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Horata E, Ay H, Aslan D. Autistic-like behaviour and changes in thalamic cell numbers a rat model of valproic acid-induced autism; A behavioural and stereological study. Brain Res 2024; 1840:149047. [PMID: 38823508 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2024.149047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2024] [Revised: 05/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/03/2024]
Abstract
The contribution of the thalamus to the development and behavioural changes in autism spectrum disorders (ASD), a neurodevelopmental syndrome, remains unclear. The aim of this study was to determine the changes in thalamic volume and cell number in the valproic acid (VPA)-induced ASD model using stereological methods and to clarify the relationship between thalamus and ASD-like behaviour. Ten pregnant rats were administered a single dose (600 mg/kg) of VPA intraperitoneally on G12.5 (VPA group), while five pregnant rats were injected with 5 ml saline (control group). Behavioural tests were performed to determine appropriate subjects and ASD-like behaviours. At P55, the brains of the subjects were removed. The sagittal sections were stained with cresyl violet and toluidine blue. The thalamic and hemispheric volumes with their ratios, the total number of thalamic cells, neurons and non-neuronal cells were calculated using stereological methods. Data were compared using a t-test and a Pearson correlation analysis was performed to examine the relationship between behaviour and stereological outcomes. VPA-treated rats had lower sociability and sociability indexes. There was no difference in social novelty preference and anxiety. The VPA group had larger hemispheric volume, lower thalamic volume, and fewer neurons. The highest percentage decrease was in non-neuronal cells. There was a moderate positive correlation between the number of non-neuronal cells and sociability, thalamic volume and the number of neurons as well as the time spent in the light box. The correlation between behaviour and stereological data suggests that the thalamus is associated with ASD-like behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erdal Horata
- Orthopedic Prosthesis Orthotics, Atatürk Health Services Vocational School, Afyonkarahisar Health Sciences University, Afyonkarahisar, Turkey.
| | - Hakan Ay
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Eskişehir Osmangazi University, Eskişehir, Turkey
| | - Duygu Aslan
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Kafkas University, Kars, Turkey
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Wang Y, Long H, Bo T, Zheng J. Residual graph transformer for autism spectrum disorder prediction. COMPUTER METHODS AND PROGRAMS IN BIOMEDICINE 2024; 247:108065. [PMID: 38428249 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmpb.2024.108065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2023] [Revised: 01/28/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
Brain functional connectivity (FC) based on resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) has been in vogue to predict Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), which is a neuropsychiatric disease up the plight of locating latent biomarkers for clinical diagnosis. Albeit massive endeavors have been made, most studies are fed up with several chronic issues, such as the intractability of harnessing the interaction flourishing within brain regions, the astriction of representation due to vanishing gradient within deeper network architecture, and the poor interpretability leading to unpersuasive diagnosis. To ameliorate these issues, a FC-learned Residual Graph Transformer Network, namely RGTNet, is proposed. Specifically, we design a Graph Encoder to extract temporal-related features with long-range dependencies, from which interpretable FC matrices would be modeled. Besides, the residual trick is introduced to deepen the GCN architecture, thereby learning the higher-level information. Moreover, a novel Graph Sparse Fitting followed by weighted aggregation is proposed to ease dimensionality explosion. Empirically, the results on two types of ABIDE data sets demonstrate the meliority of RGTNet. Notably, the achieved ACC metric reaches 73.4%, overwhelming most competitors with merely 70.9% on the AAL atlas using a five-fold cross-validation policy. Moreover, the investigated biomarkers concord closely with the authoritative medical knowledge, paving a viable way for ASD-clinical diagnosis. Our code is available at https://github.com/CodeGoat24/RGTNet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yibin Wang
- College of Computer Science and Technology, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, Zhejiang, China.
| | - Haixia Long
- College of Computer Science and Technology, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, Zhejiang, China
| | - Tao Bo
- Scientific Center, Shandong Provincial Hospital affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan 250021, Shandong, China
| | - Jianwei Zheng
- College of Computer Science and Technology, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, Zhejiang, China.
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3
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Bedford SA, Lai MC, Lombardo MV, Chakrabarti B, Ruigrok A, Suckling J, Anagnostou E, Lerch JP, Taylor M, Nicolson R, Stelios G, Crosbie J, Schachar R, Kelley E, Jones J, Arnold PD, Courchesne E, Pierce K, Eyler LT, Campbell K, Barnes CC, Seidlitz J, Alexander-Bloch AF, Bullmore ET, Baron-Cohen S, Bethlehem RA. Brain-charting autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder reveals distinct and overlapping neurobiology. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2023:2023.12.06.23299587. [PMID: 38106166 PMCID: PMC10723556 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.06.23299587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Background Autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are heterogeneous neurodevelopmental conditions with complex underlying neurobiology. Despite overlapping presentation and sex-biased prevalence, autism and ADHD are rarely studied together, and sex differences are often overlooked. Normative modelling provides a unified framework for studying age-specific and sex-specific divergences in neurodivergent brain development. Methods Here we use normative modelling and a large, multi-site neuroimaging dataset to characterise cortical anatomy associated with autism and ADHD, benchmarked against models of typical brain development based on a sample of over 75,000 individuals. We also examined sex and age differences, relationship with autistic traits, and explored the co-occurrence of autism and ADHD (autism+ADHD). Results We observed robust neuroanatomical signatures of both autism and ADHD. Overall, autistic individuals showed greater cortical thickness and volume localised to the superior temporal cortex, whereas individuals with ADHD showed more global effects of cortical thickness increases but lower cortical volume and surface area across much of the cortex. The autism+ADHD group displayed a unique pattern of widespread increases in cortical thickness, and certain decreases in surface area. We also found evidence that sex modulates the neuroanatomy of autism but not ADHD, and an age-by-diagnosis interaction for ADHD only. Conclusions These results indicate distinct cortical differences in autism and ADHD that are differentially impacted by age, sex, and potentially unique patterns related to their co-occurrence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saashi A. Bedford
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 8AH, UK
- Brain Mapping Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0SZ, UK
| | - Meng-Chuan Lai
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 8AH, UK
- 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, ON M6J 1H4, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine, Taipei 100229, Taiwan
| | - Michael V. Lombardo
- Laboratory for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Bhismadev Chakrabarti
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 8AH, UK
- Centre for Autism, School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Reading RG6 6ES, UK
| | - Amber Ruigrok
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 8AH, UK
- Division of Psychology and Mental Health, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester
| | - John Suckling
- Brain Mapping Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0SZ, UK
| | - Evdokia Anagnostou
- Bloorview Research Institute, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Pediatrics, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Jason P. Lerch
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, Research Institute, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Margot Taylor
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, Research Institute, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
| | - Rob Nicolson
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Jennifer Crosbie
- Department of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, Research Institute, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
- Genetics & Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Russell Schachar
- Department of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, Research Institute, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
- Genetics & Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Elizabeth Kelley
- Department of Psychology, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6 Canada
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6 Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6 Canada
| | - Jessica Jones
- Department of Psychology, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6 Canada
- Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6 Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6 Canada
| | - Paul D. Arnold
- The Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research & Education, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Departments of Psychiatry and Medical Genetics, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Eric Courchesne
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Karen Pierce
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Lisa T. Eyler
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Kathleen Campbell
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Cynthia Carter Barnes
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Jakob Seidlitz
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Lifespan Brain Institute, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Penn Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Aaron F. Alexander-Bloch
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Lifespan Brain Institute, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Penn Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Edward T. Bullmore
- Brain Mapping Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0SZ, UK
| | - Simon Baron-Cohen
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 8AH, UK
- Cambridge Lifetime Autism Spectrum Service (CLASS), Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK
| | - Richard A.I. Bethlehem
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 8AH, UK
- Brain Mapping Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0SZ, UK
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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MacDonald DN, Bedford SA, Olafson E, Park MTM, Devenyi GA, Tullo S, Patel R, Anagnostou E, Baron-Cohen S, Bullmore ET, Chura LR, Craig MC, Ecker C, Floris DL, Holt RJ, Lenroot R, Lerch JP, Lombardo MV, Murphy DGM, Raznahan A, Ruigrok ANV, Smith E, Shinohara RT, Spencer MD, Suckling J, Taylor MJ, Thurm A, Lai MC, Chakravarty MM. Characterizing Subcortical Structural Heterogeneity in Autism. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.28.554882. [PMID: 37693556 PMCID: PMC10491091 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.28.554882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
Autism presents with significant phenotypic and neuroanatomical heterogeneity, and neuroimaging studies of the thalamus, globus pallidus and striatum in autism have produced inconsistent and contradictory results. These structures are critical mediators of functions known to be atypical in autism, including sensory gating and motor function. We examined both volumetric and fine-grained localized shape differences in autism using a large (n=3145, 1045-1318 after strict quality control), cross-sectional dataset of T1-weighted structural MRI scans from 32 sites, including both males and females (assigned-at-birth). We investigated three potentially important sources of neuroanatomical heterogeneity: sex, age, and intelligence quotient (IQ), using a meta-analytic technique after strict quality control to minimize non-biological sources of variation. We observed no volumetric differences in the thalamus, globus pallidus, or striatum in autism. Rather, we identified a variety of localized shape differences in all three structures. Including age, but not sex or IQ, in the statistical model improved the fit for both the pallidum and striatum, but not for the thalamus. Age-centered shape analysis indicated a variety of age-dependent regional differences. Overall, our findings help confirm that the neurodevelopment of the striatum, globus pallidus and thalamus are atypical in autism, in a subtle location-dependent manner that is not reflected in overall structure volumes, and that is highly non-uniform across the lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
- David N. MacDonald
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University
- Cerebral Imaging Centre, Douglas Mental Health University Institute
| | - Saashi A. Bedford
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University
- Cerebral Imaging Centre, Douglas Mental Health University Institute
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge
| | - Emily Olafson
- Cerebral Imaging Centre, Douglas Mental Health University Institute
- Department of Neuroscience, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences
| | - Min Tae M. Park
- Department of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto
| | - Gabriel A. Devenyi
- Cerebral Imaging Centre, Douglas Mental Health University Institute
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University
| | - Stephanie Tullo
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University
- Cerebral Imaging Centre, Douglas Mental Health University Institute
| | - Raihaan Patel
- Cerebral Imaging Centre, Douglas Mental Health University Institute
- Department of Biological and Biomedical Engineering, McGill University
| | | | - Simon Baron-Cohen
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge
| | | | - Lindsay R. Chura
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge
| | - Michael C. Craig
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London
- National Autism Unit, Bethlem Royal Hospital, London, UK
| | - Christine Ecker
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, GoetheUniversity
| | - Dorothea L. Floris
- Methods of Plasticity Research, Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zurich,Switzerland
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Rosemary J. Holt
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge
| | - Rhoshel Lenroot
- Dept.of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of New Mexico
| | - Jason P. Lerch
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children
- Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford
| | - Michael V. Lombardo
- Laboratory for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @UniTn, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia
| | | | - Armin Raznahan
- Developmental Neurogenomics Unit, Human Genetics Branch, National Institute of MentalHealth
| | - Amber N. V. Ruigrok
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge
- Division of Psychology and Mental Health, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester
| | - Elizabeth Smith
- Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital
| | - Russell T. Shinohara
- Penn Statistics in Imaging and Visualization Center, Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Informatics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
- Center for Biomedical Image Computing and Analytics, Department of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
| | - Michael D. Spencer
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge
| | - John Suckling
- Brain Mapping Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge
| | - Margot J. Taylor
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children
- Diagnostic Imaging, The Hospital for Sick Children
| | - Audrey Thurm
- Section on Behavioral Pediatrics, National Institute of Mental Health
| | | | - Meng-Chuan Lai
- Department of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge
- Program in Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children
- 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
- Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine
| | - M. Mallar Chakravarty
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University
- Cerebral Imaging Centre, Douglas Mental Health University Institute
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University
- Department of Biological and Biomedical Engineering, McGill University
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5
