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Aydin E, Tsompanidis A, Chaplin D, Hawkes R, Allison C, Hackett G, Austin T, Padaigaitė E, Gabis LV, Sucking J, Holt R, Baron-Cohen S. Fetal brain growth and infant autistic traits. Mol Autism 2024; 15:11. [PMID: 38419120 PMCID: PMC10900793 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-024-00586-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Structural differences exist in the brains of autistic individuals. To date only a few studies have explored the relationship between fetal brain growth and later infant autistic traits, and some have used fetal head circumference (HC) as a proxy for brain development. These findings have been inconsistent. Here we investigate whether fetal subregional brain measurements correlate with autistic traits in toddlers. METHODS A total of 219 singleton pregnancies (104 males and 115 females) were recruited at the Rosie Hospital, Cambridge, UK. 2D ultrasound was performed at 12-, 20- and between 26 and 30 weeks of pregnancy, measuring head circumference (HC), ventricular atrium (VA) and transcerebellar diameter (TCD). A total of 179 infants were followed up at 18-20 months of age and completed the quantitative checklist for autism in toddlers (Q-CHAT) to measure autistic traits. RESULTS Q-CHAT scores at 18-20 months of age were positively associated with TCD size at 20 weeks and with HC at 28 weeks, in univariate analyses, and in multiple regression models which controlled for sex, maternal age and birth weight. LIMITATIONS Due to the nature and location of the study, ascertainment bias could also have contributed to the recruitment of volunteer mothers with a higher than typical range of autistic traits and/or with a significant interest in the neurodevelopment of their children. CONCLUSION Prenatal brain growth is associated with toddler autistic traits and this can be ascertained via ultrasound starting at 20 weeks gestation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ezra Aydin
- Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Alex Tsompanidis
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Daren Chaplin
- The Rosie Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK
| | - Rebecca Hawkes
- The Rosie Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK
| | - Carrie Allison
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Gerald Hackett
- The Rosie Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK
| | - Topun Austin
- The Rosie Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK
- NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, Cambridge, UK
| | - Eglė Padaigaitė
- Wolfson Centre for Young People's Mental Health, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Lidia V Gabis
- Tel Aviv University, Wolfson Hospital and Maccabi healthcare, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - John Sucking
- NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Rosemary Holt
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Simon Baron-Cohen
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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2
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Dong Q, Li J, Ju Y, Xiao C, Li K, Shi B, Zheng W, Zhang Y. Altered Relationship between Functional Connectivity and Fiber-Bundle Structure in High-Functioning Male Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Brain Sci 2023; 13:1098. [PMID: 37509029 PMCID: PMC10377258 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13071098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Revised: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a pervasive neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by abnormalities in structure and function of the brain. However, how ASD affects the relationship between fiber-bundle microstructures and functional connectivity (FC) remains unclear. Here, we analyzed structural and functional images of 26 high-functioning adult males with ASD, alongside 26 age-, gender-, and full-scale IQ-matched typically developing controls (TDCs) from the BNI dataset in the ABIDE database. We utilized fixel-based analysis to extract microstructural information from fiber tracts, which was then used to predict FC using a multilinear model. Our results revealed that the structure-function relationships in both ASD and TDC cohorts were strongly aligned in the primary cortex but decoupled in the high-order cortex, and the ASD patients exhibited reduced structure-function relationships throughout the cortex compared to the TDCs. Furthermore, we observed that the disrupted relationships in ASD were primarily driven by alterations in FC rather than fiber-bundle microstructures. The structure-function relationships in the left superior parietal cortex, right precentral and inferior temporal cortices, and bilateral insula could predict individual differences in clinical symptoms of ASD patients. These findings underscore the significance of altered relationships between fiber-bundle microstructures and FC in the etiology of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiangli Dong
- Department of Psychiatry, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Jialong Li
- Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Wearable Computing, School of Information Science and Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Yumeng Ju
- Department of Psychiatry & National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha 410011, China
| | - Chuman Xiao
- Department of Psychiatry & National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha 410011, China
| | - Kangning Li
- Department of Psychiatry & National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha 410011, China
| | - Bin Shi
- Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Wearable Computing, School of Information Science and Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Weihao Zheng
- Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Wearable Computing, School of Information Science and Engineering, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
| | - Yan Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry & National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha 410011, China
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3
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Kyriakopoulou V, Davidson A, Chew A, Gupta N, Arichi T, Nosarti C, Rutherford MA. Characterisation of ASD traits among a cohort of children with isolated fetal ventriculomegaly. Nat Commun 2023; 14:1550. [PMID: 36941265 PMCID: PMC10027681 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37242-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Fetal ventriculomegaly is the most common antenatally-diagnosed brain abnormality. Imaging studies in antenatal isolated ventriculomegaly demonstrate enlarged ventricles and cortical overgrowth which are also present in children with autism-spectrum disorder/condition (ASD). We investigate the presence of ASD traits in a cohort of children (n = 24 [20 males/4 females]) with isolated fetal ventriculomegaly, compared with 10 controls (n = 10 [6 males/4 females]). Neurodevelopmental outcome at school age included IQ, ASD traits (ADOS-2), sustained attention, neurological functioning, behaviour, executive function, sensory processing, co-ordination, and adaptive behaviours. Pre-school language development was assessed at 2 years. 37.5% of children, all male, in the ventriculomegaly cohort scored above threshold for autism/ASD classification. Pre-school language delay predicted an ADOS-2 autism/ASD classification with 73.3% specificity/66.7% sensitivity. Greater pre-school language delay was associated with more ASD symptoms. In this study, the neurodevelopment of children with isolated fetal ventriculomegaly, associated with altered cortical development, includes ASD traits, difficulties in sustained attention, working memory and sensation-seeking behaviours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Kyriakopoulou
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK.
| | - Alice Davidson
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Andrew Chew
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Nidhi Gupta
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
- Department of Paediatric Neurosciences, Evelina London Children's Hospital, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Tomoki Arichi
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
- Department of Paediatric Neurosciences, Evelina London Children's Hospital, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, UK
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Chiara Nosarti
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Mary A Rutherford
- Centre for the Developing Brain, School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK
- MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, King's College London, London, UK
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4
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Arutiunian V, Gomozova M, Minnigulova A, Davydova E, Pereverzeva D, Sorokin A, Tyushkevich S, Mamokhina U, Danilina K, Dragoy O. Structural brain abnormalities and their association with language impairment in school-aged children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Sci Rep 2023; 13:1172. [PMID: 36670149 PMCID: PMC9860052 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-28463-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Language impairment is comorbid in most children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) but its neural basis is poorly understood. Using structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the present study provides the whole-brain comparison of both volume- and surface-based characteristics between groups of children with and without ASD and investigates the relationships between these characteristics in language-related areas and the language abilities of children with ASD measured with standardized tools. A total of 36 school-aged children participated in the study: 18 children with ASD and 18 age- and sex-matched typically developing controls. The results revealed that multiple regions differed between groups of children in gray matter volume, gray matter thickness, gyrification, and cortical complexity (fractal dimension). White matter volume and sulcus depth did not differ between groups of children in any region. Importantly, gray matter thickness and gyrification of language-related areas were related to language functioning in children with ASD. Thus, the results of the present study shed some light on the structural brain abnormalities associated with language impairment in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vardan Arutiunian
- Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, 1920 Terry Ave., Seattle, WA, 98101, USA.
| | | | | | - Elizaveta Davydova
- Federal Resource Center for ASD, Moscow State University of Psychology and Education, Moscow, Russia.,Chair of Differential Psychology and Psychophysiology, Moscow State University of Psychology and Education, Moscow, Russia
| | - Darya Pereverzeva
- Federal Resource Center for ASD, Moscow State University of Psychology and Education, Moscow, Russia
| | - Alexander Sorokin
- Federal Resource Center for ASD, Moscow State University of Psychology and Education, Moscow, Russia.,Haskins Laboratories, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Svetlana Tyushkevich
- Federal Resource Center for ASD, Moscow State University of Psychology and Education, Moscow, Russia
| | - Uliana Mamokhina
- Federal Resource Center for ASD, Moscow State University of Psychology and Education, Moscow, Russia
| | - Kamilla Danilina
- Federal Resource Center for ASD, Moscow State University of Psychology and Education, Moscow, Russia
| | - Olga Dragoy
- Center for Language and Brain, HSE University, Moscow, Russia.,Institute of Linguistics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
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5
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Du Y, He X, Kochunov P, Pearlson G, Hong LE, van Erp TGM, Belger A, Calhoun VD. A new multimodality fusion classification approach to explore the uniqueness of schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorder. Hum Brain Mapp 2022; 43:3887-3903. [PMID: 35484969 PMCID: PMC9294304 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Revised: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia (SZ) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) sharing overlapping symptoms have a long history of diagnostic confusion. It is unclear what their differences at a brain level are. Here, we propose a multimodality fusion classification approach to investigate their divergence in brain function and structure. Using brain functional network connectivity (FNC) calculated from resting-state fMRI data and gray matter volume (GMV) estimated from sMRI data, we classify the two disorders using the main data (335 SZ and 380 ASD patients) via an unbiased 10-fold cross-validation pipeline, and also validate the classification generalization ability on an independent cohort (120 SZ and 349 ASD patients). The classification accuracy reached up to 83.08% for the testing data and 72.10% for the independent data, significantly better than the results from using the single-modality features. The discriminative FNCs that were automatically selected primarily involved the sub-cortical, default mode, and visual domains. Interestingly, all discriminative FNCs relating to the default mode network showed an intermediate strength in healthy controls (HCs) between SZ and ASD patients. Their GMV differences were mainly driven by the frontal gyrus, temporal gyrus, and insula. Regarding these regions, the mean GMV of HC fell intermediate between that of SZ and ASD, and ASD showed the highest GMV. The middle frontal gyrus was associated with both functional and structural differences. In summary, our work reveals the unique neuroimaging characteristics of SZ and ASD that can achieve high and generalizable classification accuracy, supporting their potential as disorder-specific neural substrates of the two entwined disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuhui Du
- School of Computer and Information TechnologyShanxi UniversityTaiyuanShanxiChina
- Tri‐Institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data ScienceGeorgia State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory UniversityAtlantaGeorgiaUSA
| | - Xingyu He
- School of Computer and Information TechnologyShanxi UniversityTaiyuanShanxiChina
| | - Peter Kochunov
- Center for Brain Imaging ResearchUniversity of MarylandBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | | | - L. Elliot Hong
- Center for Brain Imaging ResearchUniversity of MarylandBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Theo G. M. van Erp
- Department of Psychiatry and Human BehaviorUniversity of CaliforniaIrvineCaliforniaUSA
- Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and MemoryUniversity of CaliforniaIrvineCaliforniaUSA
| | - Aysenil Belger
- Department of PsychiatryUniversity of North CarolinaChapel HillNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Vince D. Calhoun
- Tri‐Institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data ScienceGeorgia State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory UniversityAtlantaGeorgiaUSA
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6
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Placental dysfunction: The core mechanism for poor neurodevelopmental outcomes in the offspring of preeclampsia pregnancies. Placenta 2022; 126:224-232. [PMID: 35872512 DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2022.07.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Revised: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Preeclampsia (PE) is a leading condition threatening pregnant women and their offspring. The offspring of PE pregnancies have a high risk of poor neurodevelopmental outcomes and neuropsychological diseases later in life. However, the pathophysiology and pathogenesis of poor neurodevelopment remain undetermined. Abnormal placental functions are at the core of most PE cases, and recent research evidence supports that the placenta plays an important role in fetal brain development. Here, we summarize the relationship between abnormal fetal brain development and placental dysfunction in PE conditions, which include the dysfunction of nutrient and gas-waste exchange, impaired angiogenesis stimulation, abnormal neurotransmitter regulation, disrupted special protectors, and immune disorders. All these factors could lead to poor neurodevelopmental outcomes.
