1
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Alderson-Day B, Pearson A. What can neurodiversity tell us about inner speech, and vice versa? A theoretical perspective. Cortex 2023; 168:193-202. [PMID: 37769592 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2023.08.008] [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: 03/24/2023] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
Inner speech refers to the experience of talking to oneself in one's head. While notoriously challenging to investigate, it has also been central to a range of questions concerning mind, brain, and behaviour. Posited as a key component in executive function and self-regulation, inner speech has been claimed to be crucial in higher cognitive operations, self-knowledge and self-awareness. Such arguments have traditionally been supported with examples of atypical development. But variations in inner speech - and in some cases, significant diversity - in fact pose several key challenges to such claims, and raises many more questions for, language, thought and mental health more generally. In this review, we will summarise evidence on the experience and operation of inner speech in child and adult neurotypical populations, autistic people and other neurodivergent groups, and people with diverse experiences of linguistic and sensory development, including deafness. We will demonstrate that the relationship between inner speech and cognitive operations may be more complex than first assumed when explored through the lens of cognitive and neurological diversity, and the implications of that for understanding the developing brain in all populations. We discuss why and how the experience of inner speech in neurodivergent groups has often been assumed rather than investigated, making it an important opportunity for researchers to develop innovative future work that integrates participatory insights with cognitive methodology. Finally, we will outline why variations in inner speech - in neurotypical and neurodivergent populations alike - nevertheless have a range of important implications for mental health vulnerability and unmet need. In this sense, the example of inner speech offers us both a way of looking back at the logic of developmental psychology and neuropsychology, and a clue to its future in a neurodiverse world.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Amy Pearson
- Department of Psychology, University of Sunderland, UK
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2
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The time-locked neurodynamics of semantic processing in autism spectrum disorder: an EEG study. Cogn Neurodyn 2022; 16:43-72. [PMID: 35126770 PMCID: PMC8807749 DOI: 10.1007/s11571-021-09697-8] [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: 12/01/2020] [Revised: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Language processing is often an area of difficulty in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Semantic processing-the ability to add meaning to a stimulus-is thought to be especially affected in ASD. However, the neurological origin of these deficits, both structurally and temporally, have yet to be discovered. To further previous behavioral findings on language differences in ASD, the present study used an implicit semantic priming paradigm and electroencephalography (EEG) to compare the level of theta coherence throughout semantic processing, between typically developing (TD) and ASD participants. Theta coherence is an indication of synchronous EEG oscillations and was of particular interest due to its previous links with semantic processing. Theta coherence was analyzed in response to semantically related or unrelated pairs of words and pictures across bilateral short, medium, and long electrode connections. We found significant results across a variety of conditions, but most notably, we observed reduced coherence for language stimuli in the ASD group at a left fronto-parietal connection from 100 to 300 ms. This replicates previous findings of underconnectivity in left fronto-parietal language networks in ASD. Critically, the early time window of this underconnectivity, from 100 to 300 ms, suggests that impaired semantic processing of language in ASD may arise during pre-semantic processing, during the initial communication between lower-level linguistic processing and higher-level semantic processing. Our results suggest that language processing functions are unique in ASD compared to TD, and that subjects with ASD might rely on a temporally different language processing loop altogether.
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3
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Race, Socioeconomic Status, and Cerebellum Cortex Fractional Anisotropy in Pre-Adolescents. ADOLESCENTS 2021; 1:70-94. [PMID: 34095893 DOI: 10.3390/adolescents1020007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Introduction Cerebellum cortex fractional anisotropy is a proxy of the integrity of the cerebellum cortex. However, less is known about how it is shaped by race and socioeconomic status (SES) indicators such as parental education and household income. Purpose In a national sample of American pre-adolescents, this study had two aims: to test the effects of two SES indicators, namely parental education and household income, on cerebellum cortex fractional anisotropy, and to explore racial differences in these effects. Methods Using data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study, we analyzed the diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging (dMRI) data of 9565, 9-10-year-old pre-adolescents. The main outcomes were cerebellum cortex fractional anisotropy separately calculated for right and left hemispheres using dMRI. The independent variables were parental education and household income; both treated as categorical variables. Age, sex, ethnicity, and family marital status were the covariates. Race was the moderator. To analyze the data, we used mixed-effects regression models without and with interaction terms. We controlled for propensity score and MRI device. Results High parental education and household income were associated with lower right and left cerebellum cortex fractional anisotropy. In the pooled sample, we found significant interactions between race and parental education and household income, suggesting that the effects of parental education and household income on the right and left cerebellum cortex fractional anisotropy are all significantly larger for White than for Black pre-adolescents. Conclusions The effects of SES indicators, namely parental education and household income, on pre-adolescents' cerebellum cortex microstructure and integrity are weaker in Black than in White families. This finding is in line with the Marginalization-related Diminished Returns (MDRs), defined as weaker effects of SES indicators for Blacks and other racial and minority groups than for Whites.
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4
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Role of Oligodendrocytes and Myelin in the Pathophysiology of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Brain Sci 2020; 10:brainsci10120951. [PMID: 33302549 PMCID: PMC7764453 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci10120951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Revised: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is an early neurodevelopmental disorder that involves deficits in interpersonal communication, social interaction, and repetitive behaviors. Although ASD pathophysiology is still uncertain, alterations in the abnormal development of the frontal lobe, limbic areas, and putamen generate an imbalance between inhibition and excitation of neuronal activity. Interestingly, recent findings suggest that a disruption in neuronal connectivity is associated with neural alterations in white matter production and myelination in diverse brain regions of patients with ASD. This review is aimed to summarize the most recent evidence that supports the notion that abnormalities in the oligodendrocyte generation and axonal myelination in specific brain regions are involved in the pathophysiology of ASD. Fundamental molecular mediators of these pathological processes are also examined. Determining the role of alterations in oligodendrogenesis and myelination is a fundamental step to understand the pathophysiology of ASD and identify possible therapeutic targets.
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5
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Individual differences in white and grey matter structure associated with verbal habits of thought. Brain Res 2020; 1742:146890. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2020.146890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2020] [Accepted: 05/12/2020] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
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6
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Hashem S, Nisar S, Bhat AA, Yadav SK, Azeem MW, Bagga P, Fakhro K, Reddy R, Frenneaux MP, Haris M. Genetics of structural and functional brain changes in autism spectrum disorder. Transl Psychiatry 2020; 10:229. [PMID: 32661244 PMCID: PMC7359361 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-020-00921-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2020] [Revised: 06/05/2020] [Accepted: 06/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurological and developmental disorder characterized by social impairment and restricted interactive and communicative behaviors. It may occur as an isolated disorder or in the context of other neurological, psychiatric, developmental, and genetic disorders. Due to rapid developments in genomics and imaging technologies, imaging genetics studies of ASD have evolved in the last few years. Increased risk for ASD diagnosis is found to be related to many specific single-nucleotide polymorphisms, and the study of genetic mechanisms and noninvasive imaging has opened various approaches that can help diagnose ASD at the nascent level. Identifying risk genes related to structural and functional changes in the brain of ASD patients provide a better understanding of the disease's neuropsychiatry and can help identify targets for therapeutic intervention that could be useful for the clinical management of ASD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheema Hashem
- Functional and Molecular Imaging Laboratory, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
| | - Sabah Nisar
- Functional and Molecular Imaging Laboratory, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
| | - Ajaz A Bhat
- Functional and Molecular Imaging Laboratory, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
| | | | | | - Puneet Bagga
- Center for Magnetic Resonance and Optical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Khalid Fakhro
- Department of Human Genetics, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
- Department of Genetic Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, Doha, Qatar
| | - Ravinder Reddy
- Center for Magnetic Resonance and Optical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | | | - Mohammad Haris
- Functional and Molecular Imaging Laboratory, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar.
- Laboratory Animal Research Center, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar.
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7
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Simhal AK, Carpenter KLH, Nadeem S, Kurtzberg J, Song A, Tannenbaum A, Sapiro G, Dawson G. Measuring robustness of brain networks in autism spectrum disorder with Ricci curvature. Sci Rep 2020; 10:10819. [PMID: 32616759 PMCID: PMC7331646 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-67474-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2019] [Accepted: 06/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Ollivier–Ricci curvature is a method for measuring the robustness of connections in a network. In this work, we use curvature to measure changes in robustness of brain networks in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In an open label clinical trials, participants with ASD were administered a single infusion of autologous umbilical cord blood and, as part of their clinical outcome measures, were imaged with diffusion MRI before and after the infusion. By using Ricci curvature to measure changes in robustness, we quantified both local and global changes in the brain networks and their potential relationship with the infusion. Our results find changes in the curvature of the connections between regions associated with ASD that were not detected via traditional brain network analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anish K Simhal
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Duke University, Durham, USA.