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Xin J, Huang K, Yi A, Feng Z, Liu H, Liu X, Liang L, Huang Q, Xiao Y. Absence of associations with prefrontal cortex and cerebellum may link to early language and social deficits in preschool children with ASD. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1144993. [PMID: 37215652 PMCID: PMC10192852 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1144993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex developmental disorder, characterized by language and social deficits that begin to appear in the first years of life. Research in preschool children with ASD has consistently reported increased global brain volume and abnormal cortical patterns, and the brain structure abnormalities have also been found to be clinically and behaviorally relevant. However, little is known regarding the associations between brain structure abnormalities and early language and social deficits in preschool children with ASD. Methods In this study, we collected magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data from a cohort of Chinese preschool children with and without ASD (24 ASD/20 non-ASD) aged 12-52 months, explored group differences in brain gray matter (GM) volume, and examined associations between regional GM volume and early language and social abilities in these two groups, separately. Results We observed significantly greater global GM volume in children with ASD as compared to those without ASD, but there were no regional GM volume differences between these two groups. For children without ASD, GM volume in bilateral prefrontal cortex and cerebellum was significantly correlated with language scores; GM volume in bilateral prefrontal cortex was significantly correlated with social scores. No significant correlations were found in children with ASD. Discussion Our data demonstrate correlations of regional GM volume with early language and social abilities in preschool children without ASD, and the absence of these associations appear to underlie language and social deficits in children with ASD. These findings provide novel evidence for the neuroanatomical basis associated with language and social abilities in preschool children with and without ASD, which promotes a better understanding of early deficits in language and social functions in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Xin
- Foshan Clinical Medical School, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Foshan, China
| | - Kaiyu Huang
- Center for Language and Brain, Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen, China
| | - Aiwen Yi
- Foshan Clinical Medical School, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Foshan, China
| | - Ziyu Feng
- Foshan Clinical Medical School, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Foshan, China
| | - Heng Liu
- Department of Radiology, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Medical Imaging Center of Guizhou Province, Zunyi, China
| | - Xiaoqing Liu
- Department of Radiology, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Medical Imaging Center of Guizhou Province, Zunyi, China
| | - Lili Liang
- Foshan Clinical Medical School, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Foshan, China
| | - Qingshan Huang
- Foshan Clinical Medical School, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Foshan, China
| | - Yaqiong Xiao
- Center for Language and Brain, Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen, China
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6
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Dillon EF, Kanne S, Landa RJ, Annett R, Bernier R, Bradley C, Carpenter L, Kim SH, Parish-Morris J, Schultz R, Wodka EL. Sex Differences in Autism: Examining Intrinsic and Extrinsic Factors in Children and Adolescents Enrolled in a National ASD Cohort. J Autism Dev Disord 2023; 53:1305-1318. [PMID: 34859339 PMCID: PMC9181723 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-021-05385-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Discernment of possible sex-based variations in presentations of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) symptoms is limited by smaller female samples with ASD and confounds with ASD ascertainment. A large national cohort of individuals with autism, SPARK, allowed parent report data to be leveraged to examine whether intrinsic child characteristics and extrinsic factors differentially impact males and females with ASD. Small but consistent sex differences in individuals with ASD emerged related to both intrinsic and extrinsic factors, with different markers for males and females. Language concerns in males may make discernment of ASD more straightforward, while early motor concerns in females may hamper diagnosis as such delays are not identified within traditional ASD diagnostic criteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily F Dillon
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Autism Assessment Research Training and Service (AARTS), Center at RUSH University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Stephen Kanne
- Thompson Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
- Cornell University, New York City, NY, USA
| | - Rebecca J Landa
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Robert Annett
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA
| | - Raphael Bernier
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Catherine Bradley
- Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Laura Carpenter
- Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - So Hyun Kim
- Weill Cornell Medicine, Clinical Psychiatry, New York, NY, USA
| | - Julia Parish-Morris
- Center for Autism and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Robert's Center for Pediatric Research, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Robert Schultz
- Center for Autism and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ericka L Wodka
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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7
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O’Hearn K, Lynn A. Age differences and brain maturation provide insight into heterogeneous results in autism spectrum disorder. Front Hum Neurosci 2023; 16:957375. [PMID: 36819297 PMCID: PMC9934814 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.957375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Studies comparing individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to typically developing (TD) individuals have yielded inconsistent results. These inconsistencies reflect, in part, atypical trajectories of development in children and young adults with ASD compared to TD peers. These different trajectories alter group differences between children with and without ASD as they age. This paper first summarizes the disparate trajectories evident in our studies and, upon further investigation, laboratories using the same recruiting source. These studies indicated that cognition improves into adulthood typically, and is associated with the maturation of striatal, frontal, and temporal lobes, but these age-related improvements did not emerge in the young adults with ASD. This pattern - of improvement into adulthood in the TD group but not in the group with ASD - occurred in both social and non-social tasks. However, the difference between TD and ASD trajectories was most robust on a social task, face recognition. While tempting to ascribe this uneven deficit to the social differences in ASD, it may also reflect the prolonged typical development of social cognitive tasks such as face recognition into adulthood. This paper then reviews the evidence on age-related and developmental changes from other studies on ASD. The broader literature also suggests that individuals with ASD do not exhibit the typical improvements during adolescence on skills important for navigating the transition to adulthood. These skills include execution function, social cognition and communication, and emotional recognition and self-awareness. Relatedly, neuroimaging studies indicate arrested or atypical brain maturation in striatal, frontal, and temporal regions during adolescence in ASD. This review not only highlights the importance of a developmental framework and explicit consideration of age and/or stage when studying ASD, but also the potential importance of adolescence on outcomes in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirsten O’Hearn
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Winston-Salem, NC, United States,*Correspondence: Kirsten O’Hearn,
| | - Andrew Lynn
- Department of Special Education, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States
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8
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Sun F, Chen Y, Huang Y, Yan J, Chen Y. Relationship between gray matter structure and age in children and adolescents with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder. Front Hum Neurosci 2023; 16:1039590. [PMID: 36684838 PMCID: PMC9853167 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.1039590] [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: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective The present study used magnetic resonance imaging to investigate the difference in the relationship between gray matter structure and age in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and typically developing (TD) subjects. Methods After screening T1 structural images from the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange (ABIDE) database, 111 children and adolescents (7-18 years old) with high-functioning ASD and 151 TD subjects matched for age, sex and full IQ were included in the current study. By using the voxel-based morphological analysis method, gray matter volume/density (GMV/GMD) maps were obtained for each participant. Then, a multiple regression analysis was performed for ASD and TD groups, respectively to estimate the relationship between GMV/GMD and age with gender, education, site, and IQ scores as covariates. Furthermore, a z-test was used to compare such relationship difference between the groups. Results Results showed that compared with TD, the GMD of ASD showed stronger positive correlations with age in the prefrontal cortex, and a stronger negative correlation in the left inferior parietal lobule, and a weaker positive correlation in the right inferior parietal lobule. The GMV of ASD displayed stronger positive correlations with age in the prefrontal cortex and cerebellum. Conclusion These findings may provide evidence to support that the brain structure abnormalities underlying ASD during childhood and adolescence may differ from each other.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fenfen Sun
- Center for Brain, Mind, and Education, Shaoxing University, Shaoxing, China,Department of Psychology, Shaoxing University, Shaoxing, China
| | - Yue Chen
- Center for Brain, Mind, and Education, Shaoxing University, Shaoxing, China,Department of Psychology, Shaoxing University, Shaoxing, China
| | - Yingwen Huang
- Center for Brain, Mind, and Education, Shaoxing University, Shaoxing, China,Department of Psychology, Shaoxing University, Shaoxing, China
| | - Jing Yan
- Center for Brain, Mind, and Education, Shaoxing University, Shaoxing, China,Department of Psychology, Shaoxing University, Shaoxing, China
| | - Yihong Chen
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, The First People’s Hospital of Xiaoshan, Hangzhou, China,*Correspondence: Yihong Chen,
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9
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Inter-individual heterogeneity of functional brain networks in children with autism spectrum disorder. Mol Autism 2022; 13:52. [PMID: 36572935 PMCID: PMC9793594 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-022-00535-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with considerable clinical heterogeneity. This study aimed to explore the heterogeneity of ASD based on inter-individual heterogeneity of functional brain networks. METHODS Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data from the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange database were used in this study for 105 children with ASD and 102 demographically matched typical controls (TC) children. Functional connectivity (FC) networks were first obtained for ASD and TC groups, and inter-individual deviation of functional connectivity (IDFC) from the TC group was then calculated for each individual with ASD. A k-means clustering algorithm was used to obtain ASD subtypes based on IDFC patterns. The FC patterns were further compared between ASD subtypes and the TC group from the brain region, network, and whole-brain levels. The relationship between IDFC and the severity of clinical symptoms of ASD for ASD subtypes was also analyzed using a support vector regression model. RESULTS Two ASD subtypes were identified based on the IDFC patterns. Compared with the TC group, the ASD subtype 1 group exhibited a hypoconnectivity pattern and the ASD subtype 2 group exhibited a hyperconnectivity pattern. IDFC for ASD subtype 1 and subtype 2 was found to predict the severity of social communication impairments and the severity of restricted and repetitive behaviors in ASD, respectively. LIMITATIONS Only male children were selected for this study, which limits the ability to study the effects of gender and development on ASD heterogeneity. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest the existence of subtypes with different FC patterns in ASD and provide insight into the complex pathophysiological mechanism of clinical manifestations of ASD.
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10
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Hwang IS, Hong SB. Association between body mass index and subcortical volume in pre-adolescent children with autism spectrum disorder: An exploratory study. Autism Res 2022; 15:2238-2249. [PMID: 36256577 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Conflicting associations exist between autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and subcortical brain volumes. This study assessed whether obesity might have a confounding influence on associations between ASD and brain subcortical volumes. A comprehensive investigation evaluating the relationship between ASD, obesity, and subcortical structure volumes was conducted. Data obtained included body mass index (BMI) and T1-weighted structural magnetic resonance images for children with and without ASD diagnoses from the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange database. Brain subcortical volumes were calculated using vol2Brain software. Hierarchical linear regression analyses were performed to explore the subcortical volumes similarly or differentially associated with BMI in children with or without ASD and examine association and interaction effects regarding ASD and subcortical volume impact on the Social Responsiveness Scale and Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale (VABS) scores. Bilateral caudate nuclei were smaller in children with ASD than in control participants. Significant interactions were observed between ASD diagnosis and BMI regarding the left caudate, right and left putamen, and right and left ventral diencephalon (DC) volumes (β = -0.384, p = 0.010; β = -0.336, p = 0.030; β = -0.317, p = 0.040; β = 0.322, p = 0.010; β = 0.295, p = 0.021, respectively) and between ASD diagnosis and right and left ventral DC volumes regarding the VABS scores (β = 0.434, p = 0.014; β = 0.495, p = 0.007, respectively). However, each subcortical structure volume included in the ventral DC area could not be measured separately. The results identified subcortical volumes differentially associated with obesity in children with ASD compared with typically developing peers. BMI may need to be considered an important confounder in future research examining brain subcortical volumes within ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- In-Seong Hwang
- Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Soon-Beom Hong
- Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.,Institute of Human Behavioral Medicine, Seoul National University Medical Research Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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11
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Khadem-Reza ZK, Zare H. Evaluation of brain structure abnormalities in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) using structural magnetic resonance imaging. THE EGYPTIAN JOURNAL OF NEUROLOGY, PSYCHIATRY AND NEUROSURGERY 2022. [DOI: 10.1186/s41983-022-00576-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a group of developmental disorders of the nervous system. Since the core cause of many of the symptoms of autism spectrum disorder is due to changes in the structure of the brain, the importance of examining the structural abnormalities of the brain in these disorder becomes apparent. The aim of this study is evaluation of brain structure abnormalities in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) using structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI). sMRI images of 26 autistic and 26 Healthy control subjects in the range of 5–10 years are selected from the ABIDE database. For a better assessment of structural abnormalities, the surface and volume features are extracted together from this images. Then, the extracted features from both groups were compared with the sample t test and the features with significant differences between the two groups were identified.
Results
The results of volume-based features indicate an increase in total brain volume and white matter and a change in white and gray matter volume in brain regions of Hammers atlas in the autism group. In addition, the results of surface-based features indicate an increase in mean and standard deviation of cerebral cortex thickness and changes in cerebral cortex thickness, sulcus depth, surface complexity and gyrification index in the brain regions of the Desikan–Killany cortical atlas.
Conclusions
Identifying structurally abnormal areas of the brain and examining their relationship to the clinical features of Autism Spectrum Disorder can pave the way for the correct and early detection of this disorder using structural magnetic resonance imaging. It is also possible to design treatment for autistic people based on the abnormal areas of the brain, and to see the effectiveness of the treatment using imaging.