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7
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Seng GJ, Lai MC, Goh JOS, Tseng WYI, Gau SSF. Gray matter volume alteration is associated with insistence on sameness and cognitive flexibility in autistic youth. Autism Res 2022; 15:1209-1221. [PMID: 35491911 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2021] [Revised: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Restricted and repetitive behaviors (RRBs) are hallmark characteristics of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Previous studies suggest that insistence on sameness (IS) characterized as higher-order RRBs may be a promising subgrouping variable for ASD. Cognitive inflexibility may underpin IS behaviors. However, the neuroanatomical correlates of IS and associated cognitive functions remain unclear. We analyzed data from 140 autistic youth and 124 typically developing (TD) youth (mean age = 15.8 years). Autistic youth were stratified by median-split based on three current IS items in the autism diagnostic interview-revised into two groups (high, HIS, n = 70, and low, LIS, n = 70). Differences in cognitive flexibility were assessed by the Cambridge neuropsychological test automated battery (CANTAB). T1-weighted brain structural images were analyzed using voxel-based morphometry (VBM) to identify differences in gray matter (GM) volume among the three groups. GM volume of regions showing group differences was then correlated with cognitive flexibility. The HIS group showed decreased GM volumes in the left supramarginal gyrus compared to the LIS group and increased GM volumes in the vermis VIII and left cerebellar lobule VIII compared to TD individuals. We did not find significant correlations between regional GM volumes and extra-dimensional shift errors. IS may be a unique RRB component and a potentially valuable stratifier of ASD. However, the neurocognitive underpinnings require further clarification. LAY SUMMARY: The present study found parietal, temporal and cerebellar gray matter volume alterations in autistic youth with greater insistence on sameness. The findings suggest that insistence on sameness may be a useful feature to parse the heterogeneity of the autism spectrum yet further research investigating the underlying neurocognitive mechanism is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guan-Jye Seng
- Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital & College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.,Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Meng-Chuan Lai
- Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital & College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.,The Margaret and Wallace McCain Centre for Child, Youth & Family Mental Health and Azrieli Adult Neurodevelopmental Centre, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry and Autism Research Unit, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, Autism Research Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Joshua Oon Soo Goh
- Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Neurobiology and Cognitive Science Center, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Psychology, College of Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Wen-Yih Issac Tseng
- College of Medicine, Institute of Medical Device and Imaging, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Susan Shur-Fen Gau
- Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital & College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.,Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Neurobiology and Cognitive Science Center, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Psychology, College of Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
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8
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Two neuroanatomical subtypes of males with autism spectrum disorder revealed using semi-supervised machine learning. Mol Autism 2022; 13:9. [PMID: 35197121 PMCID: PMC8867630 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-022-00489-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Clinical and etiological varieties remain major obstacles to decompose heterogeneity in autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Recently, neuroimaging raised new hope to identify neurosubtypes of ASD for further understanding the biological mechanisms behind the disorder. Methods In this study, brain structural MRI data and clinical measures of 221 male subjects with ASD and 257 healthy controls were selected from 7 independent sites from the Autism Brain Image Data Exchange database (ABIDE). Heterogeneity through discriminative analysis (HYDRA), a recently-proposed semi-supervised clustering method was utilized to divide individuals with ASD into several neurosubtypes by regional volumetric measures of gray matter, white matter, and cerebrospinal fluid. Voxel-wise volume, clinical measures, dynamic resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (R-fMRI) measures among different neurosubtypes of ASD were explored. In addition, support vector machine (SVM) model was applied to test whether the neurosubtyping of ASD could improve diagnostic accuracy of ASD. Results Two neurosubtypes of ASD with different voxel-wise volumetric patterns were revealed. The full-scale intelligence quotient (IQ), verbal IQ, Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) total scores and ADOS severity scores were significantly different between the two neurosubtypes, the total intracranial volume was correlated with performance IQ in Subtype 1 and was correlated with ADOS communication score and ADOS social score in Subtype 2. Compared with Subtype 2, Subtype 1 showed lower dynamic R-fMRI measures, lower dynamic functional architecture stability, higher mean and lower standard deviation (SD) of concordance among dynamic R-fMRI measures in cerebellum. In addition, classification accuracies between ASD neurosubtypes and healthy controls were significantly improved compared with classification accuracy between entire ASD group and healthy controls. Limitations The present study excluded female subjects and left-handed subjects, which limited the ability to investigate the associations between these factors and the heterogeneity of ASD. Conclusions The two distinct neuroanatomical subtypes of ASD validated by other data modalities not only adds reliability of the result, but also bridges from brain phenomenology to clinical behavior. The current neurosubtypes of ASD could facilitate understanding the neuropathology of this disorder and could be potentially used to improve clinical decision-making process and optimize treatment. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13229-022-00489-3.
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9
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Duan Y, Zhao W, Luo C, Liu X, Jiang H, Tang Y, Liu C, Yao D. Identifying and Predicting Autism Spectrum Disorder Based on Multi-Site Structural MRI With Machine Learning. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 15:765517. [PMID: 35273484 PMCID: PMC8902595 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2021.765517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Although emerging evidence has implicated structural/functional abnormalities of patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder(ASD), definitive neuroimaging markers remain obscured due to inconsistent or incompatible findings, especially for structural imaging. Furthermore, brain differences defined by statistical analysis are difficult to implement individual prediction. The present study has employed the machine learning techniques under the unified framework in neuroimaging to identify the neuroimaging markers of patients with ASD and distinguish them from typically developing controls(TDC). To enhance the interpretability of the machine learning model, the study has processed three levels of assessments including model-level assessment, feature-level assessment, and biology-level assessment. According to these three levels assessment, the study has identified neuroimaging markers of ASD including the opercular part of bilateral inferior frontal gyrus, the orbital part of right inferior frontal gyrus, right rolandic operculum, right olfactory cortex, right gyrus rectus, right insula, left inferior parietal gyrus, bilateral supramarginal gyrus, bilateral angular gyrus, bilateral superior temporal gyrus, bilateral middle temporal gyrus, and left inferior temporal gyrus. In addition, negative correlations between the communication skill score in the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS_G) and regional gray matter (GM) volume in the gyrus rectus, left middle temporal gyrus, and inferior temporal gyrus have been detected. A significant negative correlation has been found between the communication skill score in ADOS_G and the orbital part of the left inferior frontal gyrus. A negative correlation between verbal skill score and right angular gyrus and a significant negative correlation between non-verbal communication skill and right angular gyrus have been found. These findings in the study have suggested the GM alteration of ASD and correlated with the clinical severity of ASD disease symptoms. The interpretable machine learning framework gives sight to the pathophysiological mechanism of ASD but can also be extended to other diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- YuMei Duan
- Department of Computer and Software, Chengdu Jincheng College, Chengdu, China
| | - WeiDong Zhao
- College of Computer, Chengdu University, Chengdu, China
| | - Cheng Luo
- The Key Laboratory for Neuro Information of Ministry of Education, Center for Information in Bio Medicine, High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - XiaoJu Liu
- Department of Abdominal Oncology, Cancer Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Hong Jiang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Rui-Jin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - YiQian Tang
- College of Computer, Chengdu University, Chengdu, China
| | - Chang Liu
- College of Computer, Chengdu University, Chengdu, China
- The Key Laboratory for Neuro Information of Ministry of Education, Center for Information in Bio Medicine, High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - DeZhong Yao
- The Key Laboratory for Neuro Information of Ministry of Education, Center for Information in Bio Medicine, High-Field Magnetic Resonance Brain Imaging Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
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10
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Wang H, Ma ZH, Xu LZ, Yang L, Ji ZZ, Tang XZ, Liu JR, Li X, Cao QJ, Liu J. Developmental brain structural atypicalities in autism: a voxel-based morphometry analysis. Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health 2022; 16:7. [PMID: 35101065 PMCID: PMC8805267 DOI: 10.1186/s13034-022-00443-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI) studies have shown atypicalities in structural brain changes in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), while a noticeable discrepancy in their results indicates the necessity of conducting further researches. METHODS The current study investigated the atypical structural brain features of autistic individuals who aged 6-30 years old. A total of 52 autistic individuals and 50 age-, gender-, and intelligence quotient (IQ)-matched typically developing (TD) individuals were included in this study, and were assigned into three based cohorts: childhood (6-12 years old), adolescence (13-18 years old), and adulthood (19-30 years old). Analyses of whole-brain volume and voxel-based morphometry (VBM) on the sMRI data were conducted. RESULTS No significant difference was found in the volumes of whole-brain, gray matter, and white matter between the autism and TD groups in the three age-based cohorts. For VBM analyses, the volumes of gray matter in the right superior temporal gyrus and right inferior parietal lobule in the autism group (6-12 years old) were smaller than those in the TD group; the gray matter volume in the left inferior parietal lobule in the autism group (13-18 years old) was larger than that in the TD group; the gray matter volume in the right middle occipital gyrus in the autism group (19-30 years old) was larger than that in the TD group, and the gray matter volume in the left posterior cingulate gyrus in the autism group was smaller than that in the TD group. CONCLUSION Autistic individuals showed different atypical regional gray matter volumetric changes in childhood, adolescence, and adulthood compared to their TD peers, indicating that it is essential to consider developmental stages of the brain when exploring brain structural atypicalities in autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Wang
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), 51 Huayuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Zeng-Hui Ma
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), 51 Huayuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Ling-Zi Xu
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), 51 Huayuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Liu Yang
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), 51 Huayuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Zhao-Zheng Ji
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), 51 Huayuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Xin-Zhou Tang
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), 51 Huayuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Jing-Ran Liu
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), 51 Huayuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Xue Li
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), 51 Huayuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100191, China.
| | - Qing-Jiu Cao
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), 51 Huayuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100191, China.
| | - Jing Liu
- Peking University Sixth Hospital, Peking University Institute of Mental Health, NHC Key Laboratory of Mental Health (Peking University), National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital), 51 Huayuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100191, China.
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11
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Zhao X, Zhu S, Cao Y, Cheng P, Lin Y, Sun Z, Jiang W, Du Y. Abnormalities of Gray Matter Volume and Its Correlation with Clinical Symptoms in Adolescents with High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat 2022; 18:717-730. [PMID: 35401002 PMCID: PMC8983641 DOI: 10.2147/ndt.s349247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous studies have indicated abnormal gray matter volume (GMV) in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD); however, there is little consistency across the findings within these studies, partly due to small sample size and great heterogeneity among participants between studies. Additionally, few studies have explored the correlation between clinical symptoms and GMV abnormalities in individuals with ASD. Here, the current study examined GMV alterations in whole brain and their correlations with clinical symptoms in a relatively large and homogeneous sample of participants with ASD matched typically developing (TD) controls. METHODS Forty-eight adolescents with high-functioning ASD and 29 group-matched TD controls underwent structural magnetic resonance images. Voxel-based morphometry was applied to investigate regional GMV alterations. The participants with ASD were examined for the severity of clinical symptoms with Autism Behavior Checklist (ABC). The relationship between GMV abnormalities and clinical symptoms was explored in ASD group using voxel-wise correlation analysis within brain regions that showed significant GMV alterations in individuals with ASD compared with TD controls. RESULTS We found increased GMV in multiple brain regions, including the inferior frontal gyrus, medial frontal gyrus, superior frontal gyrus, superior temporal gyrus, occipital pole, anterior cingulate, cerebellum anterior lobe, cerebellum posterior lobe, and midbrain, as well as decreased GMV in cerebellum posterior lobe in individuals with ASD. The correlation analysis showed the GMV in the left fusiform was negatively associated with the scores of sensory factor, and the GMV in the right cerebellum anterior lobe was positively associated with the scores of social self-help factor. CONCLUSION Our results indicated that widespread GMV abnormalities of brain regions occurred in individuals with ASD, suggesting a potential neural basis for the pathogenesis and symptomatology of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxin Zhao
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Shuyi Zhu
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Yang Cao
- Suzhou Guangji Hospital, Suzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Peipei Cheng
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuxiong Lin
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhixin Sun
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenqing Jiang
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Yasong Du
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
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12
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Alterations in Regional Brain Regional Volume Associated with Dioxin Exposure in Men Living in the Most Dioxin-Contaminated Area in Vietnam: Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Analysis Using Voxel-Based Morphometry (VBM). TOXICS 2021; 9:toxics9120353. [PMID: 34941787 PMCID: PMC8703540 DOI: 10.3390/toxics9120353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Revised: 12/12/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
To clarify the influence of dioxin exposure on brain morphometry, the present study investigated associations between dioxin exposure at high levels and brain structural irregularities in 32 Vietnamese men. Two exposure markers were used: blood dioxin levels, as a marker of exposure in adulthood, and perinatal dioxin exposure, estimated by maternal residency in a dioxin-contaminated area during pregnancy. All subjects underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. We analyzed correlations between regional gray matter volumes and blood dioxin levels, and compared regional volumes between men with and without perinatal dioxin exposure using the voxel-based morphometry (VBM) tool from Statistical Parametric Mapping 12 (SPM12). Blood 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) was associated with low volume of the medial temporal pole and fusiform gyrus. Toxic equivalency (TEQ)-PCDDs were correlated with low medial temporal pole volume. However, 1,2,3,4,7,8-HxCDD was associated with high middle frontal gyrus and cerebellum volume. In men with perinatal dioxin exposure, the left inferior frontal gyrus pars orbitalis volume was significantly lower than in those without perinatal exposure. These results suggest that dioxin exposure during the perinatal period and in adulthood may alter regional brain volume, which might lead to cognitive deficits and unusual social emotional behavior in Vietnamese men living in dioxin-contaminated areas.
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13
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Crucitti J, Hyde C, Enticott PG, Stokes MA. Are Vermal Lobules VI-VII Smaller in Autism Spectrum Disorder? THE CEREBELLUM 2021; 19:617-628. [PMID: 32445170 DOI: 10.1007/s12311-020-01143-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Cerebellar volume, in particular vermal lobule areas VI-VII, have been extensively researched in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), although findings are often unclear. The aim of the present study is to consolidate all existing cerebellar and age data of individuals with ASD, and compare this data to typically developing (TD) controls. Raw data, or the means and standard deviations of cerebellar volume and age, were obtained from 17 studies (NCerebellum: 421 ASD and 370 TD participants; NVI-VII: 506 ASD and 290 TD participants). Total cerebellar volume, or VI-VII area, was plotted against age and lines of fit of ASD and TD data were compared. Mean differences in cerebellar volume and VI-VII area between participants with ASD and TD participants were then compared via ANCOVA analyses. Findings revealed multiple differences in VI-VII area between participants with ASD and TD participants below 18 years of age. Additionally, cerebellar volume was greater in males with ASD than TD males between 2 and 4 years. In the present study, cerebellar volume and VI-VII area show different rates of change across age for those with autism compared with those without. These morphological differences provide a neurobiological justification to investigate related behavioural correlates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joel Crucitti
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia
| | - Christian Hyde
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia
| | - Peter G Enticott
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia
| | - Mark A Stokes
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia.