| | - Kimberly L H Carpenter
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, USA
| | - Saad Nadeem
- Department of Medical Physics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, USA
| | - Joanne Kurtzberg
- Marcus Center for Cellular Cures, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, USA
| | - Allen Song
- Brain Imaging and Analysis Center, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Allen Tannenbaum
- Department of Computer Science, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, USA.,Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, USA
| | - Guillermo Sapiro
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Duke University, Durham, USA.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, USA.,Department of Computer Sciences, Duke University, Durham, USA.,Department of Math, Duke University, Durham, USA
| | - Geraldine Dawson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, USA.,Marcus Center for Cellular Cures, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, USA.,Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, Duke University, Durham, USA
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8
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Gill JS, Sillitoe RV. Functional Outcomes of Cerebellar Malformations. Front Cell Neurosci 2019; 13:441. [PMID: 31636540 PMCID: PMC6787289 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2019.00441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2019] [Accepted: 09/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The cerebellum is well-established as a primary center for controlling sensorimotor functions. However, recent experiments have demonstrated additional roles for the cerebellum in higher-order cognitive functions such as language, emotion, reward, social behavior, and working memory. Based on the diversity of behaviors that it can influence, it is therefore not surprising that cerebellar dysfunction is linked to motor diseases such as ataxia, dystonia, tremor, and Parkinson's disease as well to non-motor disorders including autism spectrum disorders (ASD), schizophrenia, depression, and anxiety. Regardless of the condition, there is a growing consensus that developmental disturbances of the cerebellum may be a central culprit in triggering a number of distinct pathophysiological processes. Here, we consider how cerebellar malformations and neuronal circuit wiring impact brain function and behavior during development. We use the cerebellum as a model to discuss the expanding view that local integrated brain circuits function within the context of distributed global networks to communicate the computations that drive complex behavior. We highlight growing concerns that neurological and neuropsychiatric diseases with severe behavioral outcomes originate from developmental insults to the cerebellum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason S. Gill
- Section of Pediatric Neurology and Developmental Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Roy V. Sillitoe
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
- Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute of Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX, United States
- Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
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9
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Jung M, Mody M, Fujioka T, Kimura Y, Okazawa H, Kosaka H. Sex Differences in White Matter Pathways Related to Language Ability. Front Neurosci 2019; 13:898. [PMID: 31555075 PMCID: PMC6723765 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.00898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2019] [Accepted: 08/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Evidence from functional imaging studies points to a role for gender in language ability. However, recent studies suggest that sex differences in the neural basis of language are still unclear, reflecting a complex interaction between sex and language ability. We used diffusion weighted magnetic resonance imaging and global probabilistic tractography to investigate white matter (WM) pathways between 32 male and 35 age- and IQ-matched female adult participants in relation to their verbal abilities. Males showed higher fractional anisotropy (FA) in the left anterior thalamic radiations (ATR), right cingulum-angular bundle, right corticospinal tract, bilateral superior longitudinal fasciculus-temporal terminations, bilateral uncinate fasciculus (UNC), and corpus callosum-forceps minor when compared with the female group. In contrast, females showed higher radial diffusivity (RD) in the left ATR and left UNC when compared to the male group. The relationship between WM metrics and verbal ability also differed across the two groups: a negative correlation between verbal comprehension index (VCI) and FA as well as axial diffusivity (AD) in left cingulum-cingulate gyrus (CCG) supracallosal bundle in males but not in females; a negative correlation between verbal IQ (VIQ) and FA in the right corticospinal tract (CST), and a positive correlation between VCI and RD in corpus callosum-forceps minor in the female but not in the male group. A direct comparison of these correlation coefficients yielded significant differences between the groups for the VCI-AD and VIQ -FA associations. The findings may reflect sex differences in WM related to language ability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minyoung Jung
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, University of Fukui, Eiheiji, Japan.,Biomedical Imaging Research Center, University of Fukui, Eiheiji, Japan.,Research Center for Child Mental Development, University of Fukui, Eiheiji, Japan
| | - Maria Mody
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Toru Fujioka
- Special Needs Education Subcourse, Primary Education Course, School of Education, University of Fukui, Eiheiji, Japan
| | - Yukari Kimura
- Research Center for Child Mental Development, University of Fukui, Eiheiji, Japan
| | - Hidehiko Okazawa
- Biomedical Imaging Research Center, University of Fukui, Eiheiji, Japan.,Research Center for Child Mental Development, University of Fukui, Eiheiji, Japan
| | - Hirotaka Kosaka
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, University of Fukui, Eiheiji, Japan.,Research Center for Child Mental Development, University of Fukui, Eiheiji, Japan
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10
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Altered structural brain connectivity involving the dorsal and ventral language pathways in 16p11.2 deletion syndrome. Brain Imaging Behav 2019; 13:430-445. [PMID: 29629500 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-018-9859-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Copy number variants at the chromosomal locus 16p11.2 contribute to neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorders, epilepsy, schizophrenia, and language and articulation disorders. Here, we provide detailed findings on the disrupted structural brain connectivity in 16p11.2 deletion syndrome (patients: N = 21, age range: 8-16 years; typically developing (TD) controls: 18, 9-16 years) using structural and diffusion MRI. We performed global short-, middle-, long-range, and interhemispheric connectivity analysis in the whole brain using gyral topology-based cortical parcellation. Using region of interest analysis, we studied bilateral dorsal (3 segments of arcuate fasciculus (AF)) and ventral (inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFOF), inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF), uncinate fasciculus (UF)) language pathways. Our results showed significantly increased axial (AD) and radial (RD) diffusivities in bilateral anterior AF, decreased volume for left long AF, increased mean diffusivity (MD) and RD for right long AF, and increased AD for bilateral UF in the 16p11.2 deletion group in the absence of significant abnormalities in the whole-brain gyral and interhemispheric connectivity. The selective involvement of the language networks may aid in understanding effects of altered white matter connectivity on neurodevelopmental outcomes in 16p11.2 deletion.
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11
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Williamson BJ, Altaye M, Kadis DS. Detrended connectometry analysis to assess white matter correlates of performance in childhood. Neuroimage 2019; 186:637-646. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.11.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2018] [Revised: 10/23/2018] [Accepted: 11/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
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12
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Carpenter KLH, Major S, Tallman C, Chen LW, Franz L, Sun J, Kurtzberg J, Song A, Dawson G. White Matter Tract Changes Associated with Clinical Improvement in an Open-Label Trial Assessing Autologous Umbilical Cord Blood for Treatment of Young Children with Autism. Stem Cells Transl Med 2019; 8:138-147. [PMID: 30620122 PMCID: PMC6344899 DOI: 10.1002/sctm.18-0251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2018] [Accepted: 11/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by social communication deficits and the presence of restricted interests and repetitive behaviors. We have previously reported significant improvements in behavior, including increased social functioning, improved communication abilities, and decreased clinical symptoms in children with ASD, following treatment with a single infusion of autologous cord blood in a phase I open‐label trial. In the current study, we aimed to understand whether these improvements were associated with concurrent changes in brain structural connectivity. Twenty‐five 2‐ to 6‐year‐old children with ASD participated in this trial. Clinical outcome measures included the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales‐II Socialization Subscale, Expressive One‐Word Picture Vocabulary Test‐4, and the Clinical Global Impression‐Improvement Scale. Structural connectivity was measured at baseline and at 6 months in a subset of 19 children with 25‐direction diffusion tensor imaging and deterministic tractography. Behavioral improvements were associated with increased white matter connectivity in frontal, temporal, and subcortical regions (hippocampus and basal ganglia) that have been previously shown to show anatomical, connectivity, and functional abnormalities in ASD. The current results suggest that improvements in social communication skills and a reduction in symptoms in children with ASD following treatment with autologous cord blood infusion were associated with increased structural connectivity in brain networks supporting social, communication, and language abilities. stem cells translational medicine2019;8:138&10
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly L H Carpenter
- Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Samantha Major
- Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Catherine Tallman
- Brain Imaging and Analysis Center, Duke University Medical Center, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Lyon W Chen
- Brain Imaging and Analysis Center, Duke University Medical Center, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Lauren Franz
- Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA.,Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Jessica Sun
- Marcus Center for Cellular Cures, Duke University Medical Center, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Joanne Kurtzberg
- Marcus Center for Cellular Cures, Duke University Medical Center, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Allen Song
- Brain Imaging and Analysis Center, Duke University Medical Center, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Geraldine Dawson
- Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA.,Marcus Center for Cellular Cures, Duke University Medical Center, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
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13
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Hrdlicka M, Sanda J, Urbanek T, Kudr M, Dudova I, Kickova S, Pospisilova L, Mohaplova M, Maulisova A, Krsek P, Kyncl M, Blatny M, Komarek V. Diffusion Tensor Imaging And Tractography In Autistic, Dysphasic, And Healthy Control Children. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat 2019; 15:2843-2852. [PMID: 31632032 PMCID: PMC6781738 DOI: 10.2147/ndt.s219545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2019] [Accepted: 09/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is a powerful tool for investigating brain anatomical connectivity. The aim of our study was to compare brain connectivity among children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), developmental dysphasia (DD), and healthy controls (HC) in the following tracts: the arcuate fasciculus (AF), inferior frontal occipital fasciculus (IFOF), inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF), and uncinate fasciculus (UF). METHODS Our sample consisted of 113 children with a mean age 8.7±2.2 years (77 boys, 36 girls), divided into three subgroups: ASD (n=39), DD (n=36), and HC (n=38). The International Classification of Diseases, 10th ed. was used to make clinical diagnoses. DTI images were collected using a 1.5 T Phillips Achieva MR imaging system. RESULTS Detailed analyses of fractional anisotropy (FA) revealed significant differences among the ASD, DD, and HC groups in the left AF (p=0.014) and right AF (p=0.001), the left IFOF (p<0.001) and right IFOF (p<0.001), the left ILF (p<0.001) and right ILF (p<0.001), but not in the UF. Post-hoc analyses revealed three patterns of FA differences among the groups: (1) in the right AF, right IFOF, and right ILF, FA was significantly lower in the ASD group compared to the DD and HC groups; however, there was no difference in FA between DD and HC; (2) in the left AF and left IFOF, FA was significantly lower in the ASD than in the HC group, but there were no differences between DD vs HC nor DD vs ASD; and (3) in the left ILF, no difference in FA was seen between ASD and DD, but FA in both was significantly lower than in the HC. CONCLUSION Microstructural white matter properties differed between ASD vs DD and HC subjects. The tract where FA impairment in ASD and DD subjects was the most similar was the left ILF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michal Hrdlicka
- Department of Child Psychiatry, Charles University Second Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Motol, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Sanda
