescents followed from birth to school-age, no significant associations were found between amygdala volumes at term-equivalent age and socio-emotional competencies at school-age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maricé Pereira Camejo
- Division of Development and Growth, Department of Paediatrics, Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Geneva University Hospitals and University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Luciana Escobar Saade
- Division of Development and Growth, Department of Paediatrics, Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Geneva University Hospitals and University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Maria Chiara Liverani
- SensoriMotor, Affective and Social Development Laboratory, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Elda Fischi-Gomez
- Centre for Biomedical Imaging (CIBM), SP CHUV-EPFL Section, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Signal processing laboratory 5, Ecole polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne, Geneva, Switzerland
- Department of Radiology, University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Laura Gui
- Division of Development and Growth, Department of Paediatrics, Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Geneva University Hospitals and University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Cristina Borradori Tolsa
- Division of Development and Growth, Department of Paediatrics, Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Geneva University Hospitals and University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Russia Ha-Vinh Leuchter
- Division of Development and Growth, Department of Paediatrics, Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Geneva University Hospitals and University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Petra Susan Hüppi
- Division of Development and Growth, Department of Paediatrics, Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Geneva University Hospitals and University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Vanessa Siffredi
- Division of Development and Growth, Department of Paediatrics, Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Geneva University Hospitals and University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
- Neuro-X Institute, Ecole polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne, Geneva, Switzerland.
- Department of Radiology and Medical Informatics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
- Department of Radiology, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
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Xin J, Huang K, Yi A, Feng Z, Liu H, Liu X, Liang L, Huang Q, Xiao Y. Absence of associations with prefrontal cortex and cerebellum may link to early language and social deficits in preschool children with ASD. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1144993. [PMID: 37215652 PMCID: PMC10192852 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1144993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex developmental disorder, characterized by language and social deficits that begin to appear in the first years of life. Research in preschool children with ASD has consistently reported increased global brain volume and abnormal cortical patterns, and the brain structure abnormalities have also been found to be clinically and behaviorally relevant. However, little is known regarding the associations between brain structure abnormalities and early language and social deficits in preschool children with ASD. Methods In this study, we collected magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data from a cohort of Chinese preschool children with and without ASD (24 ASD/20 non-ASD) aged 12-52 months, explored group differences in brain gray matter (GM) volume, and examined associations between regional GM volume and early language and social abilities in these two groups, separately. Results We observed significantly greater global GM volume in children with ASD as compared to those without ASD, but there were no regional GM volume differences between these two groups. For children without ASD, GM volume in bilateral prefrontal cortex and cerebellum was significantly correlated with language scores; GM volume in bilateral prefrontal cortex was significantly correlated with social scores. No significant correlations were found in children with ASD. Discussion Our data demonstrate correlations of regional GM volume with early language and social abilities in preschool children without ASD, and the absence of these associations appear to underlie language and social deficits in children with ASD. These findings provide novel evidence for the neuroanatomical basis associated with language and social abilities in preschool children with and without ASD, which promotes a better understanding of early deficits in language and social functions in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Xin
- Foshan Clinical Medical School, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Foshan, China
| | - Kaiyu Huang
- Center for Language and Brain, Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen, China
| | - Aiwen Yi
- Foshan Clinical Medical School, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Foshan, China
| | - Ziyu Feng
- Foshan Clinical Medical School, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Foshan, China
| | - Heng Liu
- Department of Radiology, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Medical Imaging Center of Guizhou Province, Zunyi, China
| | - Xiaoqing Liu
- Department of Radiology, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Medical Imaging Center of Guizhou Province, Zunyi, China
| | - Lili Liang
