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Andrews DS, Diers K, Lee JK, Harvey DJ, Heath B, Cordero D, Rogers SJ, Reuter M, Solomon M, Amaral DG, Nordahl CW. Sex differences in trajectories of cortical development in autistic children from 2-13 years of age. Mol Psychiatry 2024:10.1038/s41380-024-02592-8. [PMID: 38755243 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02592-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Revised: 04/30/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
Previous studies have reported alterations in cortical thickness in autism. However, few have included enough autistic females to determine if there are sex specific differences in cortical structure in autism. This longitudinal study aimed to investigate autistic sex differences in cortical thickness and trajectory of cortical thinning across childhood. Participants included 290 autistic (88 females) and 139 nonautistic (60 females) individuals assessed at up to 4 timepoints spanning ~2-13 years of age (918 total MRI timepoints). Estimates of cortical thickness in early and late childhood as well as the trajectory of cortical thinning were modeled using spatiotemporal linear mixed effects models of age-by-sex-by-diagnosis. Additionally, the spatial correspondence between cortical maps of sex-by-diagnosis differences and neurotypical sex differences were evaluated. Relative to their nonautistic peers, autistic females had more extensive cortical differences than autistic males. These differences involved multiple functional networks, and were mainly characterized by thicker cortex at ~3 years of age and faster cortical thinning in autistic females. Cortical regions in which autistic alterations were different between the sexes significantly overlapped with regions that differed by sex in neurotypical development. Autistic females and males demonstrated some shared differences in cortical thickness and rate of cortical thinning across childhood relative to their nonautistic peers, however these areas were relatively small compared to the widespread differences observed across the sexes. These results support evidence of sex-specific neurobiology in autism and suggest that processes that regulate sex differentiation in the neurotypical brain contribute to sex differences in the etiology of autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derek S Andrews
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, the MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, CA, USA.
| | - Kersten Diers
- AI in Medical Imaging, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Bonn, Germany
| | - Joshua K Lee
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, the MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Danielle J Harvey
- Division of Biostatistics, Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Brianna Heath
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, the MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Devani Cordero
- A.A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Sally J Rogers
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, the MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Martin Reuter
- AI in Medical Imaging, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Bonn, Germany
- A.A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Marjorie Solomon
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, the MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - David G Amaral
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, the MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Christine Wu Nordahl
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, the MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
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Waizbard-Bartov E, Ferrer E, Heath B, Andrews DS, Rogers S, Kerns CM, Wu Nordahl C, Solomon M, Amaral DG. Changes in the severity of autism symptom domains are related to mental health challenges during middle childhood. Autism 2024; 28:1216-1230. [PMID: 37691349 PMCID: PMC10924781 DOI: 10.1177/13623613231195108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
LAY ABSTRACT For many autistic children, the severity of their autism symptoms changes during middle childhood. We studied whether these changes are associated with the emergence of other mental health challenges such as anxiety and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Children who had increased social-communication challenges had more anxiety and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms and disruptive behavior problems than other children. Children who decreased their restricted and repetitive behaviors, on the contrary, had more anxiety. We discuss why these changes in autism symptoms may lead to increases in other mental health concerns.
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Lee JK, Cho ACB, Andrews DS, Ozonoff S, Rogers SJ, Amaral DG, Solomon M, Nordahl CW. Default mode and fronto-parietal network associations with IQ development across childhood in autism. J Neurodev Disord 2022; 14:51. [PMID: 36109700 PMCID: PMC9479280 DOI: 10.1186/s11689-022-09460-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Intellectual disability affects approximately one third of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (autism). Yet, a major unresolved neurobiological question is what differentiates autistic individuals with and without intellectual disability. Intelligence quotients (IQs) are highly variable during childhood. We previously identified three subgroups of autistic children with different trajectories of intellectual development from early (2–3½ years) to middle childhood (9–12 years): (a) persistently high: individuals whose IQs remained in the normal range; (b) persistently low: individuals whose IQs remained in the range of intellectual disability (IQ < 70); and (c) changers: individuals whose IQs began in the range of intellectual disability but increased to the normal IQ range. The frontoparietal (FPN) and default mode (DMN) networks have established links to intellectual functioning. Here, we tested whether brain regions within the FPN and DMN differed volumetrically between these IQ trajectory groups in early childhood. Methods We conducted multivariate distance matrix regression to examine the brain regions within the FPN (11 regions x 2 hemispheres) and the DMN (12 regions x 2 hemispheres) in 48 persistently high (18 female), 108 persistently low (32 female), and 109 changers (39 female) using structural MRI acquired at baseline. FPN and DMN regions were defined using networks identified in Smith et al. (Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 106:13040–5, 2009). IQ trajectory groups were defined by IQ measurements from up to three time points spanning early to middle childhood (mean age time 1: 3.2 years; time 2: 5.4 years; time 3: 11.3 years). Results The changers group exhibited volumetric differences in the DMN compared to both the persistently low and persistently high groups at time 1. However, the persistently high group did not differ from the persistently low group, suggesting that DMN structure may be an early predictor for change in IQ trajectory. In contrast, the persistently high group exhibited differences in the FPN compared to both the persistently low and changers groups, suggesting differences related more to concurrent IQ and the absence of intellectual disability. Conclusions Within autism, volumetric differences of brain regions within the DMN in early childhood may differentiate individuals with persistently low IQ from those with low IQ that improves through childhood. Structural differences in brain networks between these three IQ-based subgroups highlight distinct neural underpinnings of these autism sub-phenotypes. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s11689-022-09460-y.