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14
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A Deep Learning Approach to Predict Autism Spectrum Disorder Using Multisite Resting-State fMRI. APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/app11083636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex and degenerative neuro-developmental disorder. Most of the existing methods utilize functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to detect ASD with a very limited dataset which provides high accuracy but results in poor generalization. To overcome this limitation and to enhance the performance of the automated autism diagnosis model, in this paper, we propose an ASD detection model using functional connectivity features of resting-state fMRI data. Our proposed model utilizes two commonly used brain atlases, Craddock 200 (CC200) and Automated Anatomical Labelling (AAL), and two rarely used atlases Bootstrap Analysis of Stable Clusters (BASC) and Power. A deep neural network (DNN) classifier is used to perform the classification task. Simulation results indicate that the proposed model outperforms state-of-the-art methods in terms of accuracy. The mean accuracy of the proposed model was 88%, whereas the mean accuracy of the state-of-the-art methods ranged from 67% to 85%. The sensitivity, F1-score, and area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) score of the proposed model were 90%, 87%, and 96%, respectively. Comparative analysis on various scoring strategies show the superiority of BASC atlas over other aforementioned atlases in classifying ASD and control.
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15
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Jamalabadi H, Zuberer A, Kumar VJ, Li M, Alizadeh S, Amani AM, Gaser C, Esterman M, Walter M. The missing role of gray matter in studying brain controllability. Netw Neurosci 2021; 5:198-210. [PMID: 33688612 PMCID: PMC7935040 DOI: 10.1162/netn_a_00174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain controllability properties are normally derived from the white matter fiber tracts in which the neural substrate of the actual energy consumption, namely the gray matter, has been widely ignored. Here, we study the relationship between gray matter volume of regions across the whole cortex and their respective control properties derived from the structural architecture of the white matter fiber tracts. The data suggests that the ability of white fiber tracts to exhibit control at specific nodes not only depends on the connection strength of the structural connectome but additionally depends on gray matter volume at the host nodes. Our data indicate that connectivity strength and gray matter volume interact with respect to the brain’s control properties. Disentangling effects of the regional gray matter volume and connectivity strength, we found that frontal and sensory areas play crucial roles in controllability. Together these results suggest that structural and regional properties of the white matter and gray matter provide complementary information in studying the control properties of the intrinsic structural and functional architecture of the brain. Network control theory suggests that the functions of large-scale brain circuits can be partially described with respect to the ability of brain regions to steer brain activity to different states. This ability, often quantified in terms of controllability metrics, has normally been derived from the structural architecture of the white matter fiber tracts. However, gray matter as the substrate that engenders much of the neural processes is widely ignored in this context. In the present work, we study the relationship between regional gray matter volume and control properties across the whole cortex and provide evidence that control properties not only depend on the connection strength of the structural connectome but also depend on sufficient gray matter volume at the host nodes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamidreza Jamalabadi
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Agnieszka Zuberer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | | | - Meng Li
- Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Sarah Alizadeh
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germanys
| | - Ali Moradi Amani
- School of Engineering, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Christian Gaser
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Michael Esterman
- Boston University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Martin Walter
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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16
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Jin SC, Dong W, Kundishora AJ, Panchagnula S, Moreno-De-Luca A, Furey CG, Allocco AA, Walker RL, Nelson-Williams C, Smith H, Dunbar A, Conine S, Lu Q, Zeng X, Sierant MC, Knight JR, Sullivan W, Duy PQ, DeSpenza T, Reeves BC, Karimy JK, Marlier A, Castaldi C, Tikhonova IR, Li B, Peña HP, Broach JR, Kabachelor EM, Ssenyonga P, Hehnly C, Ge L, Keren B, Timberlake AT, Goto J, Mangano FT, Johnston JM, Butler WE, Warf BC, Smith ER, Schiff SJ, Limbrick DD, Heuer G, Jackson EM, Iskandar BJ, Mane S, Haider S, Guclu B, Bayri Y, Sahin Y, Duncan CC, Apuzzo MLJ, DiLuna ML, Hoffman EJ, Sestan N, Ment LR, Alper SL, Bilguvar K, Geschwind DH, Günel M, Lifton RP, Kahle KT. Exome sequencing implicates genetic disruption of prenatal neuro-gliogenesis in sporadic congenital hydrocephalus. Nat Med 2020; 26:1754-1765. [PMID: 33077954 PMCID: PMC7871900 DOI: 10.1038/s41591-020-1090-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Congenital hydrocephalus (CH), characterized by enlarged brain ventricles, is considered a disease of excessive cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) accumulation and thereby treated with neurosurgical CSF diversion with high morbidity and failure rates. The poor neurodevelopmental outcomes and persistence of ventriculomegaly in some post-surgical patients highlight our limited knowledge of disease mechanisms. Through whole-exome sequencing of 381 patients (232 trios) with sporadic, neurosurgically treated CH, we found that damaging de novo mutations account for >17% of cases, with five different genes exhibiting a significant de novo mutation burden. In all, rare, damaging mutations with large effect contributed to ~22% of sporadic CH cases. Multiple CH genes are key regulators of neural stem cell biology and converge in human transcriptional networks and cell types pertinent for fetal neuro-gliogenesis. These data implicate genetic disruption of early brain development, not impaired CSF dynamics, as the primary pathomechanism of a significant number of patients with sporadic CH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheng Chih Jin
- Laboratory of Human Genetics and Genomics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Genetics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Weilai Dong
- Laboratory of Human Genetics and Genomics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Adam J Kundishora
- Department of Neurosurgery, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Shreyas Panchagnula
- Department of Neurosurgery, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Andres Moreno-De-Luca
- Autism & Developmental Medicine Institute, Genomic Medicine Institute, Department of Radiology, Geisinger, Danville, PA, USA
| | - Charuta G Furey
- Department of Neurosurgery, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, AZ, USA
| | - August A Allocco
- Department of Neurosurgery, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Rebecca L Walker
- Department of Neurology, Center for Autism Research and Treatment, Semel Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | - Hannah Smith
- Department of Neurosurgery, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Ashley Dunbar
- Department of Neurosurgery, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Sierra Conine
- Department of Neurosurgery, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Qiongshi Lu
- Department of Biostatistics & Medical Informatics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Xue Zeng
- Laboratory of Human Genetics and Genomics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Michael C Sierant
- Laboratory of Human Genetics and Genomics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - James R Knight
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Yale Center for Genome Analysis, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - William Sullivan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Phan Q Duy
- Department of Neurosurgery, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Tyrone DeSpenza
- Department of Neurosurgery, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Benjamin C Reeves
- Department of Neurosurgery, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Jason K Karimy
- Department of Neurosurgery, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Arnaud Marlier
- Department of Neurosurgery, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | | | - Irina R Tikhonova
- Yale Center for Genome Analysis, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Boyang Li
- Department of Biostatistics, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Helena Perez Peña
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Biological Chemistry, University College London School of Pharmacy, London, UK
| | - James R Broach
- Institute for Personalized Medicine, The Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA
| | | | | | - Christine Hehnly
- Departments of Neurosurgery, Engineering Science & Mechanics, and Physics; Center for Neural Engineering and Infectious Disease Dynamics, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Li Ge
- Department of Biostatistics & Medical Informatics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Boris Keren
- Département de Génétique, Centre de Référence Déficiences Intellectuelles de Causes Rares, Groupe Hospitalier Pitié Salpêtrière et GHUEP Hôpital Trousseau, Sorbonne Université, GRC "Déficience Intellectuelle et Autisme", Paris, France
| | - Andrew T Timberlake
- Hansjörg Wyss Department of Plastic Surgery, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - June Goto
- Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Francesco T Mangano
- Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - James M Johnston
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Alabama School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - William E Butler
- Department of Neurosurgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Benjamin C Warf
- Department of Neurosurgery, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Edward R Smith
- Department of Neurosurgery, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Steven J Schiff
- Departments of Neurosurgery, Engineering Science & Mechanics, and Physics; Center for Neural Engineering and Infectious Disease Dynamics, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - David D Limbrick
- Department of Neurological Surgery and Pediatrics, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Gregory Heuer
- Department of Neurosurgery, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Division of Neurosurgery, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Eric M Jackson
- Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Bermans J Iskandar
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Wisconsin Medical School, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Shrikant Mane
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Yale Center for Genome Analysis, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Shozeb Haider
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Biological Chemistry, University College London School of Pharmacy, London, UK
| | - Bulent Guclu
- Kartal Dr. Lutfi Kirdar Research and Training Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Yasar Bayri
- Department of Neurosurgery, Marmara University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Yener Sahin
- Department of Neurosurgery, Marmara University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Charles C Duncan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Michael L J Apuzzo
- Department of Neurosurgery, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Michael L DiLuna
- Department of Neurosurgery, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Ellen J Hoffman
- Yale Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Nenad Sestan
- Department of Neuroscience and Kavli Institute for Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Laura R Ment
- Department of Pediatrics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Neurology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Seth L Alper
- Division of Nephrology and Center for Vascular Biology Research, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kaya Bilguvar
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Yale Center for Genome Analysis, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Daniel H Geschwind
- Department of Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Murat Günel
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Richard P Lifton
- Laboratory of Human Genetics and Genomics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Kristopher T Kahle
- Department of Genetics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
- Department of Neurosurgery, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
- Department of Cellular & Molecular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
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17
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Richards R, Greimel E, Kliemann D, Koerte IK, Schulte-Körne G, Reuter M, Wachinger C. Increased hippocampal shape asymmetry and volumetric ventricular asymmetry in autism spectrum disorder. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2020; 26:102207. [PMID: 32092683 PMCID: PMC7037573 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2020.102207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2019] [Revised: 01/20/2020] [Accepted: 02/03/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Found increased subcortical asymmetry associated with autism. Utilized a new measure of shape asymmetry for analysis of structural differences. Observed significantly increased shape asymmetry of the hippocampus. Observed significantly increased volumetric asymmetry in the lateral ventricles. Focalized abnormalities may result in detectable shape (but not volume) differences.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a prevalent and fast-growing pervasive neurodevelopmental disorder worldwide. Despite the increasing prevalence of ASD and the breadth of research conducted on the disorder, a conclusive etiology has yet to be established and controversy still exists surrounding the anatomical abnormalities in ASD. In particular, structural asymmetries have seldom been investigated in ASD, especially in subcortical regions. Additionally, the majority of studies for identifying structural biomarkers associated with ASD have focused on small sample sizes. Therefore, the present study utilizes a large-scale, multi-site database to investigate asymmetries in the amygdala, hippocampus, and lateral ventricles, given the potential involvement of these regions in ASD. Contrary to prior work, we are not only computing volumetric asymmetries, but also shape asymmetries, using a new measure of asymmetry based on spectral shape descriptors. This measure represents the magnitude of the asymmetry and therefore captures both directional and undirectional asymmetry. The asymmetry analysis is conducted on 437 individuals with ASD and 511 healthy controls using T1-weighted MRI scans from the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange (ABIDE) database. Results reveal significant asymmetries in the hippocampus and the ventricles, but not in the amygdala, in individuals with ASD. We observe a significant increase in shape asymmetry in the hippocampus, as well as increased volumetric asymmetry in the lateral ventricles in individuals with ASD. Asymmetries in these regions have not previously been reported, likely due to the different characterization of neuroanatomical asymmetry and smaller sample sizes used in previous studies. Given that these results were demonstrated in a large cohort, such asymmetries may be worthy of consideration in the development of neurodiagnostic classification tools for ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rose Richards
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatic and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilian-University, Nussbaumstr. 5a, 80336 Munich, Germany.
| | - Ellen Greimel
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatic and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilian-University, Nussbaumstr. 5a, 80336 Munich, Germany
| | - Dorit Kliemann
- Division of Humanities and Social Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Inga K Koerte
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatic and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilian-University, Nussbaumstr. 5a, 80336 Munich, Germany; Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Gerd Schulte-Körne
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatic and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilian-University, Nussbaumstr. 5a, 80336 Munich, Germany
| | - Martin Reuter
- A.A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, 149 Thirteenth Street, Suite 2301, Charlestown, MA, USA; Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Image Analysis, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
| | - Christian Wachinger
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatic and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilian-University, Nussbaumstr. 5a, 80336 Munich, Germany.