- Department of Radiology, Charles University Second Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Motol, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Tomas Urbanek
- Institute of Psychology, Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Kudr
- Department of Pediatric Neurology, Charles University Second Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Motol, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Iva Dudova
- Department of Child Psychiatry, Charles University Second Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Motol, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Stepanka Kickova
- Department of Child Psychiatry, Charles University Second Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Motol, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Lenka Pospisilova
- Department of Child Psychiatry, Charles University Second Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Motol, Prague, Czech Republic.,Charles University First Faculty of Medicine, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Marketa Mohaplova
- Department of Child Psychiatry, Charles University Second Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Motol, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Alice Maulisova
- Department of Pediatric Neurology, Charles University Second Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Motol, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Krsek
- Department of Pediatric Neurology, Charles University Second Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Motol, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Kyncl
- Department of Radiology, Charles University Second Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Motol, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Marek Blatny
- Department of Child Psychiatry, Charles University Second Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Motol, Prague, Czech Republic.,Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Vladimir Komarek
- Department of Pediatric Neurology, Charles University Second Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Motol, Prague, Czech Republic
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14
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Alfred KL, Kraemer DJM. Verbal and visual cognition: Individual differences in the lab, in the brain, and in the classroom. Dev Neuropsychol 2018; 42:507-520. [PMID: 29505308 DOI: 10.1080/87565641.2017.1401075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
In many ways, individuals vary in their thought processes, and in their cognitive strengths and weaknesses. Among the findings revealed by individual differences research, one major dividing line highlighted recurrently by decades of experimental studies is that between linguistically-mediated cognitive operations (verbal cognition), versus cognition, which primarily operates on visual - or visuospatial - representations (visual cognition). In this article, we review findings from three research areas-cognitive abilities, working memory, and task strategies-focusing on individual differences in verbal and visual cognition. In each area we highlight behavioral, neuroimaging, and classroom-based findings, bridging the perspectives of these different methodologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine L Alfred
- a Department of Education and Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences , Dartmouth College , Hanover , New Hampshire
| | - David J M Kraemer
- a Department of Education and Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences , Dartmouth College , Hanover , New Hampshire
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15
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Im WY, Ha JH, Kim EJ, Cheon KA, Cho J, Song DH. Impaired White Matter Integrity and Social Cognition in High-Function Autism: Diffusion Tensor Imaging Study. Psychiatry Investig 2018; 15:292-299. [PMID: 29486546 PMCID: PMC5900363 DOI: 10.30773/pi.2017.08.15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2016] [Revised: 06/03/2017] [Accepted: 08/15/2017] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE It is known that many of the cognitive and social deficits associated with autism can arise from abnormal functional connectivity between brain networks. This aberrant functional connectivity in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) can be explained by impaired integrity of white matter tracts that link distant regions of the networks. METHODS We investigated white matter in 9 children with high-function autism (HFA) compared to 13 typically developing controls using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). The aim of this research is to provide supporting evidence for abnormalities in neural connectivity as an underlying pathophysiology of the main characteristics of ASD. RESULTS We found impairment of neural connectivity, mainly in association fiber tracts as evidenced by decreased fractional anisotropy (FA), the index of white matter integrity, of these tracts. Among them, inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFOF) had a significant relationship with ADI-R score. The inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF) and superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF) also showed decreased FA. Decreased FA of ILF and SLF had negative correlations with scores of social interaction. CONCLUSION These findings suggest that widespread abnormalities in association fiber tracts may contribute to both core and associated symptoms of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Woo Young Im
- Department of Psychiatry and Myunggok Medical Research Institute, Konyang University College of Medicine, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
- Department of Medicine, the Graduate School of Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Ji Hye Ha
- Department of Psychiatry, Seoul Metropolitan Eunpyeong Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Eun Joo Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Keun-Ah Cheon
- Department of Psychiatry, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jaeil Cho
- Yonsei Soul Psychiatric Clinic, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Dong-Ho Song
- Department of Psychiatry, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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16
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Martínez K, Merchán-Naranjo J, Pina-Camacho L, Alemán-Gómez Y, Boada L, Fraguas D, Moreno C, Arango C, Janssen J, Parellada M. Atypical age-dependency of executive function and white matter microstructure in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2017; 26:1361-1376. [PMID: 28447268 DOI: 10.1007/s00787-017-0990-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2016] [Accepted: 04/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Executive function (EF) performance is associated with measurements of white matter microstructure (WMS) in typical individuals. Impaired EF is a hallmark symptom of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) but it is unclear how impaired EF relates to variability in WMS. Twenty-one male youth (8-18 years) with ASD and without intellectual disability and twenty-one typical male participants (TP) matched for age, intelligence quotient, handedness, race and parental socioeconomic status were recruited. Five EF domains were assessed and several DTI-based measurements of WMS [fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD) and radial diffusivity (RD)] were estimated for eighteen white matter tracts. The ASD group had lower scores for attention (F = 8.37, p = 0.006) and response inhibition (F = 13.09, p = 0.001). Age-dependent changes of EF performance and WMS measurements were present in TP but attenuated in the ASD group. The strongest diagnosis-by-age effect was found for forceps minor, left anterior thalamic radiation and left cingulum angular bundle (all p's ≤ 0.002). In these tracts subjects with ASD tended to have equal or increased FA and/or reduced MD and/or RD at younger ages while controls had increased FA and/or reduced MD and/or RD thereafter. Only for TP individuals, increased FA in the left anterior thalamic radiation was associated with better response inhibition, while reduced RD in forceps minor and left cingulum angular bundle was related to better problem solving and working memory performance respectively. These findings provide novel insight into the age-dependency of EF performance and WMS in ASD, which can be instructive to cognitive training programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenia Martínez
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain. .,Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón (IISGM), Madrid, Spain. .,Ciber del área de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain. .,Universidad Europea de Madrid, Madrid, Spain. .,Hospital Gregorio Marañón, Edificio prefabricado, entrada por Máiquez 9, 28009, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Jessica Merchán-Naranjo
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain.,Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón (IISGM), Madrid, Spain.,Ciber del área de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Laura Pina-Camacho
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain.,Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón (IISGM), Madrid, Spain.,Ciber del área de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain.,Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Yasser Alemán-Gómez
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón (IISGM), Madrid, Spain.,Ciber del área de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Leticia Boada
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain.,Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón (IISGM), Madrid, Spain.,Ciber del área de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - David Fraguas
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain.,Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón (IISGM), Madrid, Spain.,Ciber del área de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Carmen Moreno
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain.,Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón (IISGM), Madrid, Spain.,Ciber del área de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
| | - Celso Arango
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain.,Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón (IISGM), Madrid, Spain.,Ciber del área de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain.,Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Joost Janssen
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain.,Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón (IISGM), Madrid, Spain.,Ciber del área de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain.,Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Mara Parellada
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain.,Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón (IISGM), Madrid, Spain.,Ciber del área de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain.,Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
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17
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Fitzgerald J, Leemans A, Kehoe E, O'Hanlon E, Gallagher L, McGrath J. Abnormal fronto-parietal white matter organisation in the superior longitudinal fasciculus branches in autism spectrum disorders. Eur J Neurosci 2017; 47:652-661. [DOI: 10.1111/ejn.13655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2016] [Revised: 07/13/2017] [Accepted: 07/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline Fitzgerald
- Department of Psychiatry; School of Medicine; Trinity College Dublin; Dublin Ireland
- Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience; Trinity College Dublin; Lloyd Building Dublin Ireland
| | - Alexander Leemans
- Image Sciences Institute; University Medical Center Utrecht; Utrecht The Netherlands
| | - Elizabeth Kehoe
- Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience; Trinity College Dublin; Lloyd Building Dublin Ireland
| | - Erik O'Hanlon
- Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience; Trinity College Dublin; Lloyd Building Dublin Ireland
- Department of Psychiatry; Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland; Dublin Ireland
| | - Louise Gallagher
- Department of Psychiatry; School of Medicine; Trinity College Dublin; Dublin Ireland
- Linndara Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service; Dublin Ireland
| | - Jane McGrath
- Department of Psychiatry; School of Medicine; Trinity College Dublin; Dublin Ireland
- Linndara Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service; Dublin Ireland
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18
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Ecker C, Schmeisser MJ, Loth E, Murphy DG. Neuroanatomy and Neuropathology of Autism Spectrum Disorder in Humans. ADVANCES IN ANATOMY, EMBRYOLOGY, AND CELL BIOLOGY 2017; 224:27-48. [PMID: 28551749 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-52498-6_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a lifelong heterogeneous neurodevelopmental condition that is associated with differences in brain anatomy and connectivity. Yet, the molecular and cellular mechanisms that underpin the atypical developmental of the brain in ASD remain poorly understood. Here, we review the findings of in vivo neuroimaging studies examining the time course of atypical brain development in ASD and relate the different neurodevelopmental stages that are atypical in ASD to the known neurobiological mechanisms that drive the maturation of the typically developing brain. In particular, we focus on the notion of 'early brain overgrowth' in ASD, which may lead to differences in the formation of the brain's micro- and macro-circuitry. Moreover, we attempt to link the in vivo reports describing differences in brain anatomy and connectivity on the macroscopic level to the increasing number of post-mortem studies examining the neural architecture of the brain in ASD on the microscopic level. In addition, we discuss future directions and outstanding questions in this particular field of research and highlight the need for establishing the link between micro- and macro-pathology in the same set of individuals with ASD based on advances in genetic, molecular and imaging techniques. In combination, these may proof to be invaluable for patient stratification and the development of novel pharmacotherapies in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Ecker
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, 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, UK.