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Zielinski BA, Andrews DS, Lee JK, Solomon M, Rogers SJ, Heath B, Nordahl CW, Amaral DG. Sex-dependent structure of socioemotional salience, executive control, and default mode networks in preschool-aged children with autism. Neuroimage 2022; 257:119252. [PMID: 35500808 PMCID: PMC11107798 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2021] [Revised: 03/12/2022] [Accepted: 04/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The structure of large-scale intrinsic connectivity networks is atypical in adolescents diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD or autism). However, the degree to which alterations occur in younger children, and whether these differences vary by sex, is unknown. We utilized structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data from a sex- and age- matched sample of 122 autistic and 122 typically developing (TD) children (2-4 years old) to investigate differences in underlying network structure in preschool-aged autistic children within three large scale intrinsic connectivity networks implicated in ASD: the Socioemotional Salience, Executive Control, and Default Mode Networks. Utilizing structural covariance MRI (scMRI), we report network-level differences in autistic versus TD children, and further report preliminary findings of sex-dependent differences within network topology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon A Zielinski
- Departments of Pediatrics and Neurology, University of Utah School of Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
| | - Derek S Andrews
- The Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (MIND) Institute and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UC Davis School of Medicine, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Joshua K Lee
- The Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (MIND) Institute and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UC Davis School of Medicine, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Marjorie Solomon
- The Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (MIND) Institute and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UC Davis School of Medicine, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Sally J Rogers
- The Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (MIND) Institute and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UC Davis School of Medicine, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Brianna Heath
- The Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (MIND) Institute and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UC Davis School of Medicine, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Christine Wu Nordahl
- The Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (MIND) Institute and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UC Davis School of Medicine, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - David G Amaral
- The Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (MIND) Institute and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UC Davis School of Medicine, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA
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Lee JK, Andrews DS, Ozturk A, Solomon M, Rogers S, Amaral DG, Nordahl CW. Altered Development of Amygdala-Connected Brain Regions in Males and Females with Autism. J Neurosci 2022; 42:6145-6155. [PMID: 35760533 PMCID: PMC9351637 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0053-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Revised: 04/30/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Altered amygdala development is implicated in the neurobiology of autism, but little is known about the coordinated development of the brain regions directly connected with the amygdala. Here we investigated the volumetric development of an amygdala-connected network, defined as the set of brain regions with monosynaptic connections with the amygdala, in autism from early to middle childhood. A total of 950 longitudinal structural MRI scans were acquired from 282 children (93 female) with autism and 128 children with typical development (61 female) at up to four time points (mean ages: 39, 52, 64, and 137 months, respectively). Volumes from 32 amygdala-connected brain regions were examined using mixed effects multivariate distance matrix regression. The Social Responsiveness Scale-2 was administered to assess degree of autistic traits and social impairments. The amygdala-connected network exhibited persistent diagnostic differences (p values ≤ 0.03) that increased over time (p values ≤ 0.02). These differences were most prominent in autistics with more impacted social functioning at baseline. This pattern was not observed across regions without monosynaptic amygdala connection. We observed qualitative sex differences. In males, the bilateral subgenual anterior cingulate cortices were most affected, while in females the left fusiform and superior temporal gyri were most affected. In conclusion, (1) autism is associated with widespread alterations to the development of brain regions connected with the amygdala, which were associated with autistic social behaviors; and (2) autistic males and females exhibited different patterns of alterations, adding to a growing body of evidence of sex differences in the neurobiology of autism.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Global patterns of development across brain regions with monosynaptic connection to the amygdala differentiate autism from typical development, and are modulated by social functioning in early childhood. Alterations to brain regions within the amygdala-connected network differed in males and females with autism. Results also indicate larger volumetric differences in regions having monosynaptic connection with the amygdala than in regions without monosynaptic connection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua K Lee
- MIND Institute, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California 95817
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
| | - Derek S Andrews
- MIND Institute, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California 95817
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
| | - Arzu Ozturk
- Department of Radiology, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California 95817
| | - Marjorie Solomon
- MIND Institute, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California 95817
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
| | - Sally Rogers
- MIND Institute, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California 95817
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
| | - David G Amaral
- MIND Institute, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California 95817
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
| | - Christine Wu Nordahl
- MIND Institute, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California 95817
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
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Floris DL, Andrews DS. Differences in Degree and Form. Biol Psychiatry Cogn Neurosci Neuroimaging 2021; 6:851-853. [PMID: 34507628 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2021.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Revised: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dorothea L Floris
- Methods of Plasticity Research, Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; 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.