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12
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Yeh CH, Tseng RY, Ni HC, Cocchi L, Chang JC, Hsu MY, Tu EN, Wu YY, Chou TL, Gau SSF, Lin HY. White matter microstructural and morphometric alterations in autism: implications for intellectual capabilities. Mol Autism 2022; 13:21. [PMID: 35585645 PMCID: PMC9118608 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-022-00499-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2021] [Accepted: 04/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Neuroimage literature of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has a moderate-to-high risk of bias, partially because those combined with intellectual impairment (II) and/or minimally verbal (MV) status are generally ignored. We aimed to provide more comprehensive insights into white matter alterations of ASD, inclusive of individuals with II (ASD-II-Only) or MV expression (ASD-MV). Methods Sixty-five participants with ASD (ASD-Whole; 16.6 ± 5.9 years; comprising 34 intellectually able youth, ASD-IA, and 31 intellectually impaired youth, ASD-II, including 24 ASD-II-Only plus 7 ASD-MV) and 38 demographic-matched typically developing controls (TDC; 17.3 ± 5.6 years) were scanned in accelerated diffusion-weighted MRI. Fixel-based analysis was undertaken to investigate the categorical differences in fiber density (FD), fiber cross section (FC), and a combined index (FDC), and brain symptom/cognition associations. Results ASD-Whole had reduced FD in the anterior and posterior corpus callosum and left cerebellum Crus I, and smaller FDC in right cerebellum Crus II, compared to TDC. ASD-IA, relative to TDC, had no significant discrepancies, while ASD-II showed almost identical alterations to those from ASD-Whole vs. TDC. ASD-II-Only had greater FD/FDC in the isthmus splenium of callosum than ASD-MV. Autistic severity negatively correlated with FC in right Crus I. Nonverbal full-scale IQ positively correlated with FC/FDC in cerebellum VI. FD/FDC of the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex showed a diagnosis-by-executive function interaction. Limitations We could not preclude the potential effects of age and sex from the ASD cohort, although statistical tests suggested that these factors were not influential. Our results could be confounded by variable psychiatric comorbidities and psychotropic medication uses in our ASD participants recruited from outpatient clinics, which is nevertheless closer to a real-world presentation of ASD. The outcomes related to ASD-MV were considered preliminaries due to the small sample size within this subgroup. Finally, our study design did not include intellectual impairment-only participants without ASD to disentangle the mixture of autistic and intellectual symptoms. Conclusions ASD-associated white matter alterations appear driven by individuals with II and potentially further by MV. Results suggest that changes in the corpus callosum and cerebellum are key for psychopathology and cognition associated with ASD. Our work highlights an essential to include understudied subpopulations on the spectrum in research. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13229-022-00499-1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Hung Yeh
- Institute for Radiological Research, Chang Gung University, No. 259, Wenhua 1st Road, Guishan District, 333, Taoyuan City, Taiwan. .,Department of Psychiatry, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
| | - Rung-Yu Tseng
- Institute for Radiological Research, Chang Gung University, No. 259, Wenhua 1st Road, Guishan District, 333, Taoyuan City, Taiwan.,Department of Psychiatry, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Hsing-Chang Ni
- Department of Psychiatry, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Luca Cocchi
- Clinical Brain Networks Group, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Jung-Chi Chang
- Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | | | - En-Nien Tu
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Department of Psychiatry, Keelung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Keelung, Taiwan
| | | | - Tai-Li Chou
- Department of Psychology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Susan Shur-Fen Gau
- Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hsiang-Yuan Lin
- Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan. .,Azrieli Adult Neurodevelopmental Centre, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, and Adult Neurodevelopmental and Geriatric Psychiatry Division, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 1025 Queen St W - 3314, Toronto, ON, M6J 1H4, Canada. .,Department of Psychiatry and Institute of Medical Science, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
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13
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Sader M, Williams JHG, Waiter GD. A meta-analytic investigation of grey matter differences in anorexia nervosa and autism spectrum disorder. EUROPEAN EATING DISORDERS REVIEW 2022; 30:560-579. [PMID: 35526083 PMCID: PMC9543727 DOI: 10.1002/erv.2915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Recent research reports Anorexia Nervosa (AN) to be highly dependent upon neurobiological function. Some behaviours, particularly concerning food selectivity are found in populations with both Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and AN, and there is a proportionally elevated number of anorexic patients exhibiting symptoms of ASD. We performed a systematic review of structural MRI literature with the aim of identifying common structural neural correlates common to both AN and ASD. Across 46 ASD publications, a meta‐analysis of volumetric differences between ASD and healthy controls revealed no consistently affected brain regions. Meta‐analysis of 23 AN publications revealed increased volume within the orbitofrontal cortex and medial temporal lobe, and adult‐only AN literature revealed differences within the genu of the anterior cingulate cortex. The changes are consistent with alterations in flexible reward‐related learning and episodic memory reported in neuropsychological studies. There was no structural overlap between ASD and AN. Findings suggest no consistent neuroanatomical abnormality associated with ASD, and evidence is lacking to suggest that reported behavioural similarities between those with AN and ASD are due to neuroanatomical structural similarities. Findings related to neuroanatomical structure in AN/ASD demonstrate overlap and require revisiting. Meta‐analytic findings show structural increase/decrease versus healthy controls (LPFC/MTL/OFC) in AN, but no clusters found in ASD. The neuroanatomy associated with ASD is inconsistent, but findings in AN reflect condition‐related impairment in executive function and sociocognitive behaviours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Sader
- Translational Neuroscience, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Justin H G Williams
- Translational Neuroscience, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Gordon D Waiter
- Biomedical Imaging Centre, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
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14
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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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15
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Weerasekera A, Ion-Mărgineanu A, Nolan G, Mody M. Subcortical Brain Morphometry Differences between Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Schizophrenia. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12040439. [PMID: 35447970 PMCID: PMC9031550 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12040439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Revised: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/20/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and schizophrenia (SZ) are neuropsychiatric disorders that overlap in symptoms associated with social-cognitive impairment. Subcortical structures play a significant role in cognitive and social-emotional behaviors and their abnormalities are associated with neuropsychiatric conditions. This exploratory study utilized ABIDE II/COBRE MRI and corresponding phenotypic datasets to compare subcortical volumes of adults with ASD (n = 29), SZ (n = 51) and age and gender matched neurotypicals (NT). We examined the association between subcortical volumes and select behavioral measures to determine whether core symptomatology of disorders could be explained by subcortical association patterns. We observed volume differences in ASD (viz., left pallidum, left thalamus, left accumbens, right amygdala) but not in SZ compared to their respective NT controls, reflecting morphometric changes specific to one of the disorder groups. However, left hippocampus and amygdala volumes were implicated in both disorders. A disorder-specific negative correlation (r = −0.39, p = 0.038) was found between left-amygdala and scores on the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) Social-Cognition in ASD, and a positive association (r = 0.29, p = 0.039) between full scale IQ (FIQ) and right caudate in SZ. Significant correlations between behavior measures and subcortical volumes were observed in NT groups (ASD-NT range; r = −0.53 to −0.52, p = 0.002 to 0.004, SZ-NT range; r = −0.41 to −0.32, p = 0.007 to 0.021) that were non-significant in the disorder groups. The overlap of subcortical volumes implicated in ASD and SZ may reflect common neurological mechanisms. Furthermore, the difference in correlation patterns between disorder and NT groups may suggest dysfunctional connectivity with cascading effects unique to each disorder and a potential role for IQ in mediating behavior and brain circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akila Weerasekera
- Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-781-8204501
| | - Adrian Ion-Mărgineanu
- Department of Electrical Engineering (ESAT), STADIUS Center for Dynamical Systems, Signal Processing and Data Analytics, KU Leuven, 3001 Leuven, Belgium;
| | - Garry Nolan
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA;
| | - Maria Mody
- Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA;
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16
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Wu C, Zheng H, Wu H, Tang Y, Li F, Wang D. Age-related Brain Morphological Alteration of Medication-naive Boys With High Functioning Autism. Acad Radiol 2022; 29 Suppl 3:S28-S35. [PMID: 33160862 DOI: 10.1016/j.acra.2020.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2020] [Revised: 09/24/2020] [Accepted: 10/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVE To investigate age-related brain morphological changes of boys with high functioning autism (HFA). MATERIALS AND METHODS Forty-six medication-naive boys with HFA and 48 age-matched typically developing boys (4-12 years old) were included in this study. Structural brain images were processed with FreeSurfer to calculate the brain morphometric features including regional volume, surface area, average cortical thickness, and Gaussian curvature. General linear model was used to identify significant effects of diagnosis and age-by-diagnosis interaction. Correlations between age and the brain morphometric variables of significant clusters were explored. RESULTS Primarily, most of the regions with statistically significant intergroup differences were located in the temporal lobe gyri. Importantly, the volume of bilateral superior temporal gyrus (STG) and the average cortical thickness of the right STG demonstrated significantly age-related intergroup differences. Further age-stratified analysis also revealed morphological alterations of STG among subgroups of preschool and school-aged children with or without HFA. CONCLUSION The findings demonstrated abnormal age-related volume and cortical thickness atrophy of the STG in HFA children, which reflect brain development trajectories of ASD may initiate to diverge from early overgrowth in childhood period. The anatomical localization of specific brain regions would help us better understand the neurobiology alterations of HFA patients and indicate the effect of age should be carefully delineated and examined in future studies about HFA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenqing Wu
- Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Hui Zheng
- Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Haoting Wu
- Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yun Tang
- Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Fei Li
- Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Dengbin Wang
- Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
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17
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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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18
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A recurrent SHANK1 mutation implicated in autism spectrum disorder causes autistic-like core behaviors in mice via downregulation of mGluR1-IP3R1-calcium signaling. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:2985-2998. [PMID: 35388181 PMCID: PMC9205781 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01539-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Revised: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The genetic etiology and underlying mechanism of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) remain elusive. SHANK family genes (SHANK1/2/3) are well known ASD-related genes. However, little is known about how SHANK missense mutations contribute to ASD. Here, we aimed to clarify the molecular mechanism of and the multilevel neuropathological features induced by Shank1 mutations in knock-in (KI) mice. In this study, by sequencing the SHANK1 gene in a cohort of 615 ASD patients and 503 controls, we identified an ASD-specific recurrent missense mutation, c.2621 G > A (p.R874H). This mutation demonstrated strong pathogenic potential in in vitro experiments, and we generated the corresponding Shank1 R882H-KI mice. Shank1 R882H-KI mice displayed core symptoms of ASD, namely, social disability and repetitive behaviors, without confounding comorbidities of abnormal motor function and heightened anxiety. Brain structural changes in the frontal cortex, hippocampus and cerebellar cortex were observed in Shank1 R882H-KI mice via structural magnetic resonance imaging. These key brain regions also showed severe and consistent downregulation of mGluR1-IP3R1-calcium signaling, which subsequently affected the release of intracellular calcium. Corresponding cellular structural and functional changes were present in Shank1 R882H-KI mice, including decreased spine size, reduced spine density, abnormal morphology of postsynaptic densities, and impaired hippocampal long-term potentiation and basal excitatory transmission. These findings demonstrate the causative role of SHANK1 in ASD and elucidate the underlying biological mechanism of core symptoms of ASD. We also provide a reliable model of ASD with core symptoms for future studies, such as biomarker identification and therapeutic intervention studies.