- Foshan Clinical Medical School, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Foshan, China
| | - Qingshan Huang
- Foshan Clinical Medical School, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Foshan, China
| | - Yaqiong Xiao
- Center for Language and Brain, Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen, China
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Li C, Chen W, Li X, Li T, Chen Y, Zhang C, Ning M, Wang X. Gray matter asymmetry atypical patterns in subgrouping minors with autism based on core symptoms. Front Neurosci 2023; 16:1077908. [PMID: 36760800 PMCID: PMC9905125 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.1077908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Abnormal gray matter (GM) asymmetry has been verified in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), which is characterized by high heterogeneity. ASD is distinguished by three core symptom domains. Previous neuroimaging studies have offered support for divergent neural substrates of different core symptom domains in ASD. However, no previous study has explored GM asymmetry alterations underlying different core symptom domains. This study sought to clarify atypical GM asymmetry patterns underlying three core symptom domains in ASD with a large sample of 230 minors with ASD (ages 7-18 years) and 274 matched TD controls from the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange I (ABIDE I) repository. To this end, the scores of the revised autism diagnostic interview (ADI-R) subscales were normalized for grouping ASD into three core-symptom-defined subgroups: social interaction (SI), verbal communication (VA), and restricted repetitive behaviors (RRB). We investigated core-symptom-related GM asymmetry alterations in ASD resulting from advanced voxel-based morphometry (VBM) by general linear models. We also examined the relationship between GM asymmetry and age and between GM asymmetry and symptom severity assessed by the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS). We found unique GM asymmetry alterations underlying three core-symptom-defined subgroups in ASD: more rightward asymmetry in the thalamus for SI, less rightward asymmetry in the superior temporal gyrus, anterior cingulate and caudate for VA, and less rightward asymmetry in the middle and inferior frontal gyrus for RRB. Furthermore, the asymmetry indexes in the thalamus were negatively associated with ADOS_SOCIAL scores in the general ASD group. We also showed significant correlations between GM asymmetry and age in ASD and TD individuals. Our results support the theory that each core symptom domain of ASD may have independent etiological and neurobiological underpinnings, which is essential for the interpretation of heterogeneity and the future diagnosis and treatment of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cuicui Li
- Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
| | - Wenxiong Chen
- Guangzhou Women and Children’s Medical Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaojing Li
- Guangzhou Women and Children’s Medical Center, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tong Li
- Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
| | - Ying Chen
- Central Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
| | - Chunling Zhang
- Central Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China
| | - Mingmin Ning
- Guangzhou Women and Children’s Medical Center, Guangzhou, China,*Correspondence: Mingmin Ning,
| | - Ximing Wang
- Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China,Ximing Wang,
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Lucibello S, Bertè G, Verdolotti T, Lucignani M, Napolitano A, D’Abronzo R, Cicala MG, Pede E, Chieffo D, Mariotti P, Colosimo C, Mercuri E, Battini R. Cortical Thickness and Clinical Findings in Prescholar Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder. Front Neurosci 2022; 15:776860. [PMID: 35197818 PMCID: PMC8858962 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.776860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The term autism spectrum disorder (ASD) includes a wide variability of clinical presentation, and this clinical heterogeneity seems to reflect a still unclear multifactorial etiopathogenesis, encompassing different genetic risk factors and susceptibility to environmental factors. Several studies and many theories recognize as mechanisms of autism a disruption of brain development and maturation time course, suggesting the existence of common neurobiological substrates, such as defective synaptic structure and aberrant brain connectivity. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) plays an important role in both assessment of region-specific structural changes and quantification of specific alterations in gray or white matter, which could lead to the identification of an MRI biomarker. In this study, we performed measurement of cortical thickness in a selected well-known group of preschool ASD subjects with the aim of finding correlation between cortical metrics and clinical scores to understand the underlying mechanism of symptoms and to support early clinical diagnosis. Our results confirm that recent brain MRI techniques combined with clinical data can provide some useful information in defining the cerebral regions involved in ASD although large sample studies with homogeneous analytical and multisite approaches are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Lucibello
- Pediatric Neurology Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Giovanna Bertè
- Dipartimento di Diagnostica per Immagini, Istituto di Radiologia, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Tommaso Verdolotti
- UOC Radiologia e Neuroradiologia, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Martina Lucignani