| | - Michael J Schmeisser
- Institute for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany
- Division of Neuroanatomy, Institute of Anatomy, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany
- Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Eva Loth
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College, London, UK
| | - Declan G Murphy
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College, London, UK
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19
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Ecker C, Andrews D, Dell'Acqua F, Daly E, Murphy C, Catani M, Thiebaut de Schotten M, Baron-Cohen S, Lai MC, Lombardo MV, Bullmore ET, Suckling J, Williams S, Jones DK, Chiocchetti A, Murphy DGM. Relationship Between Cortical Gyrification, White Matter Connectivity, and Autism Spectrum Disorder. Cereb Cortex 2016; 26:3297-309. [PMID: 27130663 PMCID: PMC4898679 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhw098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental condition, which is accompanied by differences in gray matter neuroanatomy and white matter connectivity. However, it is unknown whether these differences are linked or reflect independent aetiologies. Using a multimodal neuroimaging approach, we therefore examined 51 male adults with ASD and 48 neurotypical controls to investigate the relationship between gray matter local gyrification (lGI) and white matter diffusivity in associated fiber tracts. First, ASD individuals had a significant increase in gyrification around the left pre- and post-central gyrus. Second, white matter fiber tracts originating and/or terminating in the cluster of increased lGI had a significant increase in axial diffusivity. This increase in diffusivity was predominantly observed in tracts in close proximity to the cortical sheet. Last, we demonstrate that the increase in lGI was significantly correlated with increased diffusivity of short tracts. This relationship was not significantly modulated by a main effect of group (i.e., ASD), which was more closely associated with gray matter gyrification than white matter diffusivity. Our findings suggest that differences in gray matter neuroanatomy and white matter connectivity are closely linked, and may reflect common rather than distinct aetiological pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Ecker
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, and the Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College, London SE5 8AF, UK Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Goethe University, 60528 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - D 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 SE5 8AF, UK
| | - F 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 SE5 8AF, UK
| | - E 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 SE5 8AF, UK
| | - C 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 SE5 8AF, UK
| | - M Catani
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, and the Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College, London SE5 8AF, UK
| | - M Thiebaut de Schotten
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, and the Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College, London SE5 8AF, UK
| | - S Baron-Cohen
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 8AH, UK
| | - M C Lai
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 8AH, UK Child and Youth Mental Health Collaborative at the Centre or Addiction and Mental Health and The Hospital for Sick Children, Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M6J 1H4, Canada Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan 100, R.O.C
| | - M V Lombardo
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 8AH, UK Department of Psychology and Center for Applied Neuroscience, University of Cyprus, 1678 Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - E T Bullmore
- Brain Mapping Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0SZ, UK
| | - J Suckling
- Brain Mapping Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0SZ, UK
| | - S Williams
- Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College, London SE5 8AF, UK
| | - D K Jones
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre, School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF24 5HQ, UK
| | - A Chiocchetti
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Goethe University, 60528 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - D 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 SE5 8AF, UK
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20
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Catani M, Dell'Acqua F, Budisavljevic S, Howells H, Thiebaut de Schotten M, Froudist-Walsh S, D'Anna L, Thompson A, Sandrone S, Bullmore ET, Suckling J, Baron-Cohen S, Lombardo MV, Wheelwright SJ, Chakrabarti B, Lai MC, Ruigrok ANV, Leemans A, Ecker C, Consortium MA, Craig MC, Murphy DGM. Frontal networks in adults with autism spectrum disorder. Brain 2016; 139:616-30. [PMID: 26912520 PMCID: PMC4805089 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awv351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
It has been postulated that autism spectrum disorder is underpinned by an 'atypical connectivity' involving higher-order association brain regions. To test this hypothesis in a large cohort of adults with autism spectrum disorder we compared the white matter networks of 61 adult males with autism spectrum disorder and 61 neurotypical controls, using two complementary approaches to diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging. First, we applied tract-based spatial statistics, a 'whole brain' non-hypothesis driven method, to identify differences in white matter networks in adults with autism spectrum disorder. Following this we used a tract-specific analysis, based on tractography, to carry out a more detailed analysis of individual tracts identified by tract-based spatial statistics. Finally, within the autism spectrum disorder group, we studied the relationship between diffusion measures and autistic symptom severity. Tract-based spatial statistics revealed that autism spectrum disorder was associated with significantly reduced fractional anisotropy in regions that included frontal lobe pathways. Tractography analysis of these specific pathways showed increased mean and perpendicular diffusivity, and reduced number of streamlines in the anterior and long segments of the arcuate fasciculus, cingulum and uncinate--predominantly in the left hemisphere. Abnormalities were also evident in the anterior portions of the corpus callosum connecting left and right frontal lobes. The degree of microstructural alteration of the arcuate and uncinate fasciculi was associated with severity of symptoms in language and social reciprocity in childhood. Our results indicated that autism spectrum disorder is a developmental condition associated with abnormal connectivity of the frontal lobes. Furthermore our findings showed that male adults with autism spectrum disorder have regional differences in brain anatomy, which correlate with specific aspects of autistic symptoms. Overall these results suggest that autism spectrum disorder is a condition linked to aberrant developmental trajectories of the frontal networks that persist in adult life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Catani
- 1 Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopment, and Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College, London, UK 2 NatBrainLab, Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College, London, UK
| | - Flavio Dell'Acqua
- 2 NatBrainLab, Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College, London, UK
| | - Sanja Budisavljevic
- 1 Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopment, and Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College, London, UK
| | - Henrietta Howells
- 1 Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopment, and Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College, London, UK
| | - Michel Thiebaut de Schotten
- 1 Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopment, and Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College, London, UK
| | - Seán Froudist-Walsh
- 1 Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopment, and Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College, London, UK
| | - Lucio D'Anna
- 1 Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopment, and Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College, London, UK
| | - Abigail Thompson
- 1 Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopment, and Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College, London, UK
| | - Stefano Sandrone
- 1 Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopment, and Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College, London, UK
| | - Edward T Bullmore
- 3 Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust 4 Brain Mapping Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, UK
| | - John Suckling
- 3 Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust 4 Brain Mapping Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, UK 5 Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, UK
| | - Simon Baron-Cohen
- 3 Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust 5 Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, UK
| | - Michael V Lombardo
- 5 Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, UK 6 Department of Psychology and Center for Applied Neuroscience, University of Cyprus, Cyprus
| | - Sally J Wheelwright
- 5 Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, UK
| | - Bhismadev Chakrabarti
- 5 Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, UK 7 Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and Neurodynamics, School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, UK
| | - Meng-Chuan Lai
- 5 Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, UK 8 Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Canada 9 Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine, Taiwan
| | - Amber N V Ruigrok
- 5 Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, UK
| | - Alexander Leemans
- 10 Image Sciences Institute, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Christine Ecker
- 1 Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopment, and Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College, London, UK
| | | | - Michael C Craig
- 1 Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopment, and Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College, London, UK 11 National Autism Unit, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, Bethlem Royal Hospital, Beckenham, UK
| | - Declan G M Murphy
- 1 Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopment, and Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College, London, UK
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21
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Ismail MMT, Keynton RS, Mostapha MMMO, ElTanboly AH, Casanova MF, Gimel'farb GL, El-Baz A. Studying Autism Spectrum Disorder with Structural and Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging: A Survey. Front Hum Neurosci 2016; 10:211. [PMID: 27242476 PMCID: PMC4862981 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2016.00211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2016] [Accepted: 04/25/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) modalities have emerged as powerful means that facilitate non-invasive clinical diagnostics of various diseases and abnormalities since their inception in the 1980s. Multiple MRI modalities, such as different types of the sMRI and DTI, have been employed to investigate facets of ASD in order to better understand this complex syndrome. This paper reviews recent applications of structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), to study autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Main reported findings are sometimes contradictory due to different age ranges, hardware protocols, population types, numbers of participants, and image analysis parameters. The primary anatomical structures, such as amygdalae, cerebrum, and cerebellum, associated with clinical-pathological correlates of ASD are highlighted through successive life stages, from infancy to adulthood. This survey demonstrates the absence of consistent pathology in the brains of autistic children and lack of research investigations in patients under 2 years of age in the literature. The known publications also emphasize advances in data acquisition and analysis, as well as significance of multimodal approaches that combine resting-state, task-evoked, and sMRI measures. Initial results obtained with the sMRI and DTI show good promise toward the early and non-invasive ASD diagnostics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marwa M. T. Ismail
- BioImaging Laboratory, Department of Bioengineering, University of LouisvilleLouisville, KY, USA
| | - Robert S. Keynton
- BioImaging Laboratory, Department of Bioengineering, University of LouisvilleLouisville, KY, USA
| | | | - Ahmed H. ElTanboly
- BioImaging Laboratory, Department of Bioengineering, University of LouisvilleLouisville, KY, USA
| | - Manuel F. Casanova
- Departments of Pediatrics and Biomedical Sciences, University of South CarolinaColumbia, SC, USA
| | | | - Ayman El-Baz
- BioImaging Laboratory, Department of Bioengineering, University of LouisvilleLouisville, KY, USA
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22
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D'Mello AM, Stoodley CJ. Cerebro-cerebellar circuits in autism spectrum disorder. Front Neurosci 2015; 9:408. [PMID: 26594140 PMCID: PMC4633503 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2015.00408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 184] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2015] [Accepted: 10/12/2015] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The cerebellum is one of the most consistent sites of abnormality in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and cerebellar damage is associated with an increased risk of ASD symptoms, suggesting that cerebellar dysfunction may play a crucial role in the etiology of ASD. The cerebellum forms multiple closed-loop circuits with cerebral cortical regions that underpin movement, language, and social processing. Through these circuits, cerebellar dysfunction could impact the core ASD symptoms of social and communication deficits and repetitive and stereotyped behaviors. The emerging topography of sensorimotor, cognitive, and affective subregions in the cerebellum provides a new framework for interpreting the significance of regional cerebellar findings in ASD and their relationship to broader cerebro-cerebellar circuits. Further, recent research supports the idea that the integrity of cerebro-cerebellar loops might be important for early cortical development; disruptions in specific cerebro-cerebellar loops in ASD might impede the specialization of cortical regions involved in motor control, language, and social interaction, leading to impairments in these domains. Consistent with this concept, structural, and functional differences in sensorimotor regions of the cerebellum and sensorimotor cerebro-cerebellar circuits are associated with deficits in motor control and increased repetitive and stereotyped behaviors in ASD. Further, communication and social impairments are associated with atypical activation and structure in cerebro-cerebellar loops underpinning language and social cognition. Finally, there is converging evidence from structural, functional, and connectivity neuroimaging studies that cerebellar right Crus I/II abnormalities are related to more severe ASD impairments in all domains. We propose that cerebellar abnormalities may disrupt optimization of both structure and function in specific cerebro-cerebellar circuits in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anila M D'Mello