| | - Derek S Andrews
- Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders Institute and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California Davis, Sacramento, California
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Lee JK, Andrews DS, Ozonoff S, Solomon M, Rogers S, Amaral DG, Nordahl CW. Longitudinal Evaluation of Cerebral Growth Across Childhood in Boys and Girls With Autism Spectrum Disorder. Biol Psychiatry 2021; 90:286-294. [PMID: 33388135 PMCID: PMC8089123 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2020.10.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2020] [Revised: 09/09/2020] [Accepted: 10/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cerebral overgrowth is frequently reported in children but not in adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This suggests that early cerebral overgrowth is followed by normalization of cerebral volumes. However, this notion is predicated on cross-sectional research that is vulnerable to sampling bias. For example, autistic individuals with disproportionate megalencephaly, a subgroup with higher rates of intellectual disability and larger cerebral volumes, may be underrepresented in studies of adolescents and adults. Furthermore, extant studies have cohorts that are predominately male, thus limiting knowledge of cerebral growth in females with ASD. METHODS Growth of total cerebral volume, gray matter (GM) volume, and white matter volume as well as proportion of GM to total cerebral volume were examined in a longitudinal sample comprising 273 boys (199 with ASD) scanned at up to four time points (mean ages = 38, 50, 64, and 137 months, respectively) and 156 girls (95 with ASD) scanned at up to three time points (mean ages = 39, 53, and 65 months, respectively) using mixed-effects modeling. RESULTS In boys with ASD, cerebral overgrowth in the ASD with disproportionate megalencephaly subgroup was predominately driven by increases in GM and persisted throughout childhood without evidence of volumetric regression or normalization. In girls with ASD, cerebral volumes were similar to those in typically developing girls, but growth trajectories of GM and white matter were slower throughout early childhood. The proportion of GM to total cerebral volume declined with age at a slower rate in autistic boys and girls relative to typically developing control subjects. CONCLUSIONS Longitudinal evidence does not support the notion that early brain overgrowth is followed by volumetric regression, at least from early to late childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua K. Lee
- MIND Institute, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, USA;,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Derek S. Andrews
- MIND Institute, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, USA;,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Sally Ozonoff
- MIND Institute, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, USA;,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Marjorie Solomon
- MIND Institute, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, USA;,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Sally Rogers
- MIND Institute, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, USA;,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - David G. Amaral
- MIND Institute, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, USA;,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Christine Wu Nordahl
- MIND Institute, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California.