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19
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Green HL, Dipiero M, Koppers S, Berman JI, Bloy L, Liu S, McBride E, Ku M, Blaskey L, Kuschner E, Airey M, Kim M, Konka K, Roberts TP, Edgar JC. Peak Alpha Frequency and Thalamic Structure in Children with Typical Development and Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Autism Dev Disord 2022; 52:103-112. [PMID: 33629214 PMCID: PMC8384980 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-021-04926-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Associations between age, resting-state (RS) peak-alpha-frequency (PAF = frequency showing largest amplitude alpha activity), and thalamic volume (thalamus thought to modulate alpha activity) were examined to understand differences in RS alpha activity between children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and typically-developing children (TDC) noted in prior studies. RS MEG and structural-MRI data were obtained from 51 ASD and 70 TDC 6- to 18-year-old males. PAF and thalamic volume maturation were observed in TDC but not ASD. Although PAF was associated with right thalamic volume in TDC (R2 = 0.12, p = 0.01) but not ASD (R2 = 0.01, p = 0.35), this group difference was not large enough to reach significance. Findings thus showed unusual maturation of brain function and structure in ASD as well as an across-group thalamic contribution to alpha rhythms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather L. Green
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA,Corresponding Author: Heather Green, PhD, Department of Radiology, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, Tel: 267-425-2464, Fax: 215-590-1345,
| | - Marissa Dipiero
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Simon Koppers
- Institute of Imaging and Computer Vision, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Jeffrey I. Berman
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA,Department of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
| | - Luke Bloy
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Song Liu
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Emma McBride
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Matthew Ku
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Lisa Blaskey
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA,Department of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania.,Center for Autism Research, Department of Pediatrics, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Emily Kuschner
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA,Center for Autism Research, Department of Pediatrics, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA,Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Megan Airey
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Mina Kim
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Kimberly Konka
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Timothy P.L. Roberts
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA,Department of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
| | - J. Christopher Edgar
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA,Department of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
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20
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Wang Q, Hu K, Wang M, Zhao Y, Liu Y, Fan L, Liu B. Predicting brain age during typical and atypical development based on structural and functional neuroimaging. Hum Brain Mapp 2021; 42:5943-5955. [PMID: 34520078 PMCID: PMC8596985 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25660] [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: 07/12/2021] [Revised: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Exploring typical and atypical brain developmental trajectories is very important for understanding the normal pace of brain development and the mechanisms by which mental disorders deviate from normal development. A precise and sex-specific brain age prediction model is desirable for investigating the systematic deviation and individual heterogeneity of disorders associated with atypical brain development, such as autism spectrum disorders. In this study, we used partial least squares regression and the stacking algorithm to establish a sex-specific brain age prediction model based on T1-weighted structural magnetic resonance imaging and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. The model showed good generalization and high robustness on four independent datasets with different ethnic information and age ranges. A predictor weights analysis showed the differences and similarities in changes in structure and function during brain development. At the group level, the brain age gap estimation for autistic patients was significantly smaller than that for healthy controls in both the ABIDE dataset and the healthy brain network dataset, which suggested that autistic patients as a whole exhibited the characteristics of delayed development. However, within the ABIDE dataset, the premature development group had significantly higher Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) scores than those of the delayed development group, implying that individuals with premature development had greater severity. Using these findings, we built an accurate typical brain development trajectory and developed a method of atypical trajectory analysis that considers sex differences and individual heterogeneity. This strategy may provide valuable clues for understanding the relationship between brain development and mental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Wang
- Brainnetome Center and National Laboratory of Pattern Recognition, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,School of Artificial Intelligence, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ke Hu
- Brainnetome Center and National Laboratory of Pattern Recognition, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,School of Artificial Intelligence, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Meng Wang
- Brainnetome Center and National Laboratory of Pattern Recognition, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,School of Artificial Intelligence, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yuxin Zhao
- Brainnetome Center and National Laboratory of Pattern Recognition, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,School of Artificial Intelligence, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yong Liu
- School of Artificial Intelligence, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Beijing, China
| | - Lingzhong Fan
- Brainnetome Center and National Laboratory of Pattern Recognition, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,School of Artificial Intelligence, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Bing Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.,Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China
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21
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Brief Report: Sex/Gender Differences in Adolescents with Autism: Socialization Profiles and Response to Social Skills Intervention. J Autism Dev Disord 2021; 52:2812-2818. [PMID: 34114128 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-021-05127-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Females with autism have unique socialization profiles, but less is known about sex/gender differences in the context of socialization interventions. This study utilized a combination of behavioral and survey measures to examine sex/gender differences in 32 autistic adolescents (10 females, 22 males) before and after participation in the 20-week START socialization program. At intake, males self-reported superior social skills use while parents endorsed that females demonstrated superior social competencies. While males and females both experienced socialization improvements post-trial, females experienced greater increases in self-reported social competency and the proportion of questions they asked during peer conversations. These preliminary findings on differential intervention response may help inform future social skill intervention efforts for the needs of females on the spectrum.
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22
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Prigge MBD, Lange N, Bigler ED, King JB, Dean DC, Adluru N, Alexander AL, Lainhart JE, Zielinski BA. A 16-year study of longitudinal volumetric brain development in males with autism. Neuroimage 2021; 236:118067. [PMID: 33878377 PMCID: PMC8489006 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2020] [Revised: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with unknown brain etiology. Our knowledge to date about structural brain development across the lifespan in ASD comes mainly from cross-sectional studies, thereby limiting our understanding of true age effects within individuals with the disorder that can only be gained through longitudinal research. The present study describes FreeSurfer-derived volumetric findings from a longitudinal dataset consisting of 607 T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans collected from 105 male individuals with ASD (349 MRIs) and 125 typically developing male controls (258 MRIs). Participants were six to forty-five years of age at their first scan, and were scanned up to 5 times over a period of 16 years (average inter-scan interval of 3.7 years). Atypical age-related volumetric trajectories in ASD included enlarged gray matter volume in early childhood that approached levels of the control group by late childhood, an age-related increase in ventricle volume resulting in enlarged ventricles by early adulthood and reduced corpus callosum age-related volumetric increase resulting in smaller corpus callosum volume in adulthood. Larger corpus callosum volume was related to a lower (better) ADOS score at the most recent study visit for the participants with ASD. These longitudinal findings expand our knowledge of volumetric brain-based abnormalities in males with ASD, and highlight the need to continue to examine brain structure across the lifespan and well into adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Molly B D Prigge
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
| | - Nicholas Lange
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Erin D Bigler
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Center, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT USA; Department of Neurology, University of California-Davis, Davis, CA USA
| | - Jace B King
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Douglas C Dean
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA; Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Nagesh Adluru
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Andrew L Alexander
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA; Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Janet E Lainhart
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Brandon A Zielinski
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT USA; Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
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23
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Boys with autism spectrum disorder have distinct cortical folding patterns underpinning impaired self-regulation: a surface-based morphometry study. Brain Imaging Behav 2021; 14:2464-2476. [PMID: 31512098 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-019-00199-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Although impaired self-regulation (dysregulation) in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) garnered increasing awareness, the neural mechanism of dysregulation in ASD are far from conclusive. To complement our previous voxel-based morphometry findings, we estimated the cortical thickness, surface area, and local gyrification index based on the surface-based morphometry from structural MRI images in 85 ASD and 65 typically developing control (TDC) boys, aged 7-17 years. Levels of dysregulation were measured by the sum of T-scores of Attention, Aggression, and Anxiety/Depression subscales on the Child Behavior Checklist. We found both ASD and TDC shared similar relationships between dysregulation and cortical folding patterns in the left superior and inferior temporal gyri and the left premotor cortex. Significant diagnosis by dysregulation interactions in cortical folding patterns were identified over the right middle frontal and right lateral orbitofrontal regions. The statistical significance of greater local gyrification index in ASD than TDC in several brain regions disappeared when the level of dysregulation was considered. The findings of shared and distinct neural correlates underpinning dysregulation between ASD and TDC may facilitate the development of targeted interventions in the future. The present work also demonstrates that inter-subject variations in self-regulation may explain some extents of ASD-associated brain morphometric differences, likely suggesting that dysregulation is one of the yardsticks for dissecting the heterogeneity of ASD.
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24
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Floris DL, Filho JOA, Lai MC, Giavasis S, Oldehinkel M, Mennes M, Charman T, Tillmann J, Dumas G, Ecker C, Dell'Acqua F, Banaschewski T, Moessnang C, Baron-Cohen S, Durston S, Loth E, Murphy DGM, Buitelaar JK, Beckmann CF, Milham MP, Di Martino A. Towards robust and replicable sex differences in the intrinsic brain function of autism. Mol Autism 2021; 12:19. [PMID: 33648569 PMCID: PMC7923310 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-021-00415-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2020] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Marked sex differences in autism prevalence accentuate the need to understand the role of biological sex-related factors in autism. Efforts to unravel sex differences in the brain organization of autism have, however, been challenged by the limited availability of female data. METHODS We addressed this gap by using a large sample of males and females with autism and neurotypical (NT) control individuals (ABIDE; Autism: 362 males, 82 females; NT: 409 males, 166 females; 7-18 years). Discovery analyses examined main effects of diagnosis, sex and their interaction across five resting-state fMRI (R-fMRI) metrics (voxel-level Z > 3.1, cluster-level P < 0.01, gaussian random field corrected). Secondary analyses assessed the robustness of the results to different pre-processing approaches and their replicability in two independent samples: the EU-AIMS Longitudinal European Autism Project (LEAP) and the Gender Explorations of Neurogenetics and Development to Advance Autism Research. RESULTS Discovery analyses in ABIDE revealed significant main effects of diagnosis and sex across the intrinsic functional connectivity of the posterior cingulate cortex, regional homogeneity and voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity (VMHC) in several cortical regions, largely converging in the default network midline. Sex-by-diagnosis interactions were confined to the dorsolateral occipital cortex, with reduced VMHC in females with autism. All findings were robust to different pre-processing steps. Replicability in independent samples varied by R-fMRI measures and effects with the targeted sex-by-diagnosis interaction being replicated in the larger of the two replication samples-EU-AIMS LEAP. LIMITATIONS Given the lack of a priori harmonization among the discovery and replication datasets available to date, sample-related variation remained and may have affected replicability. CONCLUSIONS Atypical cross-hemispheric interactions are neurobiologically relevant to autism. They likely result from the combination of sex-dependent and sex-independent factors with a differential effect across functional cortical networks. Systematic assessments of the factors contributing to replicability are needed and necessitate coordinated large-scale data collection across studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorothea L Floris
- Donders Center for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department for Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - José O A Filho
- Autism Center, The Child Mind Institute, 101 E 56 Street, New York City, New York, 10026, USA
| | - Meng-Chuan Lai
- The Margaret and Wallace McCain Centre for Child, Youth and Family Mental Health, Azrieli Adult Neurodevelopmental Centre, and 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
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Steve Giavasis
- Autism Center, The Child Mind Institute, 101 E 56 Street, New York City, New York, 10026, USA
| | - Marianne Oldehinkel
- Department for Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Maarten Mennes
- Donders Center for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Tony Charman
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Julian Tillmann
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- Department of Applied Psychology: Health, Development, Enhancement, and Intervention, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Guillaume Dumas
- Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions, Institut Pasteur, UMR3571 CNRS, Université de Paris, Paris, France
- CHU Sainte-Justine Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Christine Ecker
- Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopment, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt am Main, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Flavio Dell'Acqua
- Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopment, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Tobias Banaschewski
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Carolin Moessnang
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Simon Baron-Cohen
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Sarah Durston
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Eva Loth
- Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopment, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Declan G M Murphy
- Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopment, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Jan K Buitelaar
- Donders Center for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department for Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Karakter Child and Adolescent Psychiatry University Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Christian F Beckmann
- Donders Center for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department for Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Centre for Functional MRI of the Brain, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Michael P Milham
- Autism Center, The Child Mind Institute, 101 E 56 Street, New York City, New York, 10026, USA
- Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, USA
| | - Adriana Di Martino
- Autism Center, The Child Mind Institute, 101 E 56 Street, New York City, New York, 10026, USA.