- Department of Psychology, American University Washington DC, USA ; Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, American University Washington DC, USA
| | - Catherine J Stoodley
- Department of Psychology, American University Washington DC, USA ; Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, American University Washington DC, USA
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23
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Kirkovski M, Enticott PG, Maller JJ, Rossell SL, Fitzgerald PB. Diffusion tensor imaging reveals no white matter impairments among adults with autism spectrum disorder. Psychiatry Res 2015; 233:64-72. [PMID: 26032898 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2015.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2014] [Revised: 12/22/2014] [Accepted: 05/06/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Abnormalities within white matter (WM) have been identified in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Although there is some support for greater neurobiological deficits among females with ASD, there is little research investigating sex differences in WM in ASD. We used diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to investigate WM aberration in 25 adults with high-functioning ASD and 24 age-, sex- and IQ-matched controls. Tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) was used to explore differences in WM in major tract bundles. The effects of biological sex were also investigated. TBSS revealed no differences in fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), radial diffusivity (RD), or axial diffusivity (AD) between groups. There were no effects of biological sex. We consider whether methodological differences between past studies have contributed to the highly heterogeneous findings in the literature. Finally, we suggest that, among a high-functioning sample of adults with ASD, differences in WM microstructure may not be related to clinical impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa Kirkovski
- Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre, The Alfred and Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, School of Psychology, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Peter G Enticott
- Cognitive Neuroscience Unit, School of Psychology, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, Australia; Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre, The Alfred and Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jerome J Maller
- Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre, The Alfred and Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Susan L Rossell
- Brain and Psychological Science Research Centre, Faculty Health, Arts and Design, Swinburne University, Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia; Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre, The Alfred and Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Paul B Fitzgerald
- Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre, The Alfred and Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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Muetzel RL, Mous SE, van der Ende J, Blanken LME, van der Lugt A, Jaddoe VWV, Verhulst FC, Tiemeier H, White T. White matter integrity and cognitive performance in school-age children: A population-based neuroimaging study. Neuroimage 2015; 119:119-28. [PMID: 26067345 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2015.06.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2015] [Revised: 06/02/2015] [Accepted: 06/03/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Child and adolescent brain development are typically accompanied by marked improvements in a wide range of cognitive abilities. However, limited information is available surrounding the role of white matter in shaping cognitive abilities in children. The current study examined associations between white matter microstructure and cognitive performance in a large sample (n=778) of 6- to 10-year-old children. Results show white matter microstructure is related to non-verbal intelligence and to visuospatial ability, independent of age. Specificity was demonstrated, as white matter associations with visuospatial ability were independent of general intellectual ability. Associations between white matter integrity and cognition were similar in boys and girls. In summary, results demonstrate white matter structure-function associations are present in children, independent of age and broader cognitive abilities. The presence of such associations in the general population is informative for studies examining child psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan L Muetzel
- The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Sabine E Mous
- The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Jan van der Ende
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Laura M E Blanken
- The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | | | - Vincent W V Jaddoe
- The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Pediatrics, Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Frank C Verhulst
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Henning Tiemeier
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Tonya White
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Radiology, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
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Roine U, Salmi J, Roine T, Wendt TNV, Leppämäki S, Rintahaka P, Tani P, Leemans A, Sams M. Constrained spherical deconvolution-based tractography and tract-based spatial statistics show abnormal microstructural organization in Asperger syndrome. Mol Autism 2015; 6:4. [PMID: 25874076 PMCID: PMC4396538 DOI: 10.1186/2040-2392-6-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2014] [Accepted: 12/11/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to investigate potential differences in neural structure in individuals with Asperger syndrome (AS), high-functioning individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The main symptoms of AS are severe impairments in social interactions and restricted or repetitive patterns of behaviors, interests or activities. METHODS Diffusion weighted magnetic resonance imaging data were acquired for 14 adult males with AS and 19 age, sex and IQ-matched controls. Voxelwise group differences in fractional anisotropy (FA) were studied with tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS). Based on the results of TBSS, a tract-level comparison was performed with constrained spherical deconvolution (CSD)-based tractography, which is able to detect complex (for example, crossing) fiber configurations. In addition, to investigate the relationship between the microstructural changes and the severity of symptoms, we looked for correlations between FA and the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ), Empathy Quotient and Systemizing Quotient. RESULTS TBSS revealed widely distributed local increases in FA bilaterally in individuals with AS, most prominent in the temporal part of the superior longitudinal fasciculus, corticospinal tract, splenium of corpus callosum, anterior thalamic radiation, inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFO), posterior thalamic radiation, uncinate fasciculus and inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF). CSD-based tractography also showed increases in the FA in multiple tracts. However, only the difference in the left ILF was significant after a Bonferroni correction. These results were not explained by the complexity of microstructural organization, measured using the planar diffusion coefficient. In addition, we found a correlation between AQ and FA in the right IFO in the whole group. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that there are local and tract-level abnormalities in white matter (WM) microstructure in our homogenous and carefully characterized group of adults with AS, most prominent in the left ILF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrika Roine
- Brain and Mind Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Computational Science, Aalto University, Rakentajanaukio 2 C, FI-02150 Espoo, Finland
| | - Juha Salmi
- Brain and Mind Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Computational Science, Aalto University, Rakentajanaukio 2 C, FI-02150 Espoo, Finland
| | - Timo Roine
- iMinds-Vision Lab, Department of Physics, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, B-2610 Wilrijk, Antwerp Belgium
| | - Taina Nieminen-von Wendt
- Neuropsychiatric Rehabilitation and Medical Centre Neuromental, Kaupintie 11 A, FI-00440 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Sami Leppämäki
- Department of Psychiatry, Clinic for Neuropsychiatry, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Tukholmankatu 8 F, FI-00290 Helsinki, Finland ; Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Topeliuksenkatu 41, FI-00290 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Pertti Rintahaka
- Department of Psychiatry, Clinic for Neuropsychiatry, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Tukholmankatu 8 F, FI-00290 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Pekka Tani
- Department of Psychiatry, Clinic for Neuropsychiatry, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Tukholmankatu 8 F, FI-00290 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Alexander Leemans
- Image Sciences Institute, University Medical Center Utrecht, Heidelberglaan 100, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Mikko Sams
- Brain and Mind Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Computational Science, Aalto University, Rakentajanaukio 2 C, FI-02150 Espoo, Finland ; Advanced Magnetic Imaging Centre, Aalto University, Otakaari 5, FI-02150 Espoo, Finland
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Abstract
The cerebellum is one of the most consistent sites of abnormality in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and cerebellar damage is associated with an increased risk of ASD symptoms, suggesting that cerebellar dysfunction may play a crucial role in the etiology of ASD. The cerebellum forms multiple closed-loop circuits with cerebral cortical regions that underpin movement, language, and social processing. Through these circuits, cerebellar dysfunction could impact the core ASD symptoms of social and communication deficits and repetitive and stereotyped behaviors. The emerging topography of sensorimotor, cognitive, and affective subregions in the cerebellum provides a new framework for interpreting the significance of regional cerebellar findings in ASD and their relationship to broader cerebro-cerebellar circuits. Further, recent research supports the idea that the integrity of cerebro-cerebellar loops might be important for early cortical development; disruptions in specific cerebro-cerebellar loops in ASD might impede the specialization of cortical regions involved in motor control, language, and social interaction, leading to impairments in these domains. Consistent with this concept, structural, and functional differences in sensorimotor regions of the cerebellum and sensorimotor cerebro-cerebellar circuits are associated with deficits in motor control and increased repetitive and stereotyped behaviors in ASD. Further, communication and social impairments are associated with atypical activation and structure in cerebro-cerebellar loops underpinning language and social cognition. Finally, there is converging evidence from structural, functional, and connectivity neuroimaging studies that cerebellar right Crus I/II abnormalities are related to more severe ASD impairments in all domains. We propose that cerebellar abnormalities may disrupt optimization of both structure and function in specific cerebro-cerebellar circuits in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anila M D'Mello
- Department of Psychology, American University Washington DC, USA ; Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, American University Washington DC, USA
| | - Catherine J Stoodley
- Department of Psychology, American University Washington DC, USA ; Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, American University Washington DC, USA
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Ameis SH, Catani M. Altered white matter connectivity as a neural substrate for social impairment in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Cortex 2014; 62:158-81. [PMID: 25433958 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2014.10.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 202] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2014] [Revised: 10/20/2014] [Accepted: 10/22/2014] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) symptoms have been hypothesized to result from altered brain connectivity. The 'disconnectivity' hypothesis has been used to explain characteristic impairments in socio-emotional function, observed clinically in ASD. Here, we review the evidence for impaired white matter connectivity as a neural substrate for socio-emotional dysfunction in ASD. A review of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) studies, and focused discussion of relevant post-mortem, structural, and functional neuroimaging studies, is provided. METHODS Studies were identified using a sensitive search strategy in MEDLINE, Embase and PsycINFO article databases using the OvidSP database interface. Search terms included database subject headings for the concepts of pervasive developmental disorders, and DTI. Seventy-two published DTI studies examining white matter microstructure in ASD were reviewed. A comprehensive discussion of DTI studies that examined white matter tracts linking socio-emotional structures is presented. RESULTS Several DTI studies reported microstructural differences indicative of developmental alterations in white matter organization, and potentially myelination, in ASD. Altered structure within long-range white matter tracts linking socio-emotional processing regions was implicated. While alterations of the uncinate fasciculus and frontal and temporal thalamic projections have been associated with social symptoms in ASD, few studies examined association of tract microstructure with core impairment in this disorder. CONCLUSIONS The uncinate fasciculus and frontal and temporal thalamic projections mediate limbic connectivity and integrate structures responsible for complex socio-emotional functioning. Impaired development of limbic connectivity may represent one neural substrate contributing to ASD social impairments. Future efforts to further elucidate the nature of atypical white matter development, and its relationship to core symptoms, may offer new insights into etiological mechanisms contributing to ASD impairments and uncover novel opportunities for targeted intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie H Ameis
- The Hospital for Sick Children, Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Child, Youth and Family Program, Research Imaging Centre, The Campbell Family Mental Health Institute, The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Marco Catani
- NATBRAINLAB, Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry PO50, King's College London, London, UK.