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Godel M, Andrews DS, Amaral DG, Ozonoff S, Young GS, Lee JK, Wu Nordahl C, Schaer M. Altered Gray-White Matter Boundary Contrast in Toddlers at Risk for Autism Relates to Later Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:669194. [PMID: 34220428 PMCID: PMC8248433 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.669194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent neuroimaging studies have highlighted differences in cerebral maturation in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in comparison to typical development. For instance, the contrast of the gray-white matter boundary is decreased in adults with ASD. To determine how gray-white matter boundary integrity relates to early ASD phenotypes, we used a regional structural MRI index of gray-white matter contrast (GWC) on a sample of toddlers with a hereditary high risk for ASD. MATERIALS AND METHODS We used a surface-based approach to compute vertex-wise GWC in a longitudinal cohort of toddlers at high-risk for ASD imaged twice between 12 and 24 months (n = 20). A full clinical assessment of ASD-related symptoms was performed in conjunction with imaging and again at 3 years of age for diagnostic outcome. Three outcome groups were defined (ASD, n = 9; typical development, n = 8; non-typical development, n = 3). RESULTS ASD diagnostic outcome at age 3 was associated with widespread increases in GWC between age 12 and 24 months. Many cortical regions were affected, including regions implicated in social processing and language acquisition. In parallel, we found that early onset of ASD symptoms (i.e., prior to 18-months) was specifically associated with slower GWC rates of change during the second year of life. These alterations were found in areas mainly belonging to the central executive network. LIMITATIONS Our study is the first to measure maturational changes in GWC in toddlers who developed autism, but given the limited size of our sample results should be considered exploratory and warrant further replication in independent and larger samples. CONCLUSION These preliminary results suggest that ASD is linked to early alterations of the gray-white matter boundary in widespread brain regions. Early onset of ASD diagnosis constitutes an independent clinical parameter associated with a specific corresponding neurobiological developmental trajectory. Altered neural migration and/or altered myelination processes potentially explain these findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michel Godel
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva School of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Derek S. Andrews
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (MIND) Institute, UC Davis School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, United States
| | - David G. Amaral
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (MIND) Institute, UC Davis School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, United States
| | - Sally Ozonoff
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (MIND) Institute, UC Davis School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, United States
| | - Gregory S. Young
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (MIND) Institute, UC Davis School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, United States
| | - Joshua K. Lee
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (MIND) Institute, UC Davis School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, United States
| | - Christine Wu Nordahl
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (MIND) Institute, UC Davis School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, United States
| | - Marie Schaer
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva School of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland
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Bletsch A, Schäfer T, Mann C, Andrews DS, Daly E, Gudbrandsen M, Ruigrok ANV, Dallyn R, Romero-Garcia R, Lai MC, Lombardo MV, Craig MC, Suckling J, Bullmore ET, Baron-Cohen S, Murphy DGM, Dell'Acqua F, Ecker C. Atypical measures of diffusion at the gray-white matter boundary in autism spectrum disorder in adulthood. Hum Brain Mapp 2020; 42:467-484. [PMID: 33094897 PMCID: PMC7775996 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2020] [Revised: 09/08/2020] [Accepted: 09/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a highly complex neurodevelopmental condition that is accompanied by neuroanatomical differences on the macroscopic and microscopic level. Findings from histological, genetic, and more recently in vivo neuroimaging studies converge in suggesting that neuroanatomical abnormalities, specifically around the gray‐white matter (GWM) boundary, represent a crucial feature of ASD. However, no research has yet characterized the GWM boundary in ASD based on measures of diffusion. Here, we registered diffusion tensor imaging data to the structural T1‐weighted images of 92 adults with ASD and 92 matched neurotypical controls in order to examine between‐group differences and group‐by‐sex interactions in fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity sampled at the GWM boundary, and at different sampling depths within the superficial white and into the gray matter. As hypothesized, we observed atypical diffusion at and around the GWM boundary in ASD, with between‐group differences and group‐by‐sex interactions depending on tissue class and sampling depth. Furthermore, we identified that altered diffusion at the GWM boundary partially (i.e., ~50%) overlapped with atypical gray‐white matter tissue contrast in ASD. Our study thus replicates and extends previous work highlighting the GWM boundary as a crucial target of neuropathology in ASD, and guides future work elucidating etiological mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anke Bletsch
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Tim Schäfer
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Caroline Mann
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Derek S Andrews
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the M.I.N.D. Institute, University of California, Davis, California, USA
| | - Eileen Daly
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, and the Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College, London, UK
| | - Maria Gudbrandsen
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, and the Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College, London, UK
| | - Amber N V Ruigrok
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Robert Dallyn
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, and the Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College, London, UK
| | - Rafael Romero-Garcia
- Brain Mapping Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Meng-Chuan Lai