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18
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Principi N, Esposito S. Vitamin D Deficiency During Pregnancy and Autism Spectrum Disorders Development. Front Psychiatry 2020; 10:987. [PMID: 32082196 PMCID: PMC7006052 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2019] [Accepted: 12/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by reduced social interactions, impaired communications, and stereotypic and repetitive behavior with different degrees of severity. The etiology of autism spectrum disorder is unknown, although the interaction of genetic and environmental factors is believed to play a fundamental role in the process. The main aim of this narrative review is to discuss the current knowledge about the interrelationships between vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy and autism spectrum disorder development. Literature analysis showed that vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy plays a role in conditioning the development and function of the nervous system. Studies carried out in vitro and in experimental animals have shown that vitamin D deficiency can be associated with structural and functional abnormalities of the nervous system that can be observed in autism spectrum disorder patients. Moreover, it has been reported that vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy could be a risk factor for autism spectrum disorder development in the offspring, that children with autism spectrum disorder have significantly lower serum levels of vitamin D than normal children and that supplementation of vitamin D in autism spectrum disorder children is associated with a reduction in psychiatric manifestations. However, the data currently available do not adequately support the hypothesis that vitamin D may be a factor which contribute to the etiology of autism spectrum disorder. The effects of vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy should be better studied to establish whether and when fetal vulnerability is highest and if vitamin D supplementation is able to reduce the risk of structural and functional alterations of the nervous system and autism spectrum disorder development. The role of vitamin D after birth must be better defined to evaluate if vitamin D administration is potentially effective in reducing autism spectrum disorder manifestations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Susanna Esposito
- Pediatric Clinic, Pietro Barilla Children's Hospital, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
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19
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Improving the detection of autism spectrum disorder by combining structural and functional MRI information. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2020; 25:102181. [PMID: 31982680 PMCID: PMC6994708 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2020.102181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2019] [Accepted: 01/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
We present an approach for autism classification based on neuroimaging MRI. The pipeline relies on connectivity matrices and machine learning techniques. Accuracy is 85.06 ± 3.52% evaluated in more than 800 cases of the ABIDE I dataset. The most important correlations for autism classification are highlighted. Merging functional and structural information outperforms the monomodal pipelines.
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a brain disorder that is typically characterized by deficits in social communication and interaction, as well as restrictive and repetitive behaviors and interests. During the last years, there has been an increase in the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to help in the detection of common patterns in autism subjects versus typical controls for classification purposes. In this work, we propose a method for the classification of ASD patients versus control subjects using both functional and structural MRI information. Functional connectivity patterns among brain regions, together with volumetric correspondences of gray matter volumes among cortical parcels are used as features for functional and structural processing pipelines, respectively. The classification network is a combination of stacked autoencoders trained in an unsupervised manner and multilayer perceptrons trained in a supervised manner. Quantitative analysis is performed on 817 cases from the multisite international Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange I (ABIDE I) dataset, consisting of 368 ASD patients and 449 control subjects and obtaining a classification accuracy of 85.06 ± 3.52% when using an ensemble of classifiers. Merging information from functional and structural sources significantly outperforms the implemented individual pipelines.
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Cory-Slechta DA, Sobolewski M, Marvin E, Conrad K, Merrill A, Anderson T, Jackson BP, Oberdorster G. The Impact of Inhaled Ambient Ultrafine Particulate Matter on Developing Brain: Potential Importance of Elemental Contaminants. Toxicol Pathol 2019; 47:976-992. [PMID: 31610749 DOI: 10.1177/0192623319878400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Epidemiological studies report associations between air pollution (AP) exposures and several neurodevelopmental disorders including autism, attention deficit disorder, and cognitive delays. Our studies in mice of postnatal (human third trimester brain equivalent) exposures to concentrated ambient ultrafine particles (CAPs) provide biological plausibility for these associations, producing numerous neuropathological and behavioral features of these disorders, including male-biased vulnerability. These findings raise questions about the specific components of AP that underlie its neurotoxicity, which our studies suggest could involve trace elements as candidate neurotoxicants. X-ray fluorescence analyses of CAP chamber filters confirm contamination of AP exposures by multiple elements, including iron (Fe) and sulfur (S). Correspondingly, laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry of brains of male mice indicates marked postexposure elevations of Fe and S and other elements. Elevations of brain Fe and S in particular are consistent with potential ferroptotic, oxidative stress, and altered antioxidant capacity-based mechanisms of CAPs-induced neurotoxicity, supported by observations of increased serum oxidized glutathione and increased neuronal cell death in nucleus accumbens with no corresponding significant increase in caspase-3, in male brains following postnatal CAP exposures. Understanding the role of trace element contaminants of particulate matter AP as a source of neurotoxicity is critical for public health protection.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marissa Sobolewski
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, NY, USA
| | - Elena Marvin
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, NY, USA
| | - Katherine Conrad
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, NY, USA
| | - Alyssa Merrill
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, NY, USA
| | - Tim Anderson
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, NY, USA
| | - Brian P Jackson
- Department of Earth Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - Gunter Oberdorster
- Department of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, NY, USA
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Hahner N, Puerto B, Perez-Cruz M, Policiano C, Monterde E, Crispi F, Gratacos E, Eixarch E. Altered cortical development in fetuses with isolated nonsevere ventriculomegaly assessed by neurosonography. Prenat Diagn 2019; 38:365-375. [PMID: 29458235 DOI: 10.1002/pd.5240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2017] [Revised: 02/09/2018] [Accepted: 02/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To perform a comprehensive assessment of cortical development in fetuses with isolated nonsevere ventriculomegaly (INSVM) by neurosonography. METHODS We prospectively included 40 fetuses with INSVM and 40 controls. INSVM was defined as atrial width between 10.0 and 14.9 mm without associated malformation, infection, or chromosomal abnormality. Cortical development was assessed by neurosonography at 26 and 30 weeks of gestation measuring depth of selected sulci and applying a maturation scale from 0 (no appearance) to 5 (maximally developed) of main sulci and areas. RESULTS INSVM showed underdeveloped calcarine and parieto-occipital sulci. In addition, significant delayed maturation pattern was also observed in regions distant to ventricular system including Insula depth (controls 30.8 mm [SD 1.7] vs INSVM 31.7 mm [1.8]; P = .04), Sylvian fissure grading (>2 at 26 weeks: controls 87.5% vs INSVM 50%, P = .01), mesial area grading (>2 at 30 weeks: controls 95% vs INSVM 62.5%; P = .03), and cingulate sulcus grading (>2 at 30 weeks: controls 100% vs INSVM 80.5%; P = .01). CONCLUSIONS Fetuses with INSVM showed underdeveloped cortical maturation including also regions, where effect of ventricular dilatation is unlikely. These results suggest that in a proportion of fetuses with INSVM, ventricular dilation might be related with altered cortical architecture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadine Hahner
- Fetal i+D Fetal Medicine Research Center, BCNatal - Barcelona Center for Maternal-Fetal and Neonatal Medicine (Hospital Clínic and Hospital Sant Joan de Déu), Institut Clínic de Ginecologia, Obstetricia i Neonatologia, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, Universitat de Barcelona, Spain
| | - Bienvenido Puerto
- Fetal i+D Fetal Medicine Research Center, BCNatal - Barcelona Center for Maternal-Fetal and Neonatal Medicine (Hospital Clínic and Hospital Sant Joan de Déu), Institut Clínic de Ginecologia, Obstetricia i Neonatologia, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, Universitat de Barcelona, Spain
| | - Miriam Perez-Cruz
- Fetal i+D Fetal Medicine Research Center, BCNatal - Barcelona Center for Maternal-Fetal and Neonatal Medicine (Hospital Clínic and Hospital Sant Joan de Déu), Institut Clínic de Ginecologia, Obstetricia i Neonatologia, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, Universitat de Barcelona, Spain
| | - Catarina Policiano
- Fetal i+D Fetal Medicine Research Center, BCNatal - Barcelona Center for Maternal-Fetal and Neonatal Medicine (Hospital Clínic and Hospital Sant Joan de Déu), Institut Clínic de Ginecologia, Obstetricia i Neonatologia, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, Universitat de Barcelona, Spain.,Departamento de Obstetrícia e Ginecologia, Hospital de Santa Maria, Centro Hospitalar Lisboa Norte, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Elena Monterde
- Fetal i+D Fetal Medicine Research Center, BCNatal - Barcelona Center for Maternal-Fetal and Neonatal Medicine (Hospital Clínic and Hospital Sant Joan de Déu), Institut Clínic de Ginecologia, Obstetricia i Neonatologia, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, Universitat de Barcelona, Spain
| | - Fatima Crispi
- Fetal i+D Fetal Medicine Research Center, BCNatal - Barcelona Center for Maternal-Fetal and Neonatal Medicine (Hospital Clínic and Hospital Sant Joan de Déu), Institut Clínic de Ginecologia, Obstetricia i Neonatologia, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, Universitat de Barcelona, Spain.,Centre for Biomedical Research on Rare Diseases (CIBER-ER), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Eduard Gratacos
- Fetal i+D Fetal Medicine Research Center, BCNatal - Barcelona Center for Maternal-Fetal and Neonatal Medicine (Hospital Clínic and Hospital Sant Joan de Déu), Institut Clínic de Ginecologia, Obstetricia i Neonatologia, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, Universitat de Barcelona, Spain.,Centre for Biomedical Research on Rare Diseases (CIBER-ER), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Elisenda Eixarch
- Fetal i+D Fetal Medicine Research Center, BCNatal - Barcelona Center for Maternal-Fetal and Neonatal Medicine (Hospital Clínic and Hospital Sant Joan de Déu), Institut Clínic de Ginecologia, Obstetricia i Neonatologia, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, Universitat de Barcelona, Spain.,Centre for Biomedical Research on Rare Diseases (CIBER-ER), Barcelona, Spain
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22
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Yates NJ, Tesic D, Feindel KW, Smith JT, Clarke MW, Wale C, Crew RC, Wharfe MD, Whitehouse AJO, Wyrwoll CS. Vitamin D is crucial for maternal care and offspring social behaviour in rats. J Endocrinol 2018; 237:73-85. [PMID: 29559544 DOI: 10.1530/joe-18-0008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2018] [Accepted: 02/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Early life vitamin D plays a prominent role in neurodevelopment and subsequent brain function, including schizophrenic-like outcomes and increasing evidence for an association with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Here, we investigate how early life vitamin D deficiency during rat pregnancy and lactation alters maternal care and influences neurodevelopment and affective, cognitive and social behaviours in male adult offspring. Sprague-Dawley rats were placed on either a vitamin D control (2195 IU/kg) or deficient diet (0 IU/kg) for five weeks before timed mating, and diet exposure was maintained until weaning of offspring on postnatal day (PND) 23. MRI scans were conducted to assess brain morphology, and plasma corticosterone levels and neural expression of genes associated with language, dopamine and glucocorticoid exposure were characterised at PND1, PND12 and 4 months of age. Compared to controls, vitamin D-deficient dams exhibited decreased licking and grooming of their pups but no differences in pup retrieval. Offspring neurodevelopmental markers were unaltered, but vitamin D-deficient pup ultrasonic vocalisations were atypical. As adults, males that had been exposed to vitamin D deficiency in early life exhibited decreased social behaviour, impaired learning and memory outcomes and increased grooming behaviour, but unaltered affective behaviours. Accompanying these behavioural changes was an increase in lateral ventricle volume, decreased cortical FOXP2 (a protein implicated in language and communication) and altered neural expression of genes involved in dopamine and glucocorticoid-related pathways. These data highlight that early life levels of vitamin D are an important consideration for maternal behavioural adaptations as well as offspring neuropsychiatry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathanael J Yates
- School of Human SciencesThe University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
| | - Dijana Tesic
- School of Human SciencesThe University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
| | - Kirk W Feindel
- Centre for MicroscopyCharacterisation and Analysis, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
| | - Jeremy T Smith
- School of Human SciencesThe University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
| | - Michael W Clarke
- Metabolomics AustraliaCentre for Microscopy, Characterisation and Analysis, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
| | - Celeste Wale
- School of Human SciencesThe University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
| | - Rachael C Crew
- School of Human SciencesThe University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
| | - Michaela D Wharfe
- School of Human SciencesThe University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
| | | | - Caitlin S Wyrwoll
- School of Human SciencesThe University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
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23
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Makropoulos A, Counsell SJ, Rueckert D. A review on automatic fetal and neonatal brain MRI segmentation. Neuroimage 2018; 170:231-248. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2017.06.074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2016] [Revised: 03/06/2017] [Accepted: 06/26/2017] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
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Bitsika V, Sharpley CF. The interaction of Matrix Reasoning and Social Motivation as predictors of Separation anxiety in boys with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Int J Dev Neurosci 2018; 67:6-13. [PMID: 29545099 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2018.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2018] [Revised: 02/19/2018] [Accepted: 03/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND It has been suggested that higher cognitive functioning based in the pre-frontal cortex is implicated in the ability of people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) to understand and communicate in social situations. Low motivation to engage in social interaction may also be influential in this process. Although both of these factors have been argued to influence the levels of comorbid anxiety in young people with ASD, no detailed examination of those relationships has been reported to date. METHODS A sample of 90 boys with ASD (aged 6 to 12 yr) and 29 of their non-ASD peers, matched for age and IQ, completed tests of cognitive function and anxiety. RESULTS Only one form of anxiety-fear of being separated from their parents- was significantly associated with cognitive function, at the Full Scale IQ and Matrix Reasoning levels, plus motivation to engage in social interactions, and only for the ASD boys. CONCLUSION These data represent a complex interaction between the neurobiological aspects of ASD, fluid reasoning, social motivation, and Separation Anxiety in boys with ASD. As such, they bring a new perspective to understanding and treating anxious behaviour in these boys.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vicki Bitsika
- Centre for Autism Spectrum Disorder, Bond University, Robina, 4229, Queensland, Australia.
| | - Christopher F Sharpley
- Brain-Behaviour Research Group, University of New England, Armidale, 2351, New South Wales, Australia.