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Peterson D, Mahajan R, Crocetti D, Mejia A, Mostofsky S. Left-hemispheric microstructural abnormalities in children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder. Autism Res 2014; 8:61-72. [PMID: 25256103 DOI: 10.1002/aur.1413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2013] [Accepted: 08/12/2014] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Current theories of the neurobiological basis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) posit an altered pattern of connectivity in large-scale brain networks. Here we used diffusion tensor imaging to investigate the microstructural properties of the white matter (WM) that mediates interregional connectivity in 36 high-functioning children with ASD (HF-ASD) as compared with 37 controls. By employing an atlas-based analysis using large deformation diffeometric morphic mapping registration, a widespread but left-lateralized pattern of abnormalities was revealed. The mean diffusivity (MD) of water in the WM of HF-ASD children was significantly elevated throughout the left hemisphere, particularly in the outer-zone cortical WM. Across diagnostic groups, there was a significant effect of age on left-hemisphere MD, with a similar reduction in MD during childhood in both typically developing and HF-ASD children. The increased MD in children with HF-ASD suggests hypomyelination and may reflect increased short-range cortico-cortical connections subsequent to early WM overgrowth. These findings also highlight left-hemispheric connectivity as relevant to the pathophysiology of ASD and indicate that the spatial distribution of microstructural abnormalities in HF-ASD is widespread and left-lateralized. This altered left-hemispheric connectivity may contribute to deficits in communication and praxis observed in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Peterson
- Center for Neurodevelopment and Imaging Research (CNIR), Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, Maryland
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Murphy JW, Foxe JJ, Peters JB, Molholm S. Susceptibility to distraction in autism spectrum disorder: probing the integrity of oscillatory alpha-band suppression mechanisms. Autism Res 2014; 7:442-58. [PMID: 24678054 DOI: 10.1002/aur.1374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2013] [Accepted: 03/03/2014] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
When attention is directed to one information stream over another, the brain can be configured in advance to selectively process the relevant stream and suppress potentially distracting inputs. One key mechanism of suppression is through the deployment of anticipatory alpha-band (~10 Hz) oscillatory activity, with greater alpha-band power observed in cortical regions that will ultimately process the distracting stream. Atypical attention has been implicated in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), including greater interference by distracting task-irrelevant inputs. Here we tested the integrity of these alpha-band mechanisms in ASD using an intersensory attention task. Electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded while participants were cued on a trial-by-trial basis to selectively deploy attention to the visual or auditory modality in anticipation of a target within the cued modality. Whereas typically developing (TD) children showed the predicted alpha-band modulation, with increased alpha-band power over parieto-occipital scalp when attention was deployed to the auditory compared with the visual modality, this differential pattern was entirely absent at the group level in the ASD cohort. Further, only the ASD group showed impaired performance due to the presence of task-irrelevant sensory information. These data suggest that impaired modulation of alpha-band activity plays a role in increased distraction from extraneous sensory inputs in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy W Murphy
- The Sheryl and Daniel R. Tishman Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Children's Evaluation and Rehabilitation Center, Department of Pediatrics and Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York; Program in Cognitive Neuroscience, Departments of Psychology and Biology, City College of the City University of New York, New York, New York
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Moseley RL, Pulvermüller F, Mohr B, Lombardo MV, Baron-Cohen S, Shtyrov Y. Brain routes for reading in adults with and without autism: EMEG evidence. J Autism Dev Disord 2014; 44:137-53. [PMID: 23748435 PMCID: PMC3898534 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-013-1858-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Reading utilises at least two neural pathways. The temporal lexical route visually maps whole words to their lexical entries, whilst the nonlexical route decodes words phonologically via parietal cortex. Readers typically employ the lexical route for familiar words, but poor comprehension plus precocity at mechanically 'sounding out' words suggests that differences might exist in autism. Combined MEG/EEG recordings of adults with autistic spectrum conditions (ASC) and controls while reading revealed preferential recruitment of temporal areas in controls and additional parietal recruitment in ASC. Furthermore, a lack of differences between semantic word categories was consistent with previous suggestion that people with ASC may lack a 'default' lexical-semantic processing mode. These results are discussed with reference to dual-route models of reading.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel L. Moseley
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, 15 Chaucer Road, Cambridge, CB2 7EF UK
| | - Friedemann Pulvermüller
- Brain Language Laboratory, Department of Philosophy and Humanities, Freie Universität, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Michael V. Lombardo
- Department of Psychiatry, Autism Research Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Simon Baron-Cohen
- Department of Psychiatry, Autism Research Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Yury Shtyrov
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, 15 Chaucer Road, Cambridge, CB2 7EF UK
- Centre for Functionally Integrative Neuroscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Centre for Languages and Literature, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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Abdel Razek A, Mazroa J, Baz H. Assessment of white matter integrity of autistic preschool children with diffusion weighted MR imaging. Brain Dev 2014; 36:28-34. [PMID: 23398955 DOI: 10.1016/j.braindev.2013.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2012] [Revised: 12/23/2012] [Accepted: 01/07/2013] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The purpose was to assess white matter integrity of autistic preschool children with diffusion weighted MR imaging. Prospective study was carried on 19 autistic children (mean age 55.2ms, IQ of 86.5) and 10 sex, age and IQ matched control (mean age 53.2ms, IQ 84.5). The childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS), social age and language age were calculated. Patients and controls underwent diffusion weighted MR imaging of the brain with b factor of 0, 500 and 1000s/mm(2). The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value at different regions of the white matter were calculated and correlated with CARS, social age and language age. There were significant differences at the ADC value of the white matter between autistic and control children at genu (P=0.043), splenium (P=0.003) of the corpus callosum, frontal white matter (P=0.015) and temporal white matter (P=0.020). There was positive correlation of CARS score with ADC value of the genu (r=0.63, P=0.001), splenium (r=0.59, P=0.005), frontal white matter (r=0.81, P=0.001) and temporal white matter (r=0.74, P=0.001). The social age well correlated with ADC value of the frontal white matter (r=0.81, P=0.001) and language age well correlated with ADC value of the temporal white matter (r=0.78, P=0.001). We concluded that ADC value can be helpful in assessment of integrity of the white matter in autistic preschool children and well correlated with CARS score, social age and language age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed Abdel Razek
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Mansoura Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura, Egypt.
| | - Jehan Mazroa
- Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Mansoura Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura, Egypt
| | - Hemmat Baz
- Phonetic Unit, ENT Department, Mansoura Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura, Egypt
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE Here, we examined the cingulum bundle, a long-range white matter tract mediating dorsal limbic connectivity, using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) tractography, in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) versus controls. We hypothesised that cingulum bundle microstructure would be altered in ASD, based on evidence implicating abnormal white matter connectivity in this disorder. METHODS DTI data were acquired for 19 ASD participants (IQ ⩾ 70; 7-18 years; mean = 12.4 ± 3.1) and 16 age-matched controls (7-18 years; mean = 12.3 ± 3.6) on a 3 T magnetic resonance imaging system. Deterministic tractography was used to isolate the cingulum bundle. Left and right cingulum bundles were examined for differences in several DTI metrics in ASD children/adolescents versus controls, including: fractional anisotropy (FA), mean, axial, and radial diffusivity. RESULTS Significant age × group interaction effects were found for all DTI metrics (mean diffusivity: F 1,28 = 9.5, p = 0.005, radial diffusivity: F 1,28 = 7.8, p = 0.009, axial diffusivity: F 1,28 = 5.2, p = 0.03, FA: F 1,28 = 4.4, p = 0.04). Interaction effects were driven by increases in cingulum bundle diffusivity (mean, radial, and axial diffusivity), and decreased FA, in younger ASD participants within our sample versus controls. CONCLUSION Our results point to immature microstructural organisation of the cingulum bundle in ASD, particularly during the early years of life, with implications for limbic network synchronisation and complex socio-emotional performance.