- Medical Physics Unit, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Antonio Napolitano
- Medical Physics Unit, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Rosa D’Abronzo
- Dipartimento di Diagnostica per Immagini, Istituto di Radiologia, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Maria G. Cicala
- Pediatric Neurology Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Elisa Pede
- Pediatric Neurology Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Daniela Chieffo
- Pediatric Neurology Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Paolo Mariotti
- Pediatric Neurology Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Cesare Colosimo
- Dipartimento di Diagnostica per Immagini, Istituto di Radiologia, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
- UOC Radiologia e Neuroradiologia, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Eugenio Mercuri
- Pediatric Neurology Unit, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
- Centro Clinico Nemo, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Roberta Battini
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris, Pisa, Italy
- *Correspondence: Roberta Battini,
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Seguin D, Pac S, Wang J, Nicolson R, Martinez-Trujillo J, Duerden EG. Amygdala subnuclei development in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder: Association with social communication and repetitive behaviors. Brain Behav 2021; 11:e2299. [PMID: 34333868 PMCID: PMC8413788 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.2299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2020] [Revised: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The amygdala subnuclei regulate emotional processing and are widely implicated in social cognitive impairments often seen in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Dysregulated amygdala development has been reported in young children with ASD; less is known about amygdala maturation in later adolescence, a sensitive window for social skill development. METHODS The macrostructural development of the amygdala subnuclei was assessed at two time points in a longitudinal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study of adolescents with ASD (n = 23) and typically-developing adolescents (n = 15) . In adolescents with ASD, amygdala subnuclei growth was assessed in relation to ASD symptomatology based on standardized diagnostic assessments. Participants were scanned with MRI at median age of 12 years and returned for a second scan at a median age of 15 years. The volumes of nine amygdala subnuclei were extracted using an automatic segmentation algorithm. RESULTS When examining the longitudinal data acquired across two time points, adolescents with ASD had larger basolateral amygdala (BLA) nuclei volumes compared to typically developing adolescents (B = 46.8, p = 0.04). When examining ASD symptomatology in relation to the growth of the amygdala subnuclei, reciprocal social interaction scores on the ADI-R were positively associated with increased growth of the BLA nuclei (B = 8.3, p < 0.001). Growth in the medial nucleus negatively predicted the communication (B = -46.9, p = 0.02) and social (B = -47.7, p < 0.001) domains on the ADOS-G. Growth in the right cortical nucleus (B = 26.14, p = 0.02) positively predicted ADOS-G social scores. Central nucleus maturation (B = 29.9, p = 0.02) was associated with the repetitive behaviors domain on the ADOS-G. CONCLUSIONS Larger BLA volumes in adolescents with ASD may reflect underlying alterations in cellular density previously reported in post-mortem studies. Furthermore, findings demonstrate an association between regional growth in amygdala subnuclei volumes and ASD symptomatology. Improved understanding of the developmental trajectories of the amygdala subnuclei may aid in identifying key windows for interventions, particularly for social communication, in adolescents with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diane Seguin
- Physiology and Pharmacology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Canada
| | - Sara Pac
- Neuroscience, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Canada
| | - Jianan Wang
- Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Western University, London, Canada
| | - Rob Nicolson
- Psychiatry, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
| | - Julio Martinez-Trujillo
- Physiology and Pharmacology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Canada
| | - Emma G Duerden
- Neuroscience, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, Canada.,Psychiatry, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada.,Applied Psychology, Faculty of Education, Western University, London, Canada
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Kovacevic M, Macuzic IZ, Milosavljevic J, Lukovic T, Aleksic D, Gavrilovic J, Milosavljevic M, Jankovic S, Pejcic A. Amygdala Volumes in Autism Spectrum Disorders: Meta-analysis of Magnetic Resonance Imaging Studies. REVIEW JOURNAL OF AUTISM AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s40489-021-00281-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Prigge MBD, Lange N, Bigler ED, King JB, Dean DC, Adluru N, Alexander AL, Lainhart JE, Zielinski BA. A 16-year study of longitudinal volumetric brain development in males with autism. Neuroimage 2021; 236:118067. [PMID: 33878377 PMCID: PMC8489006 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2020] [Revised: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with unknown brain etiology. Our knowledge to date about structural brain development across the lifespan in ASD comes mainly from cross-sectional studies, thereby limiting our understanding of true age effects within individuals with the disorder that can only