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25
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Williams CM, Peyre H, Toro R, Beggiato A, Ramus F. Adjusting for allometric scaling in ABIDE I challenges subcortical volume differences in autism spectrum disorder. Hum Brain Mapp 2020; 41:4610-4629. [PMID: 32729664 PMCID: PMC7555078 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2020] [Revised: 06/29/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Inconsistencies across studies investigating subcortical correlates of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may stem from small sample size, sample heterogeneity, and omitting or linearly adjusting for total brain volume (TBV). To properly adjust for TBV, brain allometry—the nonlinear scaling relationship between regional volumes and TBV—was considered when examining subcortical volumetric differences between typically developing (TD) and ASD individuals. Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange I (ABIDE I; N = 654) data was analyzed with two methodological approaches: univariate linear mixed effects models and multivariate multiple group confirmatory factor analyses. Analyses were conducted on the entire sample and in subsamples based on age, sex, and full scale intelligence quotient (FSIQ). A similar ABIDE I study was replicated and the impact of different TBV adjustments on neuroanatomical group differences was investigated. No robust subcortical allometric or volumetric group differences were observed in the entire sample across methods. Exploratory analyses suggested that allometric scaling and volume group differences may exist in certain subgroups defined by age, sex, and/or FSIQ. The type of TBV adjustment influenced some reported volumetric and scaling group differences. This study supports the absence of robust volumetric differences between ASD and TD individuals in the investigated volumes when adjusting for brain allometry, expands the literature by finding no group difference in allometric scaling, and further suggests that differing TBV adjustments contribute to the variability of reported neuroanatomical differences in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille Michèle Williams
- Laboratoire de Sciences Cognitives et Psycholinguistique, Département d'Etudes Cognitives, École Normale Supérieure, EHESS, CNRS, PSL University, Paris, France
| | - Hugo Peyre
- Laboratoire de Sciences Cognitives et Psycholinguistique, Département d'Etudes Cognitives, École Normale Supérieure, EHESS, CNRS, PSL University, Paris, France.,INSERM UMR 1141, Paris Diderot University, Paris, France.,Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Robert Debré Hospital, APHP, Paris, France
| | - Roberto Toro
- U1284, Center for Research and Interdisciplinarity (CRI), INSERM, Paris, France.,Unité Mixte de Recherche 3571, Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Anita Beggiato
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Robert Debré Hospital, APHP, Paris, France.,Unité Mixte de Recherche 3571, Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Franck Ramus
- Laboratoire de Sciences Cognitives et Psycholinguistique, Département d'Etudes Cognitives, École Normale Supérieure, EHESS, CNRS, PSL University, Paris, France
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26
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Abstract
Many studies have reported abnormalities in the volume of subcortical structures in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and many of these change with age. However, most studies that have investigated subcortical structures were cross-sectional and did not accurately segment the subcortical structures. In this study, we used volBrain, an automatic and reliable quantitative analysis tool, and a longitudinal design to examine developmental changes in the volume of subcortical structures in ASD, and quantified the relation between subcortical volume development and clinical correlates. Nineteen individuals with ASD (16 males; age: 12.53 ± 2.34 years at baseline; interval: 2.33 years) and 14 typically developing controls (TDC; 12 males; age: 13.50 ± 1.77 years at baseline; interval: 2.31 years) underwent T1-weighted MRI at two time points. Bilaterally, hippocampus volume increased from baseline to follow-up in both ASD and TDC, with no difference between groups. Left caudate and right thalamus volume decreased in ASD, but did not change in TDC. The decreases in left caudate and right thalamus volume were related to ASD social score. Right amygdala volume was larger in ASD than in TDC at baseline but not at follow-up. These results confirm previous cross-sectional findings regarding the development of subcortical structures in ASD. The association between developmental changes in left caudate and right thalamus volume and ASD social score offers an explanation for the social deficits in ASD. Results also captured the different abnormality of amygdala volume between childhood and late adolescence.
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27
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Saxena R, Babadi M, Namvarhaghighi H, Roullet FI. Role of environmental factors and epigenetics in autism spectrum disorders. PROGRESS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE 2020; 173:35-60. [PMID: 32711816 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2020.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder thought to be caused by predisposing high-risk genes that may be altered during the early development by environmental factors. The impact of maternal challenges during pregnancy on the prevalence of ASD has been widely studied in clinical and animal studies. Here, we review some clinical and pre-clinical evidence that links environmental factors (i.e., infection, air pollution, pesticides, valproic acid and folic acid) and the risk of ASD. Additionally, certain prenatal environmental challenges such as the valproate and folate prenatal exposures allow us to study mechanisms possibly linked to the etiology of ASD, for instance the epigenetic processes. These mechanistic pathways are also presented and discussed in this chapter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roheeni Saxena
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Melika Babadi
- School of Interdisciplinary Science, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | | | - Florence I Roullet
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
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28
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Lukito S, Norman L, Carlisi C, Radua J, Hart H, Simonoff E, Rubia K. Comparative meta-analyses of brain structural and functional abnormalities during cognitive control in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorder. Psychol Med 2020; 50:894-919. [PMID: 32216846 PMCID: PMC7212063 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291720000574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND People with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have abnormalities in frontal, temporal, parietal and striato-thalamic networks. It is unclear to what extent these abnormalities are distinctive or shared. This comparative meta-analysis aimed to identify the most consistent disorder-differentiating and shared structural and functional abnormalities. METHODS Systematic literature search was conducted for whole-brain voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies of cognitive control comparing people with ASD or ADHD with typically developing controls. Regional gray matter volume (GMV) and fMRI abnormalities during cognitive control were compared in the overall sample and in age-, sex- and IQ-matched subgroups with seed-based d mapping meta-analytic methods. RESULTS Eighty-six independent VBM (1533 ADHD and 1295 controls; 1445 ASD and 1477 controls) and 60 fMRI datasets (1001 ADHD and 1004 controls; 335 ASD and 353 controls) were identified. The VBM meta-analyses revealed ADHD-differentiating decreased ventromedial orbitofrontal (z = 2.22, p < 0.0001) but ASD-differentiating increased bilateral temporal and right dorsolateral prefrontal GMV (zs ⩾ 1.64, ps ⩽ 0.002). The fMRI meta-analyses of cognitive control revealed ASD-differentiating medial prefrontal underactivation but overactivation in bilateral ventrolateral prefrontal cortices and precuneus (zs ⩾ 1.04, ps ⩽ 0.003). During motor response inhibition specifically, ADHD relative to ASD showed right inferior fronto-striatal underactivation (zs ⩾ 1.14, ps ⩽ 0.003) but shared right anterior insula underactivation. CONCLUSIONS People with ADHD and ASD have mostly distinct structural abnormalities, with enlarged fronto-temporal GMV in ASD and reduced orbitofrontal GMV in ADHD; and mostly distinct functional abnormalities, which were more pronounced in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steve Lukito
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Luke Norman
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
- The Social and Behavioral Research Branch, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Christina Carlisi
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, UK
| | - Joaquim Radua
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- Imaging of Mood- and Anxiety-Related Disorders (IMARD) Group, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), CIBERSAM, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Centre for Psychiatric Research and Education, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Heledd Hart
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Emily Simonoff
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Katya Rubia
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
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Sex differences in brain structure: a twin study on restricted and repetitive behaviors in twin pairs with and without autism. Mol Autism 2019; 11:1. [PMID: 31893022 PMCID: PMC6937723 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-019-0309-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2019] [Accepted: 12/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Females with autism spectrum disorder have been reported to exhibit fewer and less severe restricted and repetitive behaviors and interests compared to males. This difference might indicate sex-specific alterations of brain networks involved in autism symptom domains, especially within cortico-striatal and sensory integration networks. This study used a well-controlled twin design to examine sex differences in brain anatomy in relation to repetitive behaviors. Methods In 75 twin pairs (n = 150, 62 females, 88 males) enriched for autism spectrum disorder (n = 32), and other neurodevelopmental disorders (n = 32), we explored the association of restricted and repetitive behaviors and interests—operationalized by the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (C domain) and the Social Responsiveness Scale-2 (Restricted Interests and Repetitive Behavior subscale)—with cortical volume, surface area and thickness of neocortical, sub-cortical, and cerebellar networks. Results Co-twin control analyses revealed within-pair associations between RRBI symptoms and increased thickness of the right intraparietal sulcus and reduced volume of the right orbital gyrus in females only, even though the mean number of RRBIs did not differ between the sexes. In a sub-sample of ASD-discordant pairs, increased thickness in association with RRBIs was found exclusively in females in the orbitofrontal regions, superior frontal gyrus, and intraparietal sulcus, while in males RRBIs tended to be associated with increased volume of the bilateral pallidum. Limitations However, due to a small sample size and the small difference in RRBI symptoms within pairs, the results of this exploratory study need to be interpreted with caution. Conclusions Our findings suggest that structural alterations of fronto-parietal networks in association with RRBIs are found mostly in females, while striatal networks are more affected in males. These results endorse the importance of investigating sex differences in the neurobiology of autism symptoms, and indicate different etiological pathways underlying restricted and repetitive behaviors and interests in females and males.
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30
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Bos DJ, Silver BM, Barnes ED, Ajodan EL, Silverman MR, Clark-Whitney E, Tarpey T, Jones RM. Adolescent-Specific Motivation Deficits in Autism Versus Typical Development. J Autism Dev Disord 2019; 50:364-372. [PMID: 31625010 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-019-04258-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Differences in motivation during adolescence relative to childhood and adulthood in autism was tested in a cross-sectional study. 156 Typically developing individuals and 79 individuals with autism ages 10-30 years of age completed a go/nogo task with social and non-social cues. To assess age effects, linear and quadratic models were used. Consistent with prior studies, typically developing adolescents and young adults demonstrated more false alarms for positive relative to neutral social cues. In autism, there were no changes in attention across age for social or non-social cues. Findings suggest reduced orienting to motivating cues during late adolescence and early adulthood in autism. The findings provide a unique perspective to explain the challenges for adolescents with autism transitioning to adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dienke J Bos
- The Sackler Institute for Developmental Psychobiology, Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Benjamin M Silver
- The Sackler Institute for Developmental Psychobiology, Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA
- The Center for Autism and the Developing Brain, Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Emily D Barnes
- The Sackler Institute for Developmental Psychobiology, Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA
- The Center for Autism and the Developing Brain, Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Eliana L Ajodan
- The Sackler Institute for Developmental Psychobiology, Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA
- The Center for Autism and the Developing Brain, Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Melanie R Silverman
- The Sackler Institute for Developmental Psychobiology, Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA
- The Center for Autism and the Developing Brain, Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Elysha Clark-Whitney
- The Sackler Institute for Developmental Psychobiology, Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA
- The Center for Autism and the Developing Brain, Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Thaddeus Tarpey
- Division of Biostatistics, Department of Population Health, NYU School of Medicine, 180 Madison Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Rebecca M Jones
- The Sackler Institute for Developmental Psychobiology, Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA
- The Center for Autism and the Developing Brain, Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA
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31
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Quantifying individual differences in brain morphometry underlying symptom severity in Autism Spectrum Disorders. Sci Rep 2019; 9:9898. [PMID: 31289283 PMCID: PMC6617442 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-45774-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2018] [Accepted: 06/14/2019] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The neurobiology of heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are still unclear. Despite extensive efforts, most findings are difficult to reproduce due to high levels of individual variance in phenotypic expression. To quantify individual differences in brain morphometry in ASD, we implemented a novel subject-level, distance-based method on subject-specific attributes. In a large multi-cohort sample, each subject with ASD (n = 100; n = 84 males; mean age: 11.43 years; mean IQ: 110.58) was strictly matched to a control participant (n = 100; n = 84 males; mean age: 11.43 years; mean IQ: 110.70). Intrapair Euclidean distance of MRI brain morphometry and symptom severity measures (Social Responsiveness Scale) were entered into a regularised machine learning pipeline for feature selection, with rigorous out-of-sample validation and permutation testing. Subject-specific structural morphometry features significantly predicted individual variation in ASD symptom severity (19 cortical thickness features, p = 0.01, n = 5000 permutations; 10 surface area features, p = 0.006, n = 5000 permutations). Findings remained robust across subjects and were replicated in validation samples. Identified cortical regions implicate key hubs of the salience and default mode networks as neuroanatomical features of social impairment in ASD. Present results highlight the importance of subject-level markers in ASD, and offer an important step forward in understanding the neurobiology of heterogeneous disorders.