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25
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Riddle K, Cascio CJ, Woodward ND. Brain structure in autism: a voxel-based morphometry analysis of the Autism Brain Imaging Database Exchange (ABIDE). Brain Imaging Behav 2018; 11:541-551. [PMID: 26941174 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-016-9534-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Increased brain volume is a consistent finding in young children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD); however, the regional specificity and developmental course of abnormal brain structure are less clear. Small sample sizes, particularly among voxel-based morphometry (VBM) investigations, likely contribute to this difficulty. Recently established large-scale neuroimaging data repositories have helped clarify the neuroanatomy of neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and may prove useful in ASD. Structural brain images from the Autism Brain Imaging Database Exchange (ABIDE), which contains over 1100 participants, were analyzing using DARTEL VBM to investigate total brain and tissue volumes, and regional brain structure abnormalities in ASD. Two, overlapping cohorts were analyzed; an 'All Subjects' cohort (n = 833) that included all individuals with usable MRI data, and a 'Matched Samples' cohort (n = 600) comprised of ASD and TD individuals matched, within each site, on age and sex. Total brain and grey matter volumes were enlarged by approximately 1-2 % in ASD; however, the effect reached statistical significance in only the All Subjects cohort. Within the All Subjects cohort, VBM analysis revealed enlargement of the left anterior superior temporal gyrus in ASD. No significant regional changes were detected in the Matched Samples cohort. There was a non-significant reduction in the correlation between IQ and TBV in ASD compared to TD. Brain structure abnormalities in ASD individuals age 6 and older consists of a subtle increase in total brain volume due to enlargement of grey matter with little evidence of regionally specific effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlin Riddle
- Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Carissa J Cascio
- Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Neil D Woodward
- Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, USA.
- Center for Cognitive Medicine & Psychotic Disorders Program, Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital, Suite 3057, 1601 23rd Ave. S., Nashville, TN, 37212, USA.
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26
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Fakhoury M. Imaging genetics in autism spectrum disorders: Linking genetics and brain imaging in the pursuit of the underlying neurobiological mechanisms. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2018; 80:101-114. [PMID: 28322981 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2017.02.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2016] [Revised: 02/22/2017] [Accepted: 02/22/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) include a wide range of heterogeneous neurodevelopmental conditions that affect an individual in several aspects of social communication and behavior. Recent advances in molecular genetic technologies have dramatically increased our understanding of ASD etiology through the identification of several autism risk genes, most of which serve important functions in synaptic plasticity and protein synthesis. However, despite significant progress in this field of research, the characterization of the neurobiological mechanisms by which common genetic risk variants might operate to give rise to ASD symptomatology has proven to be far more difficult than expected. The imaging genetics approach holds great promise for advancing our understanding of ASD etiology by bridging the gap between genetic variations and their resultant biological effects on the brain. This paper provides a conceptual overview of the contribution of genetics in ASD and discusses key findings from the emerging field of imaging genetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc Fakhoury
- Department of Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec H3C 3J7, Canada.
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27
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Ali A, Cui X, Eyles D. Developmental vitamin D deficiency and autism: Putative pathogenic mechanisms. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 2018; 175:108-118. [PMID: 28027915 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2016.12.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2016] [Revised: 10/31/2016] [Accepted: 12/23/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Autism is a neurodevelopmental disease that presents in early life. Despite a considerable amount of studies, the neurobiological mechanisms underlying autism remain obscure. Both genetic and environmental factors are involved in the development of autism. Vitamin D deficiency is emerging as a consistently reported risk factor in children. One reason for the prominence now being given to this risk factor is that it would appear to interact with several other epidemiological risk factors for autism. Vitamin D is an active neurosteroid and plays crucial neuroprotective roles in the developing brain. It has important roles in cell proliferation and differentiation, immunomodulation, regulation of neurotransmission and steroidogenesis. Animal studies have suggested that transient prenatal vitamin D deficiency is associated with altered brain development. Here we review the potential neurobiological mechanisms linking prenatal vitamin D deficiency and autism and also discuss what future research targets must now be addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asad Ali
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Qld 4072, Australia
| | - Xiaoying Cui
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Qld 4072, Australia
| | - Darryl Eyles
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Qld 4072, Australia; Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, Wacol, Qld 4076, Australia.
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28
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Boddy AM, Harrison PW, Montgomery SH, Caravas JA, Raghanti MA, Phillips KA, Mundy NI, Wildman DE. Evidence of a Conserved Molecular Response to Selection for Increased Brain Size in Primates. Genome Biol Evol 2017; 9:700-713. [PMID: 28391320 PMCID: PMC5381557 DOI: 10.1093/gbe/evx028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/23/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The adaptive significance of human brain evolution has been frequently studied through comparisons with other primates. However, the evolution of increased brain size is not restricted to the human lineage but is a general characteristic of primate evolution. Whether or not these independent episodes of increased brain size share a common genetic basis is unclear. We sequenced and de novo assembled the transcriptome from the neocortical tissue of the most highly encephalized nonhuman primate, the tufted capuchin monkey (Cebus apella). Using this novel data set, we conducted a genome-wide analysis of orthologous brain-expressed protein coding genes to identify evidence of conserved gene–phenotype associations and species-specific adaptations during three independent episodes of brain size increase. We identify a greater number of genes associated with either total brain mass or relative brain size across these six species than show species-specific accelerated rates of evolution in individual large-brained lineages. We test the robustness of these associations in an expanded data set of 13 species, through permutation tests and by analyzing how genome-wide patterns of substitution co-vary with brain size. Many of the genes targeted by selection during brain expansion have glutamatergic functions or roles in cell cycle dynamics. We also identify accelerated evolution in a number of individual capuchin genes whose human orthologs are associated with human neuropsychiatric disorders. These findings demonstrate the value of phenotypically informed genome analyses, and suggest at least some aspects of human brain evolution have occurred through conserved gene–phenotype associations. Understanding these commonalities is essential for distinguishing human-specific selection events from general trends in brain evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy M Boddy
- The Biodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ.,Wayne State University School of Medicine, Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Detroit, Michigan, Detroit, MI
| | - Peter W Harrison
- Department of Genetics Evolution & Environment, University College London, United Kingdom.,European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Stephen H Montgomery
- Department of Genetics Evolution & Environment, University College London, United Kingdom.,Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Jason A Caravas
- Wayne State University School of Medicine, Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Detroit, Michigan, Detroit, MI
| | - Mary Ann Raghanti
- Department of Anthropology and School of Biomedical Sciences, Kent State University, Kent, OH
| | | | | | - Derek E Wildman
- Wayne State University School of Medicine, Center for Molecular Medicine and Genetics, Detroit, Michigan, Detroit, MI.,Department of Molecular & Integrative Physiology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL.,Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL
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29
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Andalib S, Emamhadi MR, Yousefzadeh-Chabok S, Shakouri SK, Høilund-Carlsen PF, Vafaee MS, Michel TM. Maternal SSRI exposure increases the risk of autistic offspring: A meta-analysis and systematic review. Eur Psychiatry 2017; 45:161-166. [PMID: 28917161 DOI: 10.1016/j.eurpsy.2017.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2017] [Revised: 06/01/2017] [Accepted: 06/04/2017] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are the most common antidepressants used to preclude maternal pregnancy depression. There is a growing body of literature assessing the association of prenatal exposure to SSRIs with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The present systematic review and meta-analysis reviewed the medical literature and pooled the results of the association of prenatal exposure to SSRIs with ASD. METHODS Published investigations in English by June 2016 with keywords of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, SSRI, autism spectrum disorder, ASD, pregnancy, childhood, children, neurodevelopment were identified using databases PubMed and PMC, MEDLINE, EMBASE, SCOPUS, and Google Scholar. Cochran's Q statistic-value (Q), degree of freedom (df), and I2 indices (variation in odds ratio [OR] attributable to heterogeneity) were calculated to analyze the risk of heterogeneity of the within- and between-study variability. Pooled odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were reported by a Mantel-Haenszel test. RESULTS There was a non-significant heterogeneity for the included studies ([Q=3.61, df=6, P=0.730], I2=0%). The pooled results showed a significant association between prenatal SSRI exposure and ASD (OR=1.82, 95% CI=1.59-2.10, Z=8.49, P=0.00). CONCLUSION The evidence from the present study suggests that prenatal exposure to SSRIs is associated with a higher risk of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Andalib
- Neuroscience Research Center, Department of Neurosurgery, Poursina Hospital, School of Medicine, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran.
| | - M R Emamhadi
- Brachial Plexus and Peripheral Nerve Injury Center, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran
| | - S Yousefzadeh-Chabok
- Neuroscience Research Center, Department of Neurosurgery, Poursina Hospital, School of Medicine, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran
| | - S K Shakouri
- Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - P F Høilund-Carlsen
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Odense University Hospital, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - M S Vafaee
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Odense University Hospital, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark; Department of Psychiatry, Psychiatry Region of Southern, Odense, Denmark; Research Unit of Psychiatry, Institute of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark; Center for Applied Neuroscience, BRIDGE, Odense University Hospital, University of Southern Denmark, Psychiatry in the Region of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark; Neurosciences Research Center, Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
| | - T M Michel
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychiatry Region of Southern, Odense, Denmark; Research Unit of Psychiatry, Institute of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark; Center for Applied Neuroscience, BRIDGE, Odense University Hospital, University of Southern Denmark, Psychiatry in the Region of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark; Neurosciences Research Center, Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
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30
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Billeci L, Calderoni S, Conti E, Gesi C, Carmassi C, Dell'Osso L, Cioni G, Muratori F, Guzzetta A. The Broad Autism (Endo)Phenotype: Neurostructural and Neurofunctional Correlates in Parents of Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Front Neurosci 2016; 10:346. [PMID: 27499732 PMCID: PMC4956643 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2016.00346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2016] [Accepted: 07/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are a set of neurodevelopmental disorders with an early-onset and a strong genetic component in their pathogenesis. According to genetic and epidemiological data, ASD relatives present personality traits similar to, but not as severe as the defining features of ASD, which have been indicated as the "Broader Autism Phenotype" (BAP). BAP features seem to be more prevalent in first-degree relatives of individuals with ASD than in the general population. Characterizing brain profiles of relatives of autistic probands may help to understand ASD endophenotype. The aim of this review was to provide an up-to-date overview of research findings on the neurostructural and neurofunctional substrates in parents of individuals with ASD (pASD). The primary hypothesis was that, like for the behavioral profile, the pASD express an intermediate neurobiological pattern between ASD individuals and healthy controls. The 13 reviewed studies evaluated structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain volumes, chemical signals using magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), task-related functional activation by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), electroencephalography (EEG), or magnetoencephalography (MEG) in pASD.The studies showed that pASD are generally different from healthy controls at a structural and functional level despite often not behaviorally impaired. More atypicalities in neural patterns of pASD seem to be associated with higher scores at BAP assessment. Some of the observed atypicalities are the same of the ASD probands. In addition, the pattern of neural correlates in pASD resembles that of adult individuals with ASD, or it is specific, possibly due to a compensatory mechanism. Future studies should ideally include a group of pASD and HC with their ASD and non-ASD probands respectively. They should subgrouping the pASD according to the BAP scores, considering gender as a possible confounding factor, and correlating these scores to underlying brain structure and function. These types of studies may help to understand the genetic mechanisms involved in the various clinical dimension of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucia Billeci
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of PisaPisa, Italy
| | | | - Eugenia Conti
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of PisaPisa, Italy
- Department of Sciences for Health Promotion and Mother and Child Care G. D'Alessandro, University of PalermoPalermo, Italy
| | - Camilla Gesi
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of PisaPisa, Italy
| | - Claudia Carmassi
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of PisaPisa, Italy
| | - Liliana Dell'Osso
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of PisaPisa, Italy
| | - Giovanni Cioni
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of PisaPisa, Italy
- IRCCS Stella Maris FoundationPisa, Italy
| | - Filippo Muratori
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of PisaPisa, Italy
- IRCCS Stella Maris FoundationPisa, Italy
| | - Andrea Guzzetta
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of PisaPisa, Italy
- IRCCS Stella Maris FoundationPisa, Italy