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McGrath J, Johnson K, O'Hanlon E, Garavan H, Leemans A, Gallagher L. Abnormal functional connectivity during visuospatial processing is associated with disrupted organisation of white matter in autism. Front Hum Neurosci 2013; 7:434. [PMID: 24133425 PMCID: PMC3783945 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2013.00434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2013] [Accepted: 07/16/2013] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Disruption of structural and functional neural connectivity has been widely reported in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) but there is a striking lack of research attempting to integrate analysis of functional and structural connectivity in the same study population, an approach that may provide key insights into the specific neurobiological underpinnings of altered functional connectivity in autism. The aims of this study were (1) to determine whether functional connectivity abnormalities were associated with structural abnormalities of white matter (WM) in ASD and (2) to examine the relationships between aberrant neural connectivity and behavior in ASD. Twenty-two individuals with ASD and 22 age, IQ-matched controls completed a high-angular-resolution diffusion MRI scan. Structural connectivity was analysed using constrained spherical deconvolution (CSD) based tractography. Regions for tractography were generated from the results of a previous study, in which 10 pairs of brain regions showed abnormal functional connectivity during visuospatial processing in ASD. WM tracts directly connected 5 of the 10 region pairs that showed abnormal functional connectivity; linking a region in the left occipital lobe (left BA19) and five paired regions: left caudate head, left caudate body, left uncus, left thalamus, and left cuneus. Measures of WM microstructural organization were extracted from these tracts. Fractional anisotropy (FA) reductions in the ASD group relative to controls were significant for WM connecting left BA19 to left caudate head and left BA19 to left thalamus. Using a multimodal imaging approach, this study has revealed aberrant WM microstructure in tracts that directly connect brain regions that are abnormally functionally connected in ASD. These results provide novel evidence to suggest that structural brain pathology may contribute (1) to abnormal functional connectivity and (2) to atypical visuospatial processing in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane McGrath
- Department of Psychiatry Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
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Gibbard CR, Ren J, Seunarine KK, Clayden JD, Skuse DH, Clark CA. White matter microstructure correlates with autism trait severity in a combined clinical-control sample of high-functioning adults. Neuroimage Clin 2013; 3:106-14. [PMID: 24179854 PMCID: PMC3791280 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2013.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2013] [Revised: 07/26/2013] [Accepted: 07/26/2013] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) studies have demonstrated white matter (WM) abnormalities in tracts involved in emotion processing in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but little is known regarding the nature and distribution of WM anomalies in relation to ASD trait severity in adults. Increasing evidence suggests that ASD occurs at the extreme of a distribution of social abilities. We aimed to examine WM microstructure as a potential marker for ASD symptom severity in a combined clinical-neurotypical population. SIENAX was used to estimate whole brain volume. Tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) was used to provide a voxel-wise comparison of WM microstructure in 50 high-functioning young adults: 25 ASD and 25 neurotypical. The severity of ASD traits was measured by autism quotient (AQ); we examined regressions between DTI markers of WM microstructure and ASD trait severity. Cognitive abilities, measured by intelligence quotient, were well-matched between the groups and were controlled in all analyses. There were no significant group differences in whole brain volume. TBSS showed widespread regions of significantly reduced fractional anisotropy (FA) and increased mean diffusivity (MD) and radial diffusivity (RD) in ASD compared with controls. Linear regression analyses in the combined sample showed that average whole WM skeleton FA was negatively influenced by AQ (p = 0.004), whilst MD and RD were positively related to AQ (p = 0.002; p = 0.001). Regression slopes were similar within both groups and strongest for AQ social, communication and attention switching scores. In conclusion, similar regression characteristics were found between WM microstructure and ASD trait severity in a combined sample of ASD and neurotypical adults. WM anomalies were relatively more severe in the clinically diagnosed sample. Both findings suggest that there is a dimensional relationship between WM microstructure and severity of ASD traits from neurotypical subjects through to clinical ASD, with reduced coherence of WM associated with greater ASD symptoms. General cognitive abilities were independent of the relationship between WM indices and ASD traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clare R. Gibbard
- Imaging and Biophysics Unit, UCL Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Juejing Ren
- Behavioural and Brain Sciences Unit, UCL Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Kiran K. Seunarine
- Imaging and Biophysics Unit, UCL Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Jonathan D. Clayden
- Imaging and Biophysics Unit, UCL Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - David H. Skuse
- Behavioural and Brain Sciences Unit, UCL Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street, London WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - Chris A. Clark
- Imaging and Biophysics Unit, UCL Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street, London WC1N 1EH, UK
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Aoki Y, Abe O, Nippashi Y, Yamasue H. Comparison of white matter integrity between autism spectrum disorder subjects and typically developing individuals: a meta-analysis of diffusion tensor imaging tractography studies. Mol Autism 2013; 4:25. [PMID: 23876131 PMCID: PMC3726469 DOI: 10.1186/2040-2392-4-25] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2012] [Accepted: 05/08/2013] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Aberrant brain connectivity, especially with long-distance underconnectivity, has been recognized as a candidate pathophysiology of autism spectrum disorders. However, a number of diffusion tensor imaging studies investigating people with autism spectrum disorders have yielded inconsistent results. METHODS To test the long-distance underconnectivity hypothesis, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of diffusion tensor imaging studies in subjects with autism spectrum disorder. Diffusion tensor imaging studies comparing individuals with autism spectrum disorders with typically developing individuals were searched using MEDLINE, Web of Science and EMBASE from 1980 through 1 August 2012. Standardized mean differences were calculated as an effect size of the tracts. RESULTS A comprehensive literature search identified 25 relevant diffusion tensor imaging studies comparing autism spectrum disorders and typical development with regions-of-interest methods. Among these, 14 studies examining regions of interest with suprathreshold sample sizes were included in the meta-analysis. A random-effects model demonstrated significant fractional anisotropy reductions in the corpus callosum (P = 0.023, n = 387 (autism spectrum disorders/typically developing individuals: 208/179)), left uncinate fasciculus (P = 0.011, n = 242 (117/125)), and left superior longitudinal fasciculus (P = 0.016, n = 182 (96/86)), and significant increases of mean diffusivity in the corpus callosum (P = 0.006, n = 254 (129/125)) and superior longitudinal fasciculus bilaterally (P = 0.031 and 0.011, left and right, respectively, n = 109 (51/58)), in subjects with autism spectrum disorders compared with typically developing individuals with no significant publication bias. CONCLUSION The current meta-analysis of diffusion tensor imaging studies in subjects with autism spectrum disorders emphasizes important roles of the superior longitudinal fasciculus, uncinate fasciculus, and corpus callosum in the pathophysiology of autism spectrum disorders and supports the long-distance underconnectivity hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuta Aoki
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8655, Japan.
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Mills BD, Lai J, Brown TT, Erhart M, Halgren E, Reilly J, Dale A, Appelbaum M, Moses P. White matter microstructure correlates of narrative production in typically developing children and children with high functioning autism. Neuropsychologia 2013; 51:1933-41. [PMID: 23810972 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2013.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2012] [Revised: 05/01/2013] [Accepted: 06/11/2013] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
This study investigated the relationship between white matter microstructure and the development of morphosyntax in a spoken narrative in typically developing children (TD) and in children with high functioning autism (HFA). Autism is characterized by language and communication impairments, yet the relationship between morphosyntactic development in spontaneous discourse contexts and neural development is not well understood in either this population or typical development. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) was used to assess multiple parameters of diffusivity as indicators of white matter tract integrity in language-related tracts in children between 6 and 13 years of age. Children were asked to spontaneously tell a story about at time when someone made them sad, mad, or angry. The story was evaluated for morphological accuracy and syntactic complexity. Analysis of the relationship between white matter microstructure and language performance in TD children showed that diffusivity correlated with morphosyntax production in the superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF), a fiber tract traditionally associated with language. At the anatomical level, the HFA group showed abnormal diffusivity in the right inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF) relative to the TD group. Within the HFA group, children with greater white matter integrity in the right ILF displayed greater morphological accuracy during their spoken narrative. Overall, the current study shows an association between white matter structure in a traditional language pathway and narrative performance in TD children. In the autism group, associations were only found in the ILF, suggesting that during real world language use, children with HFA rely less on typical pathways and more on alternative ventral pathways that possibly mediate visual elements of language.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian D Mills
- Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92120, USA
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Interdisciplinary implications on autism, savantism, Asperger syndrome and the biophysical picture representation: Thinking in pictures. COGN SYST RES 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cogsys.2012.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register]
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38
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Abstract
This review presents an overview of functional magnetic resonance imaging findings in autism spectrum disorders (ASDS), although there is considerable heterogeneity with respect to results across studies, common themes have emerged, including: (i) hypoactivation in nodes of the "social brain" during social processing tasks, including regions within the prefrontal cortex, the posterior superior temporal sulcus, the amygdala, and the fusiform gyrus; (ii) aberrant frontostriatal activation during cognitive control tasks relevant to restricted and repetitive behaviors and interests, including regions within the dorsal prefrontal cortex and the basal ganglia; (iii) differential lateralization and activation of language processing and production regions during communication tasks; (iv) anomalous mesolimbic responses to social and nonsocial rewards; (v) task-based long-range functional hypoconnectivity and short-range hyper-connectivity; and (vi) decreased anterior-posterior functional connectivity during resting states. These findings provide mechanistic accounts of ASD pathophysiology and suggest directions for future research aimed at elucidating etiologic models and developing rationally derived and targeted treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel S Dichter
- Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.