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and The Hospital for Sick Children, Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Michael V Lombardo
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Laboratory for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Michael C Craig
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, and the Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College, London, UK.,National Autism Unit, Bethlem Royal Hospital, London, UK
| | - John Suckling
- Brain Mapping Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Edward T Bullmore
- Brain Mapping Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Simon Baron-Cohen
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Declan G M Murphy
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, and the Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College, London, UK
| | - Flavio Dell'Acqua
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, and the Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College, London, UK
| | - Christine Ecker
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany.,Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, and the Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College, London, UK
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10
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Barry EF, Vanes LD, Andrews DS, Patel K, Horne CM, Mouchlianitis E, Hellyer PJ, Shergill SS. Mapping cortical surface features in treatment resistant schizophrenia with in vivo structural MRI. Psychiatry Res 2019; 274:335-344. [PMID: 30851596 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2019.02.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2018] [Revised: 02/12/2019] [Accepted: 02/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Decreases in cortical volume (CV), thickness (CT) and surface area (SA) have been reported in individuals with schizophrenia by in vivo MRI studies. However, there are few studies that examine these cortical measures as potential biomarkers of treatment resistance (TR) and treatment response (NTR) in schizophrenia. This study used structural MRI to examine differences in CV, CT, and SA in 42 adults with schizophrenia (TR = 21, NTR = 21) and 23 healthy controls (HC) to test the hypothesis that individuals with TR schizophrenia have significantly greater reductions in these cortical measures compared to individuals with NTR schizophrenia. We found that individuals with TR schizophrenia showed significant reductions in CV and CT compared to individuals with NTR schizophrenia in right frontal and precentral regions, right parietal and occipital cortex, left temporal cortex and bilateral cingulate cortex. In line with previous literature, the temporal lobe and cingulate gyrus in both patient groups showed significant reductions of all three measures when compared to healthy controls. Taken together these results suggest that regional changes in CV and CT may index mechanisms specific to TR schizophrenia and potentially identify patients with TR schizophrenia for earlier treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica F Barry
- Cognition Schizophrenia and Imaging Lab, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK; Department of Clinical Sciences, Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Lucy D Vanes
- Cognition Schizophrenia and Imaging Lab, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
| | - Derek S Andrews
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopment, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
| | - Krisna Patel
- Cognition Schizophrenia and Imaging Lab, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
| | - Charlotte M Horne
- Cognition Schizophrenia and Imaging Lab, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK.
| | - Elias Mouchlianitis
- Cognition Schizophrenia and Imaging Lab, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
| | - Peter J Hellyer
- Cognition Schizophrenia and Imaging Lab, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK; Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
| | - Sukhi S Shergill
- Cognition Schizophrenia and Imaging Lab, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
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Bletsch A, Mann C, Andrews DS, Daly E, Tan GMY, Murphy DGM, Ecker C. Down syndrome is accompanied by significantly reduced cortical grey-white matter tissue contrast. Hum Brain Mapp 2018; 39:4043-4054. [PMID: 29885016 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.24230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2017] [Revised: 05/02/2018] [Accepted: 05/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Increased cortical thickness (CT) has been reported in Down syndrome (DS) during childhood and adolescence, but it remains unclear, which components of the neural architecture underpin these increases and if CT remains altered in adults. Among other factors, differences in CT measures could be driven by reduced tissue contrast between grey and white matter (GWC), which has been reported in neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease. Using structural magnetic resonance imaging, we therefore examined differences in CT and GWC in 26 adults with DS, and 23 controls, to (1) examine between-group differences in CT in adulthood, (2) establish whether DS is associated with significant reductions in GWC, and (3) determine the influence of GWC variability on between-group differences in CT. As hypothesized, we observed that DS was accompanied by wide-spread increases in CT, and significantly reduced GWC in several large clusters distributed across the cortex. Out of all vertices with a significant between-group difference in CT, 38.50% also displayed a significant reduction in GWC. This percentage of overlap was also statistically significant and extremely unlikely to be obtained by chance (p = .0002). Differences in GWC thus seem to explain some, although not all, of the differences in CT observed in DS. In addition, our study is the first to extend previous in vivo reports of altered CT in DS during childhood and adolescence to older adults, implying that the regional pattern of neuroanatomical differences associated with DS remains stable across the lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anke Bletsch
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt am Main, Goethe-University Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Caroline Mann
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt am Main, Goethe-University Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Derek S Andrews
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, and the Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College, London, United Kingdom
| | - Eileen Daly
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, and the Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College, London, United Kingdom
| | - Giles M Y Tan