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Wilkinson M, Wang R, van der Kouwe A, Takahashi E. White and gray matter fiber pathways in autism spectrum disorder revealed by ex vivo diffusion MR tractography. Brain Behav 2016; 6:e00483. [PMID: 27247853 PMCID: PMC4864276 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2015] [Revised: 03/01/2016] [Accepted: 03/23/2016] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The goal of this project was to study the white and gray matter brain pathways of young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and investigate how ASD brains differ from those of typically developing children of the same age. METHODS High angular resolution resolution diffusion imaging tractography and diffusion tensor imaging tractography were used to analyze the brains of two 3-year-old children with ASD and two age-matched controls. RESULTS In the ASD brains, the callosal and corticopontine pathways were thinner overall and terminal areas in the cortical gray matter were significantly smaller. The ASD brains had more short-range u-fibers in the frontal lobe compared to the control brains. Gray matter pathways were found disorganized with less coherency in the ASD brain, specifically the lateral aspects of the middle part of the brain including motor areas, and both medial and lateral surfaces of the anterior frontal brain regions. CONCLUSION These findings show our tractography technique is useful for identifying differences in brain pathways between the ASD and control groups. Given that scanning the brain of 3-year-old children with or even without ASD is challenging, postmortem scanning may offer valuable insights into the connectivity in the brain of young children with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Molly Wilkinson
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience Northeastern University Boston Massachusetts; Division of Newborn Medicine Department of Medicine Boston Children's Hospital Harvard Medical School Boston Massachusetts
| | - Rongpin Wang
- Division of Newborn Medicine Department of Medicine Boston Children's Hospital Harvard Medical School Boston Massachusetts
| | - Andre van der Kouwe
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging Massachusetts General Hospital Harvard Medical School Charlestown Massachusetts
| | - Emi Takahashi
- Division of Newborn Medicine Department of Medicine Boston Children's Hospital Harvard Medical School Boston Massachusetts; Fetal-Neonatal Neuroimaging and Developmental Science Center Boston Children's Hospital Harvard Medical School Boston Massachusetts
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Libero LE, Nordahl CW, Li DD, Ferrer E, Rogers SJ, Amaral DG. Persistence of megalencephaly in a subgroup of young boys with autism spectrum disorder. Autism Res 2016; 9:1169-1182. [PMID: 27273931 DOI: 10.1002/aur.1643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2015] [Revised: 04/13/2016] [Accepted: 04/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
A recurring finding in autism spectrum disorder research is that head and brain growth is disproportionate to body growth in early childhood. Nordahl et al. (2011) demonstrated that this occurs in approximately 15% of boys with autism. While the literature suggests that brain growth normalizes at older ages, this has never been evaluated in a longitudinal study. The current study evaluated head circumference and total cerebral volume in 129 male children with autism and 49 age-matched, typically developing controls. We determined whether 3-year-old boys with brain size disproportionate to height (which we call disproportionate megalencephaly) demonstrated an abnormal trajectory of head growth from birth and whether they maintained an enlarged brain at 5 years of age. Findings were based on longitudinal, structural MRI data collected around 3, 4, and 5 years of age and head circumference data from medical records. At 3 years of age, 19 boys with autism had enlarged brains while 110 had brain sizes in the normal range. Boys with disproportionate megalencephaly had greater total cerebral, gray matter, and white matter volumes from 3-5 years compared to boys with autism and normal sized brains and typically developing boys, but no differences in body size. While head circumference did not differ between groups at birth, it was significantly greater in the disproportionate megalencephaly group by around 2 years. These data suggest that there is a subgroup of boys with autism who have brains disproportionate to body size and that this continues until at least 5 years of age. Autism Res 2016, 9: 1169-1182. © 2016 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren E Libero
- UC Davis MIND Institute and the UC Davis Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, Sacramento, California
| | - Christine W Nordahl
- UC Davis MIND Institute and the UC Davis Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, Sacramento, California
| | - Deana D Li
- UC Davis MIND Institute and the UC Davis Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, Sacramento, California
| | - Emilio Ferrer
- UC Davis Department of Psychology, Davis, California
| | - Sally J Rogers
- UC Davis MIND Institute and the UC Davis Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, Sacramento, California
| | - David G Amaral
- UC Davis MIND Institute and the UC Davis Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, Sacramento, California
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Lockwood Estrin G, Kyriakopoulou V, Makropoulos A, Ball G, Kuhendran L, Chew A, Hagberg B, Martinez-Biarge M, Allsop J, Fox M, Counsell SJ, Rutherford MA. Altered white matter and cortical structure in neonates with antenatally diagnosed isolated ventriculomegaly. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2016; 11:139-148. [PMID: 26937382 PMCID: PMC4753810 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2016.01.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2015] [Revised: 01/05/2016] [Accepted: 01/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Ventriculomegaly (VM) is the most common central nervous system abnormality diagnosed antenatally, and is associated with developmental delay in childhood. We tested the hypothesis that antenatally diagnosed isolated VM represents a biological marker for altered white matter (WM) and cortical grey matter (GM) development in neonates. 25 controls and 21 neonates with antenatally diagnosed isolated VM had magnetic resonance imaging at 41.97(± 2.94) and 45.34(± 2.14) weeks respectively. T2-weighted scans were segmented for volumetric analyses of the lateral ventricles, WM and cortical GM. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) measures were assessed using voxel-wise methods in WM and cortical GM; comparisons were made between cohorts. Ventricular and cortical GM volumes were increased, and WM relative volume was reduced in the VM group. Regional decreases in fractional anisotropy (FA) and increases in mean diffusivity (MD) were demonstrated in WM of the VM group compared to controls. No differences in cortical DTI metrics were observed. At 2 years, neurodevelopmental delays, especially in language, were observed in 6/12 cases in the VM cohort. WM alterations in isolated VM cases may be consistent with abnormal development of WM tracts involved in language and cognition. Alterations in WM FA and MD may represent neural correlates for later neurodevelopmental deficits. This study compared brain development in neonates with isolated VM to controls. Neonates with isolated VM have enlarged cortical volumes compared to controls. FA was reduced and MD was increased in the WM of the VM cohort. Children with antenatal isolated VM are at increased risk for language delay.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Lockwood Estrin
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, King's Health Partners, St. Thomas' Hospital, London SE1 7EH, United Kingdom; Robert Steiner Unit, Imaging Sciences Department, MRC Clinical Sciences Centre, Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College London, London W12 0HS, United Kingdom
| | - V Kyriakopoulou
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, King's Health Partners, St. Thomas' Hospital, London SE1 7EH, United Kingdom
| | - A Makropoulos
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, King's Health Partners, St. Thomas' Hospital, London SE1 7EH, United Kingdom
| | - G Ball
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, King's Health Partners, St. Thomas' Hospital, London SE1 7EH, United Kingdom
| | - L Kuhendran
- Robert Steiner Unit, Imaging Sciences Department, MRC Clinical Sciences Centre, Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College London, London W12 0HS, United Kingdom
| | - A Chew
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, King's Health Partners, St. Thomas' Hospital, London SE1 7EH, United Kingdom; Robert Steiner Unit, Imaging Sciences Department, MRC Clinical Sciences Centre, Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College London, London W12 0HS, United Kingdom
| | - B Hagberg
- Robert Steiner Unit, Imaging Sciences Department, MRC Clinical Sciences Centre, Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College London, London W12 0HS, United Kingdom; Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy at University of Gothenburg, Kungsgatan 12, 411 18 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - M Martinez-Biarge
- Robert Steiner Unit, Imaging Sciences Department, MRC Clinical Sciences Centre, Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College London, London W12 0HS, United Kingdom
| | - J Allsop
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, King's Health Partners, St. Thomas' Hospital, London SE1 7EH, United Kingdom
| | - M Fox
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, King's Health Partners, St. Thomas' Hospital, London SE1 7EH, United Kingdom
| | - S J Counsell
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, King's Health Partners, St. Thomas' Hospital, London SE1 7EH, United Kingdom
| | - M A Rutherford
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Division of Imaging Sciences and Biomedical Engineering, King's College London, King's Health Partners, St. Thomas' Hospital, London SE1 7EH, United Kingdom
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Developmental neurotoxicity of inhaled ambient ultrafine particle air pollution: Parallels with neuropathological and behavioral features of autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders. Neurotoxicology 2015; 59:140-154. [PMID: 26721665 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2015.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 141] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2015] [Revised: 12/18/2015] [Accepted: 12/18/2015] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Accumulating evidence from both human and animal studies show that brain is a target of air pollution. Multiple epidemiological studies have now linked components of air pollution to diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a linkage with plausibility based on the shared mechanisms of inflammation. Additional plausibility appears to be provided by findings from our studies in mice of exposures from postnatal day (PND) 4-7 and 10-13 (human 3rd trimester equivalent), to concentrated ambient ultrafine (UFP) particles, considered the most reactive component of air pollution, at levels consistent with high traffic areas of major U.S. cities and thus highly relevant to human exposures. These exposures, occurring during a period of marked neuro- and gliogenesis, unexpectedly produced a pattern of developmental neurotoxicity notably similar to multiple hypothesized mechanistic underpinnings of ASD, including its greater impact in males. UFP exposures induced inflammation/microglial activation, reductions in size of the corpus callosum (CC) and associated hypomyelination, aberrant white matter development and/or structural integrity with ventriculomegaly (VM), elevated glutamate and excitatory/inhibitory imbalance, increased amygdala astrocytic activation, and repetitive and impulsive behaviors. Collectively, these findings suggest the human 3rd trimester equivalent as a period of potential vulnerability to neurodevelopmental toxicity to UFP, particularly in males, and point to the possibility that UFP air pollution exposure during periods of rapid neuro- and gliogenesis may be a risk factor not only for ASD, but also for other neurodevelopmental disorders that share features with ASD, such as schizophrenia, attention deficit disorder, and periventricular leukomalacia.
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Sacco R, Gabriele S, Persico AM. Head circumference and brain size in autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychiatry Res 2015; 234:239-51. [PMID: 26456415 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2015.08.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 131] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2015] [Accepted: 08/25/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Macrocephaly and brain overgrowth have been associated with autism spectrum disorder. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to provide an overall estimate of effect size and statistical significance for both head circumference and total brain volume in autism. Our literature search strategy identified 261 and 391 records, respectively; 27 studies defining percentages of macrocephalic patients and 44 structural brain imaging studies providing total brain volumes for patients and controls were included in our meta-analyses. Head circumference was significantly larger in autistic compared to control individuals, with 822/5225 (15.7%) autistic individuals displaying macrocephaly. Structural brain imaging studies measuring brain volume estimated effect size. The effect size is higher in low functioning autistics compared to high functioning and ASD individuals. Brain overgrowth was recorded in 142/1558 (9.1%) autistic patients. Finally, we found a significant interaction between age and total brain volume, resulting in larger head circumference and brain size during early childhood. Our results provide conclusive effect sizes and prevalence rates for macrocephaly and brain overgrowth in autism, confirm the variation of abnormal brain growth with age, and support the inclusion of this endophenotype in multi-biomarker diagnostic panels for clinical use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto Sacco
- Unit of Child and Adolescent NeuroPsychiatry, Laboratory of Molecular Psychiatry and Neurogenetics, University "Campus Bio-Medico", Rome, Italy.
| | - Stefano Gabriele
- Unit of Child and Adolescent NeuroPsychiatry, Laboratory of Molecular Psychiatry and Neurogenetics, University "Campus Bio-Medico", Rome, Italy
| | - Antonio M Persico
- Unit of Child and Adolescent NeuroPsychiatry, Laboratory of Molecular Psychiatry and Neurogenetics, University "Campus Bio-Medico", Rome, Italy; Mafalda Luce Center for Pervasive Developmental Disorders, Milan, Italy
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Prenatal antidepressant exposure and the risk of autism spectrum disorders in children. Are we looking at the fall of Gods? J Affect Disord 2015; 182:132-7. [PMID: 25985383 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2015.04.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2015] [Revised: 04/24/2015] [Accepted: 04/27/2015] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Recent information suggests that antenatal exposure to psychotropics may impair child neurodevelopment. Thus, aim of this review is to examine systematically available literature investigating potential associations between prenatal use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and the risk of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). METHODS Medical literature published in English since 1988 identified using MEDLINE/PubMed, EMBASE, SCOPUS, and The Cochrane Library. Search terms: antidepressants, autism (spectrum disorders), childhood, children, neurodevelopment, pregnancy, SSRIs. Searches were updated until March 5, 2015. RESULTS Six out of eight reviewed articles confirm an association between antenatal SSRI exposure and an increased risk of ASDs in children. However, the epidemiologic evidence on the link between prenatal SSRI exposure and ASD risk must still be cautiously interpreted, because of potential biases of analyzed research. LIMITATIONS Main limitations of reviewed studies include: lack of directly validated clinical evaluation, impossibility to identify women who really took the prescribed medications during pregnancy, no assessment of severity and course of symptoms in relation to the pregnancy, lack of information about unhealthy prenatal lifestyle behaviors. CONCLUSIONS Despite such limitations, available data show that some signal exists suggesting that antenatal exposure to SSRIs may increase the risk of ASDs. Thus, there is an urgent need for further, large, well-designed research finalized to definitively assess the existence and the magnitude of this severe risk, thus confirming or denying that we are truly looking at "the fall of Gods", since for many years SSRIs have been considered the first-choice agents for treating antenatal depression (Gentile, 2014; Gentile, 2011a; Gentile, 2005).