be gained through longitudinal research. The present study describes FreeSurfer-derived volumetric findings from a longitudinal dataset consisting of 607 T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans collected from 105 male individuals with ASD (349 MRIs) and 125 typically developing male controls (258 MRIs). Participants were six to forty-five years of age at their first scan, and were scanned up to 5 times over a period of 16 years (average inter-scan interval of 3.7 years). Atypical age-related volumetric trajectories in ASD included enlarged gray matter volume in early childhood that approached levels of the control group by late childhood, an age-related increase in ventricle volume resulting in enlarged ventricles by early adulthood and reduced corpus callosum age-related volumetric increase resulting in smaller corpus callosum volume in adulthood. Larger corpus callosum volume was related to a lower (better) ADOS score at the most recent study visit for the participants with ASD. These longitudinal findings expand our knowledge of volumetric brain-based abnormalities in males with ASD, and highlight the need to continue to examine brain structure across the lifespan and well into adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Molly B D Prigge
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
| | - Nicholas Lange
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Erin D Bigler
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Center, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT USA; Department of Neurology, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA USA
| | - Jace B King
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Douglas C Dean
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA; Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Nagesh Adluru
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Andrew L Alexander
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA; Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Janet E Lainhart
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Brandon A Zielinski
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
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The Reeler Mouse: A Translational Model of Human Neurological Conditions, or Simply a Good Tool for Better Understanding Neurodevelopment? J Clin Med 2019; 8:jcm8122088. [PMID: 31805691 PMCID: PMC6947477 DOI: 10.3390/jcm8122088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2019] [Revised: 11/26/2019] [Accepted: 11/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The first description of the Reeler mutation in mouse dates to more than fifty years ago, and later, its causative gene (reln) was discovered in mouse, and its human orthologue (RELN) was demonstrated to be causative of lissencephaly 2 (LIS2) and about 20% of the cases of autosomal-dominant lateral temporal epilepsy (ADLTE). In both human and mice, the gene encodes for a glycoprotein referred to as reelin (Reln) that plays a primary function in neuronal migration during development and synaptic stabilization in adulthood. Besides LIS2 and ADLTE, RELN and/or other genes coding for the proteins of the Reln intracellular cascade have been associated substantially to other conditions such as spinocerebellar ataxia type 7 and 37, VLDLR-associated cerebellar hypoplasia, PAFAH1B1-associated lissencephaly, autism, and schizophrenia. According to their modalities of inheritances and with significant differences among each other, these neuropsychiatric disorders can be modeled in the homozygous (reln−/−) or heterozygous (reln+/−) Reeler mouse. The worth of these mice as translational models is discussed, with focus on their construct and face validity. Description of face validity, i.e., the resemblance of phenotypes between the two species, centers onto the histological, neurochemical, and functional observations in the cerebral cortex, hippocampus, and cerebellum of Reeler mice and their human counterparts.
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Altered structural brain asymmetry in autism spectrum disorder in a study of 54 datasets. Nat Commun 2019; 10:4958. [PMID: 31673008 PMCID: PMC6823355 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-13005-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 123] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2019] [Accepted: 10/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Altered structural brain asymmetry in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been reported. However, findings have been inconsistent, likely due to limited sample sizes. Here we investigated 1,774 individuals with ASD and 1,809 controls, from 54 independent data sets of the ENIGMA consortium. ASD was significantly associated with alterations of cortical thickness asymmetry in mostly medial frontal, orbitofrontal, cingulate and inferior temporal areas, and also with asymmetry of orbitofrontal surface area. These differences generally involved reduced asymmetry in individuals with ASD compared to controls. Furthermore, putamen volume asymmetry was significantly increased in ASD. The largest case-control effect size was Cohen’s d = −0.13, for asymmetry of superior frontal cortical thickness. Most effects did not depend on age, sex, IQ, severity or medication use. Altered lateralized neurodevelopment may therefore be a feature of ASD, affecting widespread brain regions with diverse functions. Large-scale analysis was necessary to quantify subtle alterations of brain structural asymmetry in ASD. Changes in brain structure asymmetry have been reported in autism spectrum disorder. Here the authors investigate this issue using a large-scale sample consisting of 54 data sets.
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