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, and the Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College, London, United Kingdom
| | - Declan G M Murphy
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, and the Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College, London, United Kingdom
| | - Christine Ecker
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt am Main, Goethe-University Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.,Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, and the Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College, London, United Kingdom
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12
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Ecker C, Andrews DS, Gudbrandsen CM, Marquand AF, Ginestet CE, Daly EM, Murphy CM, Lai MC, Lombardo MV, Ruigrok ANV, Bullmore ET, Suckling J, Williams SCR, Baron-Cohen S, Craig MC, Murphy DGM. Association Between the Probability of Autism Spectrum Disorder and Normative Sex-Related Phenotypic Diversity in Brain Structure. JAMA Psychiatry 2017; 74:329-338. [PMID: 28196230 PMCID: PMC5470405 DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2016.3990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2016] [Accepted: 11/30/2016] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Importance Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is 2 to 5 times more common in male individuals than in female individuals. While the male preponderant prevalence of ASD might partially be explained by sex differences in clinical symptoms, etiological models suggest that the biological male phenotype carries a higher intrinsic risk for ASD than the female phenotype. To our knowledge, this hypothesis has never been tested directly, and the neurobiological mechanisms that modulate ASD risk in male individuals and female individuals remain elusive. Objectives To examine the probability of ASD as a function of normative sex-related phenotypic diversity in brain structure and to identify the patterns of sex-related neuroanatomical variability associated with low or high probability of ASD. Design, Setting, and Participants This study examined a cross-sectional sample of 98 right-handed, high-functioning adults with ASD and 98 matched neurotypical control individuals aged 18 to 42 years. A multivariate probabilistic classification approach was used to develop a predictive model of biological sex based on cortical thickness measures assessed via magnetic resonance imaging in neurotypical controls. This normative model was subsequently applied to individuals with ASD. The study dates were June 2005 to October 2009, and this analysis was conducted between June 2015 and July 2016. Main Outcomes and Measures Sample and population ASD probability estimates as a function of normative sex-related diversity in brain structure, as well as neuroanatomical patterns associated with low or high ASD probability in male individuals and female individuals. Results Among the 98 individuals with ASD, 49 were male and 49 female, with a mean (SD) age of 26.88 (7.18) years. Among the 98 controls, 51 were male and 47 female, with a mean (SD) age of 27.39 (6.44) years. The sample probability of ASD increased significantly with predictive probabilities for the male neuroanatomical brain phenotype. For example, biological female individuals with a more male-typic pattern of brain anatomy were significantly (ie, 3 times) more likely to have ASD than biological female individuals with a characteristically female brain phenotype (P = .72 vs .24, respectively; χ21 = 20.26; P < .001; difference in P values, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.29-0.68). This finding translates to an estimated variability in population prevalence from 0.2% to 1.3%, respectively. Moreover, the patterns of neuroanatomical variability carrying low or high ASD probability were sex specific (eg, in inferior temporal regions, where ASD has different neurobiological underpinnings in male individuals and female individuals). Conclusions and Relevance These findings highlight the need for considering normative sex-related phenotypic diversity when determining an individual's risk for ASD and provide important novel insights into the neurobiological mechanisms mediating sex differences in ASD prevalence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Ecker
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, England
| | - Derek S. Andrews
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, England
| | - Christina M. Gudbrandsen
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, England
| | - Andre F. Marquand
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
- Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, England
| | - Cedric E. Ginestet
- Department of Biostatistics and Health Informatics, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, England
| | - Eileen M. Daly
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, England
| | - Clodagh M. Murphy
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, England
- Behavioural Genetics Clinic, Adult Autism Service, Behavioural and Developmental Psychiatry Clinical Academic Group, South London and Maudsley Foundation National Health Service Trust, London, England
| | - Meng-Chuan Lai
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England
- Child and Youth Mental Health Collaborative at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine, Taipei
| | - Michael V. Lombardo
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England
- Department of Psychology and Center for Applied Neuroscience, University of Cyprus, Nicosia
| | - Amber N. V. Ruigrok
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England
| | - Edward T. Bullmore
- Brain Mapping Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England
| | - John Suckling
- Brain Mapping Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England
| | - Steven C. R. Williams
- Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, England
| | - Simon Baron-Cohen
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England
| | - Michael C. Craig
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, England
- National Autism Unit, Bethlem Royal Hospital, South London and Maudsley Foundation National Health Service Trust, London, England
| | - Declan G. M. Murphy
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, England
- Behavioural Genetics Clinic, Adult Autism Service, Behavioural and Developmental Psychiatry Clinical Academic Group, South London and Maudsley Foundation National Health Service Trust, London, England
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Zollinger RW, Andrews DS, Taylor FH, Carcioppolo V, Verdecchia P. Autotransfusion in bilateral internal mammary artery bypass: cost effectiveness in the 1980s. N C Med J 1986; 47:523-4. [PMID: 2879250] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
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