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37
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QEEG spectral and coherence assessment of autistic children in three different experimental conditions. J Autism Dev Disord 2015; 45:406-24. [PMID: 24048514 PMCID: PMC4309919 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-013-1909-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
We studied autistics by quantitative EEG spectral and coherence analysis during three experimental conditions: basal, watching a cartoon with audio (V–A), and with muted audio band (VwA). Significant reductions were found for the absolute power spectral density (PSD) in the central region for delta and theta, and in the posterior region for sigma and beta bands, lateralized to the right hemisphere. When comparing VwA versus the V–A in the midline regions, we found significant decrements of absolute PSD for delta, theta and alpha, and increments for the beta and gamma bands. In autistics, VwA versus V–A tended to show lower coherence values in the right hemisphere. An impairment of visual and auditory sensory integration in autistics might explain our results.
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38
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Conrad MS, Sutton BP, Larsen R, Van Alstine WG, Johnson RW. Early postnatal respiratory viral infection induces structural and neurochemical changes in the neonatal piglet brain. Brain Behav Immun 2015; 48:326-35. [PMID: 25967923 PMCID: PMC4508213 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2015.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2015] [Revised: 04/24/2015] [Accepted: 05/02/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Infections that cause inflammation during the postnatal period are common, yet little is known about their impact on brain development in gyrencephalic species. To address this issue, we investigated brain development in domestic piglets which have brain growth and morphology similar to human infants, after experimentally infecting them with porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) to induce an interstitial pneumonia Piglets were inoculated with PRRSV on postnatal day (PD) 7 and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to assess brain macrostructure (voxel-based morphometry), microstructure (diffusion tensor imaging) and neurochemistry (MR-spectroscopy) at PD 29 or 30. PRRSV piglets exhibited signs of infection throughout the post-inoculation period and had elevated plasma levels of TNFα at the end of the study. PRRSV infection increased the volume of several components of the ventricular system including the cerebral aqueduct, fourth ventricle, and the lateral ventricles. Group comparisons between control and PRRSV piglets defined 8 areas where PRRSV piglets had less gray matter volume; 5 areas where PRRSV piglets had less white matter volume; and 4 relatively small areas where PRRSV piglets had more white matter. Of particular interest was a bilateral reduction in gray and white matter in the primary visual cortex. PRRSV piglets tended to have reduced fractional anisotropy in the corpus callosum. Additionally, N-acetylaspartate, creatine, and myo-inositol were decreased in the hippocampus of PRRSV piglets suggesting disrupted neuronal and glial health and energy imbalances. These findings show in a gyrencephalic species that early-life infection can affect brain growth and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew S. Conrad
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA,Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA,Integrative Immunology and Behavior Program, University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Bradley P. Sutton
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA,Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA,Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Ryan Larsen
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | | | - Rodney W. Johnson
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA,Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA,Integrative Immunology and Behavior Program, University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA,Division of Nutritional Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA,To whom correspondence should be addressed during refereeing: Matthew S. Conrad, 227 Edward R. Madigan Laboratory, 1201 West Gregory Drive, Urbana, IL 61801, Tel: (217) 333-8811,
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Gori I, Giuliano A, Muratori F, Saviozzi I, Oliva P, Tancredi R, Cosenza A, Tosetti M, Calderoni S, Retico A. Gray Matter Alterations in Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Comparing Morphometry at the Voxel and Regional Level. J Neuroimaging 2015. [PMID: 26214066 DOI: 10.1111/jon.12280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Sophisticated algorithms to infer disease diagnosis, pathology progression and patient outcome are increasingly being developed to analyze brain MRI data. They have been successfully implemented in a variety of diseases and are currently investigated in the field of neuropsychiatric disorders, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We aim to test the ability to predict ASD from subtle morphological changes in structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI). METHODS The analysis of sMRI of a cohort of male ASD children and controls matched for age and nonverbal intelligence quotient (NVIQ) has been carried out with two widely used preprocessing software packages (SPM and Freesurfer) to extract brain morphometric information at different spatial scales. Then, support vector machines have been implemented to classify the brain features and to localize which brain regions contribute most to the ASD-control separation. RESULTS The features extracted from the gray matter subregions provide the best classification performance, reaching an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 74%. This value is enhanced to 80% when considering only subjects with NVIQ over 70. CONCLUSIONS Despite the subtle impact of ASD on brain morphology and a limited cohort size, results from sMRI-based classifiers suggest a consistent network of altered brain regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilaria Gori
- Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Pisa, Italy.,Dipartimento di Chimica e Farmacia, Università di Sassari, Italy
| | - Alessia Giuliano
- Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Pisa, Italy.,Dipartimento di Chimica e Farmacia, Università di Sassari, Italy.,Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Pisa, Italy
| | - Filippo Muratori
- IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris, Pisa, Italy.,Dipartimento di Medicina Clinica e Sperimentale, Università of Pisa, Italy
| | | | - Piernicola Oliva
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Farmacia, Università di Sassari, Italy.,Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Cagliari, Italy
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Yaniv G, Katorza E, Bercovitz R, Bergman D, Greenberg G, Biegon A, Hoffmann C. Region-specific changes in brain diffusivity in fetal isolated mild ventriculomegaly. Eur Radiol 2015; 26:840-8. [PMID: 26135001 DOI: 10.1007/s00330-015-3893-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2015] [Revised: 06/07/2015] [Accepted: 06/12/2015] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To evaluate the impact of symmetric and asymmetric isolated mild ventriculomegaly (IMVM, atrial width 10-15 mm) on apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values in fetal brain areas. METHODS Sixty-seven sequential fetal head magnetic resonance imaging scans (feMRI) of VM cases performed between 2009 and 2014 were compared to 38 normal feMRI scans matched for gestational age (controls). Ultrasound- and MRI-proven IMVM cases were divided into asymmetrical (AVM, ≥2 mm difference in atrial width), symmetrical (SVM, <2 mm difference in atrial width), and asymmetrical IMVM with one normal-sized ventricle (AV1norm). RESULTS ADC values were significantly elevated in the basal ganglia (BG) of the SVM and AV1norm groups compared to controls (p < 0.004 and p < 0.013, respectively). High diffusivity was constantly detected in the BG ipsilateral to the enlarged atria relative to the normal-sized atria in the AV1norm group (p < 0.03). Frontal lobe ADC values were significantly reduced in the AVM and SVM groups (p < 0.003 and p < 0.003 vs. controls). Temporal lobe ADC values were significantly reduced in the AVM group (p < 0.001 vs. controls). CONCLUSION Isolated mild ventriculomegaly is associated with distinct ADC value changes in different brain regions. This phenomenon could reflect the pathophysiology associated with different IMVM patterns. KEY POINTS Various ventriculomegaly patterns are associated with distinct diffusional changes. Frontal and temporal lobe ADC values are altered bilaterally, even in asymmetric ventriculomegaly. Basal ganglia ADC values are elevated ipsilateral to the enlarged ventricle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gal Yaniv
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel. .,The Institute for Research in Military Medicine, The Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel. .,The Dr. Pinchas Bornstein Talpiot Medical Leadership Program, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel.
| | - Eldad Katorza
- Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Ronen Bercovitz
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Dafi Bergman
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Gahl Greenberg
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Anat Biegon
- Department of Neurology, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY, USA
| | - Chen Hoffmann
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
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Wallace GL, Eisenberg IW, Robustelli B, Dankner N, Kenworthy L, Giedd JN, Martin A. Longitudinal cortical development during adolescence and young adulthood in autism spectrum disorder: increased cortical thinning but comparable surface area changes. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2015; 54:464-9. [PMID: 26004661 PMCID: PMC4540060 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2015.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2014] [Revised: 02/23/2015] [Accepted: 03/13/2015] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Prior reports suggest that autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with atypically excessive early brain growth. Recent cross-sectional studies suggest that later cortical development during adolescence/adulthood might also be aberrant, although longitudinal designs are required to evaluate atypical growth trajectories. The present study sought to examine longitudinal changes in cortical thickness and surface area among adolescents and young adults with ASD. METHOD Two high-resolution anatomic magnetic resonance imaging scans approximately 2 years apart were acquired from 17 adolescents with ASD and 18 typically developing (TD) adolescents, matched on age (range = 14-24 years), IQ, sex ratio, and handedness (70 scans total). The FreeSurfer image analysis suite was used to quantify longitudinal changes in cortical thickness and surface area. RESULTS Accelerated cortical thinning for the ASD group as compared to the TD group was found in 2 areas in the left hemisphere, the posterior portion of ventral temporal cortex and superior parietal cortex (cluster corrected p < .01). For ventral temporal cortex, cortical thinning was associated with everyday executive function impairments, and thinner cortex at time 2 was correlated with ASD social symptoms. Differences in surface area changes were not detected. CONCLUSION The present longitudinal study extends prior cross-sectional research by demonstrating increased cortical thinning (in portions of temporal and parietal cortex) but comparable surface area growth rates in participants with ASD compared to TD controls during adolescence and into young adulthood. These findings provide further evidence for atypical cortical development beyond the early years in ASD, marked by increased cortical thinning in late adolescence/young adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory L Wallace
- Laboratory of Brain and Cognition, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), Bethesda, MD; George Washington University, Washington, DC.
| | - Ian W Eisenberg
- Laboratory of Brain and Cognition, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), Bethesda, MD
| | - Briana Robustelli
- Laboratory of Brain and Cognition, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), Bethesda, MD
| | - Nathan Dankner
- Laboratory of Brain and Cognition, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), Bethesda, MD
| | - Lauren Kenworthy
- Laboratory of Brain and Cognition, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), Bethesda, MD
| | | | - Alex Martin
- Laboratory of Brain and Cognition, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), Bethesda, MD
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Mahajan R, Dirlikov B, Crocetti D, Mostofsky SH. Motor Circuit Anatomy in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder With or Without Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Autism Res 2015; 9:67-81. [PMID: 25962921 DOI: 10.1002/aur.1497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2014] [Accepted: 04/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
This study examined the morphology of frontal-parietal regions relevant to motor functions in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with or without attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). We also explored its associations with autism severity and motor skills, and the impact of comorbid ADHD on these associations. Participants included 126 school-age children: 30 had ASD only, 33 had ASD with ADHD, and 63 were typically developing. High resolution 3T MPRAGE images were acquired to examine the cortical morphology (gray matter volume, GMV, surface area, SA, and cortical thickness, CT) in three regions of interest (ROI): precentral gyrus (M1), postcentral gyrus (S1), and inferior parietal cortex (IPC). Children with ASD showed abnormal increases in GMV and SA in all three ROIs: (a) increased GMV in S1 bilaterally and in right M1 was specific to children with ASD without ADHD; (b) all children with ASD (with or without ADHD) showed increases in the left IPC SA. Furthermore, on measures of motor function, impaired praxis was associated with increased GMV in right S1 in the ASD group with ADHD. Children with ASD with ADHD showed a positive relationship between bilateral S1 GMV and manual dexterity, whereas children with ASD without ADHD showed a negative relationship. Our findings suggest that (a) ASD is associated with abnormal morphology of cortical circuits crucial to motor control and learning; (b) anomalous overgrowth of these regions, particularly S1, may contribute to impaired motor skill development, and (c) functional and morphological differences are apparent between children with ASD with or without ADHD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajneesh Mahajan
- From Center for Neurodevelopmental and Imaging Research, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland.,Department of Psychiatry, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Benjamin Dirlikov
- From Center for Neurodevelopmental and Imaging Research, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Deana Crocetti
- From Center for Neurodevelopmental and Imaging Research, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Stewart H Mostofsky
- From Center for Neurodevelopmental and Imaging Research, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.,Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
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43
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Hutsler JJ, Casanova MF. Review: Cortical construction in autism spectrum disorder: columns, connectivity and the subplate. Neuropathol Appl Neurobiol 2015; 42:115-34. [PMID: 25630827 DOI: 10.1111/nan.12227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2014] [Accepted: 01/16/2015] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
The cerebral cortex undergoes protracted maturation during human development and exemplifies how biology and environment are inextricably intertwined in the construction of complex neural circuits. Autism spectrum disorders are characterized by a number of pathological changes arising from this developmental process. These include: (i) alterations to columnar structure that have significant implications for the organization of cortical circuits and connectivity; (ii) alterations to synaptic spines on individual cortical units that may underlie specific types of connectional changes; and (iii) alterations within the cortical subplate, a region that plays a role in proper cortical development and in regulating interregional communication in the mature brain. Although the cerebral cortex is not the only structure affected in the disorder, it is a fundamental contributor to the behaviours that characterize autism. These alterations to cortical circuitry likely underlie the behavioural phenotype in autism and contribute to the unique pattern of deficits and strengths that characterize cognitive functioning. Recent findings within the cortical subplate may indicate that alterations to cortical construction begin prenatally, before activity-dependent connections are established, and are in need of further study. A better understanding of cortical development in autism spectrum disorders will draw bridges between the microanatomical computational circuitry and the atypical behaviours that arise when that circuitry is modified. In addition, it will allow us to better exploit the constructional plasticity within the brain to design more targeted interventions that better manage atypical cortical construction and that can be applied very early in postnatal life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey J Hutsler
- Department of Psychology, Program in Neuroscience, University of Nevada, Reno, USA
| | - Manuel F Casanova
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, USA
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Lim L, Chantiluke K, Cubillo AI, Smith AB, Simmons A, Mehta MA, Rubia K. Disorder-specific grey matter deficits in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder relative to autism spectrum disorder. Psychol Med 2015; 45:965-76. [PMID: 25229248 PMCID: PMC4413819 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291714001974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2013] [Revised: 07/20/2014] [Accepted: 07/21/2014] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are two common childhood disorders that exhibit genetic and behavioural overlap and have abnormalities in similar brain systems, in particular in frontal and cerebellar regions. This study compared the two neurodevelopmental disorders to investigate shared and disorder-specific structural brain abnormalities. METHOD Forty-four predominantly medication-naïve male adolescents with ADHD, 19 medication-naïve male adolescents with ASD and 33 age-matched healthy male controls were scanned using high-resolution T1-weighted volumetric imaging in a 3-T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner. Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) was used to test for group-level differences in structural grey matter (GM) and white matter (WM) volumes. RESULTS There was a significant group difference in the GM of the right posterior cerebellum and left middle/superior temporal gyrus (MTG/STG). Post-hoc analyses revealed that this was due to ADHD boys having a significantly smaller right posterior cerebellar GM volume compared to healthy controls and ASD boys, who did not differ from each other. ASD boys had a larger left MTG/STG GM volume relative to healthy controls and at a more lenient threshold relative to ADHD boys. CONCLUSIONS The study shows for the first time that the GM reduction in the cerebellum in ADHD is disorder specific relative to ASD whereas GM enlargement in the MTG/STG in ASD may be disorder specific relative to ADHD. This study is a first step towards elucidating disorder-specific structural biomarkers for these two related childhood disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- L. Lim
- Department of Child and Adolescent
Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry,
King's College London, UK
- Department of Psychological Medicine,
Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National
University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - K. Chantiluke
- Department of Child and Adolescent
Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry,
King's College London, UK
| | - A. I. Cubillo
- Department of Child and Adolescent
Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry,
King's College London, UK
| | - A. B. Smith
- Department of Child and Adolescent
Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry,
King's College London, UK
| | - A. Simmons
- Department of Neuroimaging,
Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London,
UK
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at South London
and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust (SLaM), London,
UK
| | - M. A. Mehta
- Department of Neuroimaging,
Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London,
UK
| | - K. Rubia
- Department of Child and Adolescent
Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry,
King's College London, UK
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Abstract
Deletions and duplications of the recurrent ~600 kb chromosomal BP4-BP5 region of 16p11.2 are associated with a broad variety of neurodevelopmental outcomes including autism spectrum disorder. A clue to the pathogenesis of the copy number variant (CNV)'s effect on the brain is that the deletion is associated with a head size increase, whereas the duplication is associated with a decrease. Here we analyzed brain structure in a clinically ascertained group of human deletion (N = 25) and duplication (N = 17) carriers from the Simons Variation in Individuals Project compared with age-matched controls (N = 29 and 33, respectively). Multiple brain measures showed increased size in deletion carriers and reduced size in duplication carriers. The effects spanned global measures of intracranial volume, brain size, compartmental measures of gray matter and white matter, subcortical structures, and the cerebellum. Quantitatively, the largest effect was on the thalamus, but the collective results suggest a pervasive rather than a selective effect on the brain. Detailed analysis of cortical gray matter revealed that cortical surface area displays a strong dose-dependent effect of CNV (deletion > control > duplication), whereas average cortical thickness is less affected. These results suggest that the CNV may exert its opposing influences through mechanisms that influence early stages of embryonic brain development.