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Jakab A, Emri M, Spisak T, Szeman-Nagy A, Beres M, Kis SA, Molnar P, Berenyi E. Autistic traits in neurotypical adults: correlates of graph theoretical functional network topology and white matter anisotropy patterns. PLoS One 2013; 8:e60982. [PMID: 23593367 PMCID: PMC3618514 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0060982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2012] [Accepted: 03/05/2013] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Attempts to explicate the neural abnormalities behind autism spectrum disorders frequently revealed impaired brain connectivity, yet our knowledge is limited about the alterations linked with autistic traits in the non-clinical population. In our study, we aimed at exploring the neural correlates of dimensional autistic traits using a dual approach of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and graph theoretical analysis of resting state functional MRI data. Subjects were sampled from a public neuroimaging dataset of healthy volunteers. Inclusion criteria were adult age (age: 18-65), availability of DTI and resting state functional acquisitions and psychological evaluation including the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) and Autistic Spectrum Screening Questionnaire (ASSQ). The final subject cohort consisted of 127 neurotypicals. Global brain network structure was described by graph theoretical parameters: global and average local efficiency. Regional topology was characterized by degree and efficiency. We provided measurements for diffusion anisotropy. The association between autistic traits and the neuroimaging findings was studied using a general linear model analysis, controlling for the effects of age, gender and IQ profile. Significant negative correlation was found between the degree and efficiency of the right posterior cingulate cortex and autistic traits, measured by the combination of ASSQ and SRS scores. Autistic phenotype was associated with the decrease of whole-brain local efficiency. Reduction of diffusion anisotropy was found bilaterally in the temporal fusiform and parahippocampal gyri. Numerous models describe the autistic brain connectome to be dominated by reduced long-range connections and excessive short-range fibers. Our finding of decreased efficiency supports this hypothesis although the only prominent effect was seen in the posterior limbic lobe, which is known to act as a connector hub. The neural correlates of the autistic trait in neurotypicals showed only limited similarities to the reported findings in clinical populations with low functioning autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andras Jakab
- Department of Biomedical Laboratory and Imaging Science, University of Debrecen Medical and Health Science Center, Debrecen, Hungary.
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Mody M, Manoach DS, Guenther FH, Kenet T, Bruno KA, McDougle CJ, Stigler KA. Speech and language in autism spectrum disorder: a view through the lens of behavior and brain imaging. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013. [DOI: 10.2217/npy.13.19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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Mody M, Belliveau JW. Speech and Language Impairments in Autism: Insights from Behavior and Neuroimaging. NORTH AMERICAN JOURNAL OF MEDICINE & SCIENCE 2013; 5:157-161. [PMID: 24349628 PMCID: PMC3862077 DOI: 10.7156/v5i3p157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
A failure to develop language is one of the earliest signs of autism. The ability to identify the neural signature of this deficit in very young children has become increasingly important, given that the presence of speech before five years of age is the strongest predictor for better outcomes in autism. This review consolidates what is known about verbal and preverbal precursors of language development as a framework for examining behavioral and brain anomalies related to speech and language in autism spectrum disorders. Relating the disruptions in the speech network to the social deficits observed will provide promising targets for behavioral and pharmacological interventions in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Mody
- Corresponding Author: MGH/HST Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Harvard Medical School, Dept. of Radiology, 149 13 Street, Charlestown, MA 02129. Tel: 617-726-6913.
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42
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Travers BG, Adluru N, Ennis C, Tromp DPM, Destiche D, Doran S, Bigler ED, Lange N, Lainhart JE, Alexander AL. Diffusion tensor imaging in autism spectrum disorder: a review. Autism Res 2012; 5:289-313. [PMID: 22786754 PMCID: PMC3474893 DOI: 10.1002/aur.1243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 297] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2012] [Accepted: 06/04/2012] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
White matter tracts of the brain allow neurons and neuronal networks to communicate and function with high efficiency. The aim of this review is to briefly introduce diffusion tensor imaging methods that examine white matter tracts and then to give an overview of the studies that have investigated white matter integrity in the brains of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). From the 48 studies we reviewed, persons with ASD tended to have decreased fractional anisotropy and increased mean diffusivity in white matter tracts spanning many regions of the brain but most consistently in regions such as the corpus callosum, cingulum, and aspects of the temporal lobe. This decrease in fractional anisotropy was often accompanied by increased radial diffusivity. Additionally, the review suggests possible atypical lateralization in some white matter tracts of the brain and a possible atypical developmental trajectory of white matter microstructure in persons with ASD. Clinical implications and future research directions are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brittany G Travers
- Waisman Laboratory for Brain Imaging and Behavior, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53705, USA.
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Bakhtiari R, Zürcher NR, Rogier O, Russo B, Hippolyte L, Granziera C, Araabi BN, Nili Ahmadabadi M, Hadjikhani N. Differences in white matter reflect atypical developmental trajectory in autism: A Tract-based Spatial Statistics study. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2012; 1:48-56. [PMID: 24179736 PMCID: PMC3757732 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2012.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2012] [Revised: 08/20/2012] [Accepted: 09/03/2012] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder in which white matter (WM) maturation is affected. We assessed WM integrity in 16 adolescents and 14 adults with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and in matched neurotypical controls (NT) using diffusion weighted imaging and Tract-based Spatial Statistics. Decreased fractional anisotropy (FA) was observed in adolescents with ASD in tracts involved in emotional face processing, language, and executive functioning, including the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus and the inferior and superior longitudinal fasciculi. Remarkably, no differences in FA were observed between ASD and NT adults. We evaluated the effect of age on WM development across the entire age range. Positive correlations between FA values and age were observed in the right inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus, the left superior longitudinal fasciculus, the corpus callosum, and the cortical spinal tract of ASD participants, but not in NT participants. Our data underscore the dynamic nature of brain development in ASD, showing the presence of an atypical process of WM maturation, that appears to normalize over time and could be at the basis of behavioral improvements often observed in high-functioning autism.
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Key Words
- ADI-R, Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised
- ADOS, Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule
- AQ, Autism Quotient
- ASD, Autism Spectrum Disorders
- ATR, anterior thalamic radiations
- Autism spectrum disorder
- Brain connectivity
- Brain development
- Brain maturation
- CC, corpus callosum
- CT, corticospinal tract
- DTI, Diffusion Tensor Imaging
- DTT, Diffusion Tensor Tractography
- Diffusion Tensor Imaging
- EF, executive functions
- FA, fractional anisotropy
- Fractional anisotropy
- IFOF, inferior froto-occipital fasciculus
- ILF, inferior longitudinal fasciculus
- NT, neurotypical
- PIQ, Performance Intelligence Quotient
- SLF, superior longitudinal fasciculus
- TBSS, Tract-based Spatial Statistics
- TE, echo time
- TFCE, Threshold-free Cluster Enhancement
- TR, repetition time
- UNC, uncinate fasciculus
- VBM, Voxel-Based Morphometry
- VBS, Voxel based Statistics of FA Images (VBM-like)
- WM, white matter
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Affiliation(s)
- Reyhaneh Bakhtiari
- Control and Intelligent Processing Center of Excellence, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran ; Department of Cognitive Sciences, Institute for Research in Fundamental Sciences (IPM), Tehran, Iran ; Brain Mind Institute, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale, Lausanne, Switzerland
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44
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Dichter GS. Functional magnetic resonance imaging of autism spectrum disorders. DIALOGUES IN CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCE 2012; 14:319-51. [PMID: 23226956 PMCID: PMC3513685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
This review presents an overview of functional magnetic resonance imaging findings in autism spectrum disorders (ASDS), although there is considerable heterogeneity with respect to results across studies, common themes have emerged, including: (i) hypoactivation in nodes of the "social brain" during social processing tasks, including regions within the prefrontal cortex, the posterior superior temporal sulcus, the amygdala, and the fusiform gyrus; (ii) aberrant frontostriatal activation during cognitive control tasks relevant to restricted and repetitive behaviors and interests, including regions within the dorsal prefrontal cortex and the basal ganglia; (iii) differential lateralization and activation of language processing and production regions during communication tasks; (iv) anomalous mesolimbic responses to social and nonsocial rewards; (v) task-based long-range functional hypoconnectivity and short-range hyper-connectivity; and (vi) decreased anterior-posterior functional connectivity during resting states. These findings provide mechanistic accounts of ASD pathophysiology and suggest directions for future research aimed at elucidating etiologic models and developing rationally derived and targeted treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel S Dichter
- Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.
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45
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McGrath J, Johnson K, Ecker C, O'Hanlon E, Gill M, Gallagher L, Garavan H. Atypical visuospatial processing in autism: insights from functional connectivity analysis. Autism Res 2012; 5:314-30. [PMID: 22865697 DOI: 10.1002/aur.1245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2011] [Accepted: 06/27/2012] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Atypical visuospatial processing is commonly described in autism spectrum disorders (ASDs); however the specific neurobiological underpinnings of this phenomenon are poorly understood. Given the extensive evidence suggesting ASDs are characterized by abnormal neural connectivity, this study aimed to investigate network connectivity during visuospatial processing in ASD. Twenty-two males with ASD without intellectual disability and 22 individually matched controls performed a mental rotation task during functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in which two rotated stimuli were judged to be same ("Same Trials") or mirror-imaged ("Mirror Trials"). Behavioral results revealed a relative advantage of mental rotation in the ASD group-controls were slower responding to the more difficult Mirror Trials than Same Trials whereas the ASD group completed Mirror Trials and Same-trials at similar speeds. In the ASD group, brain activity was reduced in frontal, temporal, occipital, striatal, and cerebellar regions and, consistent with previous literature, functional connectivity between a number of brain regions was reduced. However, some connections appeared to be conserved and were recruited in a qualitatively different way by the two groups. As task difficulty increased (