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32
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Loh WY, Anderson PJ, Cheong JLY, Spittle AJ, Chen J, Lee KJ, Molesworth C, Inder TE, Connelly A, Doyle LW, Thompson DK. Longitudinal growth of the basal ganglia and thalamus in very preterm children. Brain Imaging Behav 2019; 14:998-1011. [DOI: 10.1007/s11682-019-00057-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
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33
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Lin CW, Lin HY, Lo YC, Chen YJ, Hsu YC, Chen YL, Tseng WYI, Gau SSF. Alterations in white matter microstructure and regional volume are related to motor functions in boys with autism spectrum disorder. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2019; 90:76-83. [PMID: 30452942 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2018.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2018] [Revised: 11/01/2018] [Accepted: 11/15/2018] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Altered inter-regional structural connectivity related to higher cognitive functions has been commonly reported in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, whether these alterations similarly involve cortico-cerebellar motor circuitries remains largely elusive. METHODS Using a cross-modality approach accounting for in-scanner motion levels, we investigated white matter (WM) properties in motor circuits of 55 boys with ASD (aged 8-18 years) and 68 age-matched typically developing boys. Regional WM volumes in the primary motor, supplementary motor, somatosensory, and cerebellar areas were investigated using voxel-based morphometry. Diffusion spectrum imaging tractography was used to estimate WM integrity of the corticospinal, cortico-ponto-cerebellar (including fronto-ponto-cerebellar and parieto-ponto-cerebellar), and dentato-rubro-thalamo-cortical tracts. The reaction time test in the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery was used to assess motor performances. RESULTS Boys with ASD had shorter movement time, increased WM volumes in the left somatosensory area, but decreased generalized fractional anisotropy value in the left parieto-ponto-cerebellar tract, compared to controls. A positive correlation between movement time and microstructural properties of the left parieto-ponto-cerebellar tract was found in boys with ASD. CONCLUSIONS As the first study to demonstrate altered WM properties in the left somatosensory area, and its descending pathway connecting to the cerebellum in ASD, current results may highlight a potential new target of interventions for motor performance in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chia-Wei Lin
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, National Taiwan University Hospital, Hsin-Chu Branch, Hsin-Chu, Taiwan
| | - Hsiang-Yuan Lin
- Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital, and College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Chun Lo
- Institute of Medical Device and Imaging, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Jen Chen
- Institute of Medical Device and Imaging, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yung-Chin Hsu
- Institute of Medical Device and Imaging, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Lung Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital, and College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan; Institute of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Wen-Yih Isaac Tseng
- Institute of Medical Device and Imaging, National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
| | - Susan Shur-Fen Gau
- Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital, and College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan; Institute of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
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34
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Chen H, Uddin LQ, Guo X, Wang J, Wang R, Wang X, Duan X, Chen H. Parsing brain structural heterogeneity in males with autism spectrum disorder reveals distinct clinical subtypes. Hum Brain Mapp 2018; 40:628-637. [PMID: 30251763 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.24400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2018] [Revised: 09/02/2018] [Accepted: 09/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with considerable neuroanatomical heterogeneity. Thus, how and to what extent the brains of individuals with ASD differ from each other is still unclear. In this study, brain structural MRI data from 356 right-handed, male subjects with ASD and 403 right-handed male healthy controls were selected from the Autism Brain Image Data Exchange database (age range 5-35 years old). Voxel-based morphometry preprocessing steps were conducted to compute the gray matter volume maps for each subject. Individual neuroanatomical difference patterns for each ASD individual were calculated. A data-driven clustering method was next utilized to stratify individuals with ASD into several subtypes. Whole-brain functional connectivity and clinical severity were compared among individuals within the ASD subtypes identified. A searchlight analysis was applied to determine whether subtyping ASD could improve the classification accuracy between ASD and healthy controls. Three ASD subtypes with distinct neuroanatomical difference patterns were revealed. Different degrees of clinical severity and atypical brain functional connectivity patterns were observed among these three subtypes. By dividing ASD into three subtypes, the classification accuracy between subjects of two out of the three subtypes and healthy controls was improved. The current study confirms that ASD is not a disorder with a uniform neuroanatomical signature. Understanding neuroanatomical heterogeneity in ASD could help to explain divergent patterns of clinical severity and outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heng Chen
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.,School of Life Science and Technology, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.,School of Medicine, Guizhou University, Guizhou, China
| | - Lucina Q Uddin
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida
| | - Xiaonan Guo
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.,School of Life Science and Technology, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Jia Wang
- Department of Children's and Adolescent Health, Public Health College of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Runshi Wang
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.,School of Life Science and Technology, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiaomin Wang
- Department of Children's and Adolescent Health, Public Health College of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Xujun Duan
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.,School of Life Science and Technology, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Huafu Chen
- The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Lab for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.,School of Life Science and Technology, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
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35
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Wang X, Kery R, Xiong Q. Synaptopathology in autism spectrum disorders: Complex effects of synaptic genes on neural circuits. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2018; 84:398-415. [PMID: 28986278 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2017.09.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2017] [Revised: 09/05/2017] [Accepted: 09/26/2017] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Xinxing Wang
- Department of Neurobiology & Behavior, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Rachel Kery
- Department of Neurobiology & Behavior, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA; Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP), Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Qiaojie Xiong
- Department of Neurobiology & Behavior, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA.
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36
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Neural correlates of impaired self-regulation in male youths with autism spectrum disorder: A voxel-based morphometry study. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2018; 82:233-241. [PMID: 29129723 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2017.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2017] [Revised: 11/01/2017] [Accepted: 11/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Although recent studies revealed impaired self-regulation (dysregulation) in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), neural correlates of dysregulation and its impacts on autistic neuroanatomy remain unclear. Voxel-based morphometry was applied on structural MRI images in 81 ASD and 61 typically developing (TD) boys aged 7-17years. Dysregulation was defined by the sum of T-scores of Attention, Aggression, and Anxiety/Depression subscales in the Child Behavior Checklist>180. There were 53 and 28 boys in the ASD+Dysregulation and ASD-Dysregulation groups, respectively. First, we compared regional gray matter (GM) volume for ASD and TD. Second, we investigated regional GM volumetric differences among the ASD+Dysregulation, ASD-Dysregulation and TD groups. Lastly, shared and distinct neurostructural correlates of dysregulation were investigated in the ASD and TD groups. The ASD-TD difference on neuroanatomy no longer existed after controlling the dysregulation severity. ASD+Dysregulation had larger regional GM volumes in the right fusiform gyrus, and smaller GM volumes in the anterior prefrontal cortex than ASD-Dysregulation and TD, respectively. ASD+Dysregulation had smaller GM volumes in the left lateral occipital/superior parietal cortex than TD boys. No GM difference was identified between ASD-Dysregulation and TD. ASD and TD had a shared association between GM volumes in the orbitofrontal cortex and dysregulation levels. Our findings suggest that atypical neuroanatomy associated with ASD might partially reflect a disproportionate level of impaired self-regulation. Categorical and dimensional considerations of dysregulation should be implemented in future ASD studies.
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37
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McLaughlin K, Travers BG, Dadalko OI, Dean DC, Tromp D, Adluru N, Destiche D, Freeman A, Prigge MD, Froehlich A, Duffield T, Zielinski BA, Bigler ED, Lange N, Anderson JS, Alexander AL, Lainhart JE. Longitudinal development of thalamic and internal capsule microstructure in autism spectrum disorder. Autism Res 2018; 11:450-462. [PMID: 29251836 PMCID: PMC5867209 DOI: 10.1002/aur.1909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2017] [Revised: 11/22/2017] [Accepted: 11/28/2017] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
The thalamus is a key sensorimotor relay area that is implicated in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, it is unknown how the thalamus and white-matter structures that contain thalamo-cortical fiber connections (e.g., the internal capsule) develop from childhood into adulthood and whether this microstructure relates to basic motor challenges in ASD. We used diffusion weighted imaging in a cohort-sequential design to assess longitudinal development of the thalamus, and posterior- and anterior-limbs of the internal capsule (PLIC and ALIC, respectively) in 89 males with ASD and 56 males with typical development (3-41 years; all verbal). Our results showed that the group with ASD exhibited different developmental trajectories of microstructure in all regions, demonstrating childhood group differences that appeared to approach and, in some cases, surpass the typically developing group in adolescence and adulthood. The PLIC (but not ALIC nor thalamus) mediated the relation between age and finger-tapping speed in both groups. Yet, the gap in finger-tapping speed appeared to widen at the same time that the between-group gap in the PLIC appeared to narrow. Overall, these results suggest that childhood group differences in microstructure of the thalamus and PLIC become less robust in adolescence and adulthood. Further, finger-tapping speed appears to be mediated by the PLIC in both groups, but group differences in motor speed that widen during adolescence and adulthood suggest that factors beyond the microstructure of the thalamus and internal capsule may contribute to atypical motor profiles in ASD. Autism Res 2018, 11: 450-462. © 2017 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY Microstructure of the thalamus, a key sensory and motor brain area, appears to develop differently in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Microstructure is important because it informs us of the density and organization of different brain tissues. During childhood, thalamic microstructure was distinct in the ASD group compared to the typically developing group. However, these group differences appeared to narrow with age, suggesting that the thalamus continues to dynamically change in ASD into adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Brittany G. Travers
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Occupational Therapy Program in Kinesiology, University of Wisconsin-Madison
| | | | | | - Do Tromp
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison
| | | | | | | | - Molly D. Prigge
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Pediatrics, University of Utah
| | | | - Tyler Duffield
- Psychology/Neuroscience Center, Brigham Young University
| | | | - Erin D. Bigler
- Psychology/Neuroscience Center, Brigham Young University
| | | | | | - Andrew L. Alexander
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison
| | - Janet E. Lainhart
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison
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38
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Chiang HL, Kao WC, Chou MC, Chou WJ, Chiu YN, Wu YY, Gau SSF. School dysfunction in youth with autistic spectrum disorder in Taiwan: The effect of subtype and ADHD. Autism Res 2018; 11:857-869. [DOI: 10.1002/aur.1923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2016] [Revised: 10/26/2017] [Accepted: 12/27/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Huey-Ling Chiang
- Department of Psychiatry; National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine; Taipei Taiwan
- Department of Psychiatry; Far Eastern Memorial Hospital; New Taipei City Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University; Taipei Taiwan
| | - Wei-Chih Kao
- Department of Psychiatry; National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine; Taipei Taiwan
| | - Mei-Chun Chou
- Department of Child Psychiatry; Chang Gung Memorial Hospital-Kaohsiung Medical Center, Chang Gung University College of Medicine; Kaohsiung Taiwan
| | - Wen-June Chou
- Department of Child Psychiatry; Chang Gung Memorial Hospital-Kaohsiung Medical Center, Chang Gung University College of Medicine; Kaohsiung Taiwan
| | - Yen-Nan Chiu
- Department of Psychiatry; National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine; Taipei Taiwan
| | - Yu-Yu Wu