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Mevel K, Fransson P, Bölte S. Multimodal brain imaging in autism spectrum disorder and the promise of twin research. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2014; 19:527-41. [PMID: 24916451 DOI: 10.1177/1362361314535510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Current evidence suggests the phenotype of autism spectrum disorder to be driven by a complex interaction of genetic and environmental factors impacting onto brain maturation, synaptic function, and cortical networks. However, findings are heterogeneous, and the exact neurobiological pathways of autism spectrum disorder still remain poorly understood. The co-twin control or twin-difference design is a potentially powerful tool to disentangle causal genetic and environmental contributions on neurodevelopment in autism spectrum disorder. To this end, monozygotic twins discordant for this condition provide unique means for the maximum control of potentially confounding factors. Unfortunately, only few studies of a rather narrow scope, and limited sample size, have been conducted. In an attempt to highlight the great potential of combining the brain connectome approach with monozygotic twin design, we first give an overview of the existing neurobiological evidence for autism spectrum disorder and its cognitive correlates. Then, a special focus is made onto the brain imaging findings reported within populations of monozygotic twins phenotypically discordant for autism spectrum disorder. Finally, we introduce the brain connectome model and describe an ongoing project using this approach among the largest cohort of monozygotic twins discordant for autism spectrum disorder ever recruited.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katell Mevel
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden CNRS UMR 8240, University of Caen Basse-Normandie and University of Paris Descartes - Sorbonne Paris Cité, France
| | - Peter Fransson
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden
| | - Sven Bölte
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Stockholm County Council, Sweden
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Sanz-Cortes M, Egaña-Ugrinovic G, Zupan R, Figueras F, Gratacos E. Brainstem and cerebellar differences and their association with neurobehavior in term small-for-gestational-age fetuses assessed by fetal MRI. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2014; 210:452.e1-8. [PMID: 24315862 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajog.2013.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2013] [Revised: 10/25/2013] [Accepted: 12/02/2013] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE We tested the hypothesis whether small-for-gestational-age (SGA) fetuses have different brain stem and cerebellar morphometry when compared with appropriate-for-gestational-age (AGA) fetuses and whether the differences in these structures were associated with their neonatal neurobehavior. STUDY DESIGN Magnetic resonance imaging was performed on 51 SGA fetuses and 47 AGA fetuses at 37 weeks' gestation. Pontine width, medullar width, vermian width and height, cerebellar primary fissure's depth, and cerebellar volume were measured and corrected by biparietal diameter and cerebellar volume by total intracranial volume. Ratios were compared between cases and control subjects. The association between morphometric differences and neurobehavioral outcome in SGAs was tested. RESULTS Brainstem and cerebellar ratios were significantly larger in SGA fetuses: pontine width, SGA 0.143 ± 0.01 vs AGA 0.135 ± 0.01 (P < .01); medullar width, SGA 0.088 ± 0.01 vs AGA 0.083 ± 0.01 (P = .03); vermian width, SGA 0.181 ± 0.03 vs AGA 0.162 ± 0.02 (P < .01); vermian height, SGA 0.235 ± 0.03 vs AGA 0.222 ± 0.01 (P < .01); cerebellar volume, SGA 0.042 ± 0.01 vs AGA 0.038 ± 0.00 (P = .04); with deeper cerebellar primary fissure in SGAs, SGA 0.041 ± 0.01 vs AGA 0.035 ± 0.01 (P = .01). Medullar, cerebellar biometries, and volumetry were significantly associated with different Neonatal Behavioral Assessment Scale cluster scores in SGA infants. CONCLUSION Brain stem and cerebellar morphometric measurements are significantly different in term SGA fetuses, which are associated significantly with their neurobehavioral outcome. This finding supports the existence of brain microstructural changes in SGA fetuses and lays the basis for potential image biomarkers to detect fetuses who are at risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Sanz-Cortes
- Department of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, ICGON, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona; Fetal and Perinatal Medicine Research Group, Institut d'Investigacions Biomediques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS); and Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Gabriela Egaña-Ugrinovic
- Department of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, ICGON, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona; Fetal and Perinatal Medicine Research Group, Institut d'Investigacions Biomediques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS); and Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Rudolf Zupan
- Department of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, ICGON, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona; Fetal and Perinatal Medicine Research Group, Institut d'Investigacions Biomediques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS); and Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Francesc Figueras
- Department of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, ICGON, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona; Fetal and Perinatal Medicine Research Group, Institut d'Investigacions Biomediques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS); and Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Eduard Gratacos
- Department of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, ICGON, Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona; Fetal and Perinatal Medicine Research Group, Institut d'Investigacions Biomediques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS); and Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER), Barcelona, Spain
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Petrinovic MM, Künnecke B. Neuroimaging endophenotypes in animal models of autism spectrum disorders: lost or found in translation? Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2014; 231:1167-89. [PMID: 23852013 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-013-3200-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2013] [Accepted: 06/26/2013] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Autism spectrum disorder(s) (ASDs) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by stereotyped behaviours and impairments in communication and social interactions. This heterogeneity has been a major obstacle in uncovering the aetiology and biomarkers of ASDs. Rodent models with genetic modifications or environmental insults have been created to study particular endophenotypes and bridge the gap between genetics and behavioural phenotypes. Translational neuroimaging modalities with their ability to screen the brain noninvasively and yield structural, biochemical and functional information provide a unique platform for discovery and evaluation of such endophenotypes in preclinical and clinical research. OBJECTIVES We reviewed literature on translational neuroimaging in rodent models of ASDs. The most prominent models will be described and the respective neuroimaging endophenotypes will be discussed with reference to human data. A perspective on future directions of translational neuroimaging in animal models of ASDs will be given. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS To date, we experience a proliferation of rodent models which recapitulate specific liabilities identified in ASDs patients. Translational neuroimaging in these models is emerging but is skewed towards magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) modalities. Volumetric and structural assessments of the brain are dominating and a host of endophenotypes have been reported that allude to findings in ASDs patients but with only few to converge among the models. Caveats of current studies are the diverging biological conditions related to genetic background and age of the animals. It is anticipated that longitudinal and functional assessments will gain much importance and will help elucidating mechanistic relationship between behavioural and structural endophenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marija M Petrinovic
- F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, pRED, Pharma Research and Early Development, DTA Neuroscience, Building 68, Room 327A, Grenzacherstrasse 124, 4070, Basel, Switzerland
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van Rijn S, de Sonneville L, Lahuis B, Pieterse J, van Engeland H, Swaab H. Executive function in MCDD and PDD-NOS: a study of inhibitory control, attention regulation and behavioral adaptivity. J Autism Dev Disord 2014; 43:1356-66. [PMID: 23104616 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-012-1688-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
A proportion of children within the autism spectrum is at risk for severe deregulation of thought, emotion and behaviour resulting in (symptoms of) psychotic disorders over the course of development. In an attempt to identify this subgroup, children with PDD-NOS, subtype MCDD (n = 24) were compared to children with PDD-NOS (n = 23) on executive function (EF) skills. Significant differences emerged, always to the disadvantage of the children with PDD-NOS, subtype MCDD on various EF measures. The findings suggest compromised attention regulation and impaired inhibitory control in children with MCDD, which may help explain high levels of thought problems which are frequently observed in these children. Our findings provide evidence for recognizing a PDD subcategory of MCDD that is of specific interest with regard to long-term developmental risks involved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie van Rijn
- Department of Clinical Child and Adolescent Studies, Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333 AK, Leiden, The Netherlands.
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Cascio C, Gribbin M, Gouttard S, Smith RG, Jomier M, Field S, Graves M, Hazlett HC, Muller K, Gerig G, Piven J. Fractional anisotropy distributions in 2- to 6-year-old children with autism. JOURNAL OF INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY RESEARCH : JIDR 2013; 57:1037-1049. [PMID: 22998325 PMCID: PMC3606640 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2788.2012.01599.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Increasing evidence suggests that autism is a disorder of distributed neural networks that may exhibit abnormal developmental trajectories. Characterisation of white matter early in the developmental course of the disorder is critical to understanding these aberrant trajectories. METHODS A cross-sectional study of 2- to 6-year-old children with autism was conducted using diffusion tensor imaging combined with a novel statistical approach employing fractional anisotropy distributions. Fifty-eight children aged 18-79 months were imaged: 33 were diagnosed with autism, 8 with general developmental delay, and 17 were typically developing. Fractional anisotropy values within global white matter, cortical lobes and the cerebellum were measured and transformed to random F distributions for each subject. Each distribution of values for a region was summarised by estimating δ, the estimated mean and standard deviation of the approximating F for each distribution. RESULTS The estimated δ parameter, , was significantly decreased in individuals with autism compared to the combined control group. This was true in all cortical lobes, as well as in the cerebellum, but differences were most robust in the temporal lobe. Predicted developmental trajectories of across the age range in the sample showed patterns that partially distinguished the groups. Exploratory analyses suggested that the variability, rather than the central tendency, component of was the driving force behind these results. CONCLUSIONS While preliminary, our results suggest white matter in young children with autism may be abnormally homogeneous, which may reflect poorly organised or differentiated pathways, particularly in the temporal lobe, which is important for social and emotional cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Cascio
- Psychiatry and Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA Department of Biostatistics, Human Genome Sciences, Rockville, Maryland, USA Department of Computer Science, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA Psychiatry/Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA Department of Computer Science, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA Department of Epidemiology and Health Policy Research, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
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