- Department of Psychiatry; Chang Gung Memorial Hospital-Linkou; Taoyuan Taiwan
| | - Susan Shur-Fen Gau
- Department of Psychiatry; National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine; Taipei Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University; Taipei Taiwan
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39
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Adorjan I, Ahmed B, Feher V, Torso M, Krug K, Esiri M, Chance SA, Szele FG. Calretinin interneuron density in the caudate nucleus is lower in autism spectrum disorder. Brain 2017; 140:2028-2040. [PMID: 29177493 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awx131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2016] [Accepted: 04/18/2017] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder is a debilitating condition with possible neurodevelopmental origins but unknown neuroanatomical correlates. Whereas investigators have paid much attention to the cerebral cortex, few studies have detailed the basal ganglia in autism. The caudate nucleus may be involved in the repetitive movements and limbic changes of autism. We used immunohistochemistry for calretinin and neuropeptide Y in 24 age- and gender-matched patients with autism spectrum disorder and control subjects ranging in age from 13 to 69 years. Patients with autism had a 35% lower density of calretinin+ interneurons in the caudate that was driven by loss of small calretinin+ neurons. This was not caused by altered size of the caudate, as its cross-sectional surface areas were similar between diagnostic groups. Controls exhibited an age-dependent increase in the density of medium and large calretinin+ neurons, whereas subjects with autism did not. Diagnostic groups did not differ regarding ionized calcium-binding adapter molecule 1+ immunoreactivity for microglia, suggesting chronic inflammation did not cause the decreased calretinin+ density. There was no statistically significant difference in the density of neuropeptide Y+ neurons between subjects with autism and controls. The decreased calretinin+ density may disrupt the excitation/inhibition balance in the caudate leading to dysfunctional corticostriatal circuits. The description of such changes in autism spectrum disorder may clarify pathomechanisms and thereby help identify targets for drug intervention and novel therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Istvan Adorjan
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Bashir Ahmed
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Virginia Feher
- Department of Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Mario Torso
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Kristine Krug
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Margaret Esiri
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Steven A Chance
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Francis G Szele
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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40
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Olivito G, Lupo M, Laghi F, Clausi S, Baiocco R, Cercignani M, Bozzali M, Leggio M. Lobular patterns of cerebellar resting-state connectivity in adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Eur J Neurosci 2017; 47:729-735. [DOI: 10.1111/ejn.13752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2016] [Revised: 10/06/2017] [Accepted: 10/09/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Giusy Olivito
- Ataxia Laboratory; IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation; Via Ardeatina 306 00179 Rome Italy
- Neuroimaging Laboratory; IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation; Rome Italy
| | - Michela Lupo
- Ataxia Laboratory; IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation; Via Ardeatina 306 00179 Rome Italy
| | - Fiorenzo Laghi
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology; Faculty of Medicine and Psychology; “Sapienza” University of Rome; Rome Italy
| | - Silvia Clausi
- Ataxia Laboratory; IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation; Via Ardeatina 306 00179 Rome Italy
- Department of Psychology; Faculty of Medicine and Psychology; “Sapienza” University of Rome; Rome Italy
| | - Roberto Baiocco
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology; Faculty of Medicine and Psychology; “Sapienza” University of Rome; Rome Italy
| | - Mara Cercignani
- Neuroimaging Laboratory; IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation; Rome Italy
- Clinical Imaging Sciences Centre; Brighton and Sussex Medical School; University of Sussex; Brighton UK
| | - Marco Bozzali
- Neuroimaging Laboratory; IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation; Rome Italy
- Clinical Imaging Sciences Centre; Brighton and Sussex Medical School; University of Sussex; Brighton UK
| | - Maria Leggio
- Ataxia Laboratory; IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation; Via Ardeatina 306 00179 Rome Italy
- Department of Psychology; Faculty of Medicine and Psychology; “Sapienza” University of Rome; Rome Italy
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41
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Padmanabhan A, Lynch CJ, Schaer M, Menon V. The Default Mode Network in Autism. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2017; 2:476-486. [PMID: 29034353 PMCID: PMC5635856 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2017.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 134] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by deficits in social communication and interaction. Since its discovery as a major functional brain system, the default mode network (DMN) has been implicated in a number of psychiatric disorders, including ASD. Here we review converging multimodal evidence for DMN dysfunction in the context of specific components of social cognitive dysfunction in ASD: 'self-referential processing' - the ability to process social information relative to oneself and 'theory of mind' or 'mentalizing' - the ability to infer the mental states such as beliefs, intentions, and emotions of others. We show that altered functional and structural organization of the DMN, and its atypical developmental trajectory, are prominent neurobiological features of ASD. We integrate findings on atypical cytoarchitectonic organization and imbalance in excitatory-inhibitory circuits, which alter local and global brain signaling, to scrutinize putative mechanisms underlying DMN dysfunction in ASD. Our synthesis of the extant literature suggests that aberrancies in key nodes of the DMN and their dynamic functional interactions contribute to atypical integration of information about the self in relation to 'other', as well as impairments in the ability to flexibly attend to socially relevant stimuli. We conclude by highlighting open questions for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aarthi Padmanabhan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
| | | | - Marie Schaer
- University of Geneva, Department of Psychiatry, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Vinod Menon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
- Program in Neuroscience, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
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42
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Wang J, Fu K, Chen L, Duan X, Guo X, Chen H, Wu Q, Xia W, Wu L, Chen H. Increased Gray Matter Volume and Resting-State Functional Connectivity in Somatosensory Cortex and their Relationship with Autistic Symptoms in Young Boys with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Front Physiol 2017; 8:588. [PMID: 28861001 PMCID: PMC5559537 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2017.00588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2017] [Accepted: 07/31/2017] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been widely recognized as a complex neurodevelopmental disorder. A large number of neuroimaging studies suggest abnormalities in brain structure and function of patients with ASD, but there is still no consistent conclusion. We sought to investigate both of the structural and functional brain changes in 3–7-year-old children with ASD compared with typically developing controls (TDs), and to assess whether these alterations are associated with autistic behavioral symptoms. Firstly, we applied an optimized method of voxel-based morphometry (VBM) analysis on structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI) data to assess the differences of gray matter volume (GMV) between 31 autistic boys aged 3–7 and 31 age- and handness-matched male TDs. Secondly, we used clusters with between-group differences as seed regions to generate intrinsic functional connectivity maps based on resting-state functional connectivity magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fcMRI) in order to evaluate the functional impairments induced by structural alterations. Brain-behavior correlations were assessed among GMV, functional connectivity and symptom severity in children with ASD. VBM analyses revealed increased GMV in left superior temporal gyrus (STG) and left postcentral gyrus (PCG) in ASD children, comparing with TDs. Using left PCG as a seed region, ASD children displayed significantly higher positive connectivity with right angular gyrus (AG) and greater negative connectivity with right superior parietal gyrus (SPG) and right superior occipital gyrus (SOG), which were associated with the severity of symptoms in social interaction, communication and self-care ability. We suggest that stronger functional connectivity between left PCG and right AG, SPG, and SOG detected in young boys with ASD may serve as important indicators of disease severity. Our study provided preliminary functional evidence that may underlie impaired higher-order multisensory integration in ASD children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Wang
- Department of Children's and Adolescent Health, Public Health College of Harbin Medical UniversityHarbin, China
| | - Kuang Fu
- Department of MR Diagnosis, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical UniversityHarbin, China
| | - Lei Chen
- Department of Children's and Adolescent Health, Public Health College of Harbin Medical UniversityHarbin, China
| | - Xujun Duan
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology and Center for Information in BioMedicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaChengdu, China
| | - Xiaonan Guo
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology and Center for Information in BioMedicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaChengdu, China
| | - Heng Chen
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology and Center for Information in BioMedicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaChengdu, China
| | - Qiong Wu
- Department of MR Diagnosis, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical UniversityHarbin, China
| | - Wei Xia
- Department of Children's and Adolescent Health, Public Health College of Harbin Medical UniversityHarbin, China
| | - Lijie Wu
- Department of Children's and Adolescent Health, Public Health College of Harbin Medical UniversityHarbin, China
| | - Huafu Chen
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology and Center for Information in BioMedicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of ChinaChengdu, China
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43
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Multi-scale radiomic analysis of sub-cortical regions in MRI related to autism, gender and age. Sci Rep 2017; 7:45639. [PMID: 28361913 PMCID: PMC5374503 DOI: 10.1038/srep45639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2016] [Accepted: 02/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
We propose using multi-scale image textures to investigate links between neuroanatomical regions and clinical variables in MRI. Texture features are derived at multiple scales of resolution based on the Laplacian-of-Gaussian (LoG) filter. Three quantifier functions (Average, Standard Deviation and Entropy) are used to summarize texture statistics within standard, automatically segmented neuroanatomical regions. Significance tests are performed to identify regional texture differences between ASD vs. TDC and male vs. female groups, as well as correlations with age (corrected p < 0.05). The open-access brain imaging data exchange (ABIDE) brain MRI dataset is used to evaluate texture features derived from 31 brain regions from 1112 subjects including 573 typically developing control (TDC, 99 females, 474 males) and 539 Autism spectrum disorder (ASD, 65 female and 474 male) subjects. Statistically significant texture differences between ASD vs. TDC groups are identified asymmetrically in the right hippocampus, left choroid-plexus and corpus callosum (CC), and symmetrically in the cerebellar white matter. Sex-related texture differences in TDC subjects are found in primarily in the left amygdala, left cerebellar white matter, and brain stem. Correlations between age and texture in TDC subjects are found in the thalamus-proper, caudate and pallidum, most exhibiting bilateral symmetry.
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44
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Lin HY, Tseng WYI, Lai MC, Chang YT, Gau SSF. Shared atypical brain anatomy and intrinsic functional architecture in male youth with autism spectrum disorder and their unaffected brothers. Psychol Med 2017; 47:639-654. [PMID: 27825394 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291716002695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a highly heritable neurodevelopmental disorder, yet the search for definite genetic etiologies remains elusive. Delineating ASD endophenotypes can boost the statistical power to identify the genetic etiologies and pathophysiology of ASD. We aimed to test for endophenotypes of neuroanatomy and associated intrinsic functional connectivity (iFC) via contrasting male youth with ASD, their unaffected brothers and typically developing (TD) males. METHOD The 94 participants (aged 9-19 years) - 20 male youth with ASD, 20 unaffected brothers and 54 TD males - received clinical assessments, and undertook structural and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scans. Voxel-based morphometry was performed to obtain regional gray and white matter volumes. A seed-based approach, with seeds defined by the regions demonstrating atypical neuroanatomy shared by youth with ASD and unaffected brothers, was implemented to derive iFC. General linear models were used to compare brain structures and iFC among the three groups. Assessment of familiality was investigated by permutation tests for variance of the within-family pair difference. RESULTS We found that atypical gray matter volume in the mid-cingulate cortex was shared between male youth with ASD and their unaffected brothers as compared with TD males. Moreover, reduced iFC between the mid-cingulate cortex and the right inferior frontal gyrus, and increased iFC between the mid-cingulate cortex and bilateral middle occipital gyrus were the shared features of male ASD youth and unaffected brothers. CONCLUSIONS Atypical neuroanatomy and iFC surrounding the mid-cingulate cortex may be a potential endophenotypic marker for ASD in males.
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Affiliation(s)
- H-Y Lin
- Department of Psychiatry,National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine,Taipei,Taiwan
| | - W-Y I Tseng
- Institute of Medical Devices and Imaging System,National Taiwan University College of Medicine,Taipei,Taiwan
| | - M-C Lai
- Department of Psychiatry,National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine,Taipei,Taiwan
| | - Y-T Chang
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research,Massachusetts Institute of Technology,Cambridge,MA,USA
| | - S S-F Gau
- Department of Psychiatry,National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine,Taipei,Taiwan
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45
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Lai MC, Lerch JP, Floris DL, Ruigrok AN, Pohl A, Lombardo MV, Baron-Cohen S. Imaging sex/gender and autism in the brain: Etiological implications. J Neurosci Res 2016; 95:380-397. [DOI: 10.1002/jnr.23948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2016] [Revised: 09/04/2016] [Accepted: 09/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Meng-Chuan Lai
- Child and Youth Mental Health Collaborative at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and the Hospital for Sick Children, Department of Psychiatry; University of Toronto; Toronto Ontario Canada
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry; University of Cambridge; Cambridge United Kingdom
- Department of Psychiatry; National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine; Taipei Taiwan
| | - Jason P. Lerch
- Mouse Imaging Centre, Hospital for Sick Children; Toronto Ontario Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics; University of Toronto; Toronto Ontario Canada
| | - Dorothea L. Floris
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry; University of Cambridge; Cambridge United Kingdom
- New York University Child Study Center; New York New York USA
| | - Amber N.V. Ruigrok
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry; University of Cambridge; Cambridge United Kingdom
| | - Alexa Pohl
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry; University of Cambridge; Cambridge United Kingdom
| | - Michael V. Lombardo
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry; University of Cambridge; Cambridge United Kingdom
- Department of Psychology and Center of Applied Neuroscience; University of Cyprus; Nicosia Cyprus
| | - Simon Baron-Cohen
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry; University of Cambridge; Cambridge United Kingdom
- CLASS Clinic, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust; Cambridge United Kingdom
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46
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Schuetze M, Park MTM, Cho IYK, MacMaster FP, Chakravarty MM, Bray SL. Morphological Alterations in the Thalamus, Striatum, and Pallidum in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Neuropsychopharmacology 2016; 41:2627-37. [PMID: 27125303 PMCID: PMC5026732 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2016.64] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2016] [Revised: 04/18/2016] [Accepted: 04/20/2016] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder with cognitive, motor, and emotional symptoms. The thalamus and basal ganglia form circuits with the cortex supporting all three of these behavioral domains. Abnormalities in the structure of subcortical regions may suggest atypical development of these networks, with implications for understanding the neural basis of ASD symptoms. Findings from previous volumetric studies have been inconsistent. Here, using advanced surface-based methodology, we investigated localized differences in shape and surface area in the basal ganglia and thalamus in ASD, using T1-weighted anatomical images from the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange (373 male participants aged 7-35 years with ASD and 384 typically developing). We modeled effects of diagnosis, age, and their interaction on volume, shape, and surface area. In participants with ASD, we found expanded surface area in the right posterior thalamus corresponding to the pulvinar nucleus, and a more concave shape in the left mediodorsal nucleus. The shape of both caudal putamen and pallidum showed a relatively steeper increase in concavity with age in ASD. Within ASD participants, restricted, repetitive behaviors were positively associated with surface area in bilateral globus pallidus. We found no differences in overall volume, suggesting that surface-based approaches have greater sensitivity to detect localized differences in subcortical structure. This work adds to a growing body of literature implicating corticobasal ganglia-thalamic circuits in the pathophysiology of ASD. These circuits subserve a range of cognitive, emotional, and motor functions, and may have a broad role in the complex symptom profile in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuela Schuetze
- Child and Adolescent Imaging Research (CAIR) Program, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada,Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada,Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada,Department of Neuroscience, University of Calgary, c/o Glenda Maru, 4th Floor, C4-100-07, Alberta Children's Hospital, 2888 Shaganappi Trail NW, Calgary, AB, Canada T3B 6A8, Tel: +1 403 955 2966, Fax: +1 403 955 2772, E-mail:
| | - Min Tae M Park
- Cerebral Imaging Centre, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada,Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Ivy YK Cho
- Child and Adolescent Imaging Research (CAIR) Program, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada,Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Frank P MacMaster
- Child and Adolescent Imaging Research (CAIR) Program, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada,Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada,Departments of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada,Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research and Education, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Calgary, AB, Canada,Strategic Clinical Network for Addictions and Mental Health, Alberta Health Services, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - M Mallar Chakravarty
- Cerebral Imaging Centre, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada,Departments of Psychiatry and Biomedical Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Signe L Bray
- Child and Adolescent Imaging Research (CAIR) Program, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada,Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada,Departments of Pediatrics and Radiology, University of Calgary, AB, Canada
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47
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Katuwal GJ, Baum SA, Cahill ND, Dougherty CC, Evans E, Evans DW, Moore GJ, Michael AM. Inter-Method Discrepancies in Brain Volume Estimation May Drive Inconsistent Findings in Autism. Front Neurosci 2016; 10:439. [PMID: 27746713 PMCID: PMC5043189 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2016.00439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2016] [Accepted: 09/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous studies applying automatic preprocessing methods on Structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging (sMRI) report inconsistent neuroanatomical abnormalities in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). In this study we investigate inter-method differences as a possible cause behind these inconsistent findings. In particular, we focus on the estimation of the following brain volumes: gray matter (GM), white matter (WM), cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and total intra cranial volume (TIV). T1-weighted sMRIs of 417 ASD subjects and 459 typically developing controls (TDC) from the ABIDE dataset were estimated using three popular preprocessing methods: SPM, FSL, and FreeSurfer (FS). Brain volumes estimated by the three methods were correlated but had significant inter-method differences; except TIVSPM vs. TIVFS, all inter-method differences were significant. ASD vs. TDC group differences in all brain volume estimates were dependent on the method used. SPM showed that TIV, GM, and CSF volumes of ASD were larger than TDC with statistical significance, whereas FS and FSL did not show significant differences in any of the volumes; in some cases, the direction of the differences were opposite to SPM. When methods were compared with each other, they showed differential biases for autism, and several biases were larger than ASD vs. TDC differences of the respective methods. After manual inspection, we found inter-method segmentation mismatches in the cerebellum, sub-cortical structures, and inter-sulcal CSF. In addition, to validate automated TIV estimates we performed manual segmentation on a subset of subjects. Results indicate that SPM estimates are closest to manual segmentation, followed by FS while FSL estimates were significantly lower. In summary, we show that ASD vs. TDC brain volume differences are method dependent and that these inter-method discrepancies can contribute to inconsistent neuroimaging findings in general. We suggest cross-validation across methods and emphasize the need to develop better methods to increase the robustness of neuroimaging findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gajendra J. Katuwal
- Autism and Developmental Medicine Institute, Geisinger Health SystemDanville, PA, USA
- Chester F. Carlson Center for Imaging Science, Rochester Institute of TechnologyRochester, NY, USA
| | - Stefi A. Baum
- Chester F. Carlson Center for Imaging Science, Rochester Institute of TechnologyRochester, NY, USA
- Faculty of Science, University of ManitobaWinnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Nathan D. Cahill
- School of Mathematical Sciences, Rochester Institute of TechnologyRochester, NY, USA
| | - Chase C. Dougherty
- Autism and Developmental Medicine Institute, Geisinger Health SystemDanville, PA, USA
| | - Eli Evans
- Autism and Developmental Medicine Institute, Geisinger Health SystemDanville, PA, USA
| | - David W. Evans
- Department of Psychology, Bucknell UniversityLewisburg, PA, USA
| | - Gregory J. Moore
- Autism and Developmental Medicine Institute, Geisinger Health SystemDanville, PA, USA
- Institute for Advanced Application, Geisinger Health SystemDanville, PA, USA
- Department of Radiology, Geisinger Health SystemDanville, PA, USA
| | - Andrew M. Michael
- Autism and Developmental Medicine Institute, Geisinger Health SystemDanville, PA, USA
- Chester F. Carlson Center for Imaging Science, Rochester Institute of TechnologyRochester, NY, USA
- Institute for Advanced Application, Geisinger Health SystemDanville, PA, USA
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48
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Chiang HL, Chen YJ, Lin HY, Tseng WYI, Gau SSF. Disorder-Specific Alteration in White Matter Structural Property in Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder Relative to Adults With ADHD and Adult Controls. Hum Brain Mapp 2016; 38:384-395. [PMID: 27630075 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.23367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2015] [Revised: 05/10/2016] [Accepted: 08/24/2016] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are not only often comorbid but also overlapped in behavioral and cognitive abnormalities. Little is known about whether these shared phenotypes are based on common or different underlying neuropathologies. Therefore, this study aims to examine the disorder-specific alterations in white matter (WM) structural property. METHOD The three comparison groups included 23 male adults with ASD (21.4 ± 3.1 years), 32 male adults with ADHD (23.4 ± 3.3 years), and 29 age-matched healthy male controls (22.4 ± 3.3 years). After acquisition of the diffusion spectrum imaging (DSI), whole brain tractography was reconstructed by a tract-based automatic analysis. Generalized fractional anisotropy (GFA) values were computed to indicate tract-specific WM property with adjusted P value < 0.05 for false discovery rate correction. RESULTS Post hoc analyses revealed that men with ASD exhibited significant lower GFA values than men with ADHD and male controls in six identified fiber tracts: the right arcuate fasciculus, right cingulum (hippocampal part), anterior commissure, and three callosal fibers (ventrolateral prefrontal cortex part, precentral part, superior temporal part). There was no significant difference in the GFA values of any of the fiber tracts between men with ADHD and controls. In men with ASD, the GFA values of the right arcuate fasciculus and right cingulum (hippocampal part) were negatively associated with autistic social-deficit symptoms, and the anterior commissure GFA value was positively correlated with intelligence. CONCLUSIONS This study highlights the disorder-specific alteration of the microstructural property of WM tracts in male adults with ASD. Hum Brain Mapp 38:384-395, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huey-Ling Chiang
- Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.,Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Psychiatry, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Jen Chen
- Institute of Medical Device and Imaging, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hsiang-Yuan Lin
- Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Wen-Yih Isaac Tseng
- Institute of Medical Device and Imaging, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Medical Imaging, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Susan Shur-Fen Gau
- Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.,Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Graduate Institute of Brain and Mind Sciences, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
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49
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Katuwal GJ, Baum SA, Cahill ND, Michael AM. Divide and Conquer: Sub-Grouping of ASD Improves ASD Detection Based on Brain Morphometry. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0153331. [PMID: 27065101 PMCID: PMC4827874 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0153331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2015] [Accepted: 03/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Low success (<60%) in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) classification using brain morphometry from the large multi-site ABIDE dataset and inconsistent findings on brain morphometric abnormalities in ASD can be attributed to the ASD heterogeneity. In this study, we show that ASD brain morphometry is highly heterogeneous, and demonstrate that the heterogeneity can be mitigated and classification improved if autism severity (AS), verbal IQ (VIQ) and age are used with morphometric features. Morphometric features from structural MRIs (sMRIs) of 734 males (ASD: 361, controls: 373) of ABIDE were derived using FreeSurfer. Applying the Random Forest classifier, an AUC of 0.61 was achieved. Adding VIQ and age to morphometric features, AUC improved to 0.68. Sub-grouping the subjects by AS, VIQ and age improved the classification with the highest AUC of 0.8 in the moderate-AS sub-group (AS = 7–8). Matching subjects on age and/or VIQ in each sub-group further improved the classification with the highest AUC of 0.92 in the low AS sub-group (AS = 4–5). AUC decreased with AS and VIQ, and was the lowest in the mid-age sub-group (13–18 years). The important features were mainly from the frontal, temporal, ventricular, right hippocampal and left amygdala regions. However, they highly varied with AS, VIQ and age. The curvature and folding index features from frontal, temporal, lingual and insular regions were dominant in younger subjects suggesting their importance for early detection. When the experiments were repeated using the Gradient Boosting classifier similar results were obtained. Our findings suggest that identifying brain biomarkers in sub-groups of ASD can yield more robust and insightful results than searching across the whole spectrum. Further, it may allow identification of sub-group specific brain biomarkers that are optimized for early detection and monitoring, increasing the utility of sMRI as an important tool for early detection of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gajendra J. Katuwal
- Autism and Developmental Medicine Institute, Geisinger Health System, Danville, PA, United States of America
- Chester F. Carlson Center for Imaging Science, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Stefi A. Baum
- Chester F. Carlson Center for Imaging Science, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY, United States of America
- Faculty of Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
| | - Nathan D. Cahill
- Chester F. Carlson Center for Imaging Science, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY, United States of America
- School of Mathematical Sciences, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY, United States of America
| | - Andrew M. Michael
- Autism and Developmental Medicine Institute, Geisinger Health System, Danville, PA, United States of America
- Chester F. Carlson Center for Imaging Science, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY, United States of America
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50
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Yang DYJ, Beam D, Pelphrey KA, Abdullahi S, Jou RJ. Cortical morphological markers in children with autism: a structural magnetic resonance imaging study of thickness, area, volume, and gyrification. Mol Autism 2016; 7:11. [PMID: 26816612 PMCID: PMC4727390 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-016-0076-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2015] [Accepted: 01/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have been characterized by altered cerebral cortical structures; however, the field has yet to identify consistent markers and prior studies have included mostly adolescents and adults. While there are multiple cortical morphological measures, including cortical thickness, surface area, cortical volume, and cortical gyrification, few single studies have examined all these measures. The current study analyzed all of the four measures and focused on pre-adolescent children with ASD. Methods We employed the FreeSurfer pipeline to examine surface-based morphometry in 60 high-functioning boys with ASD (mean age = 8.35 years, range = 4–12 years) and 41 gender-, age-, and IQ-matched typically developing (TD) peers (mean age = 8.83 years), while testing for age-by-diagnosis interaction and between-group differences. Results During childhood and in specific regions, ASD participants exhibited a lack of normative age-related cortical thinning and volumetric reduction and an abnormal age-related increase in gyrification. Regarding surface area, ASD and TD exhibited statistically comparable age-related development during childhood. Across childhood, ASD relative to TD participants tended to have higher mean levels of gyrification in specific regions. Within ASD, those with higher Social Responsiveness Scale total raw scores tended to have greater age-related increase in gyrification in specific regions during childhood. Conclusions ASD is characterized by cortical neuroanatomical abnormalities that are age-, measure-, statistical model-, and region-dependent. The current study is the first to examine the development of all four cortical measures in one of the largest pre-adolescent samples. Strikingly, Neurosynth-based quantitative reverse inference of the surviving clusters suggests that many of the regions identified above are related to social perception, language, self-referential, and action observation networks—those frequently found to be functionally altered in individuals with ASD. The comprehensive, multilevel analyses across a wide range of cortical measures help fill a knowledge gap and present a complex but rich picture of neuroanatomical developmental differences in children with ASD. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13229-016-0076-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Y-J Yang
- Center for Translational Developmental Neuroscience, Child Study Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT USA
| | - Danielle Beam
- Center for Translational Developmental Neuroscience, Child Study Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT USA
| | - Kevin A Pelphrey
- Center for Translational Developmental Neuroscience, Child Study Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT USA
| | - Sebiha Abdullahi
- Center for Translational Developmental Neuroscience, Child Study Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT USA
| | - Roger J Jou
- Center for Translational Developmental Neuroscience, Child Study Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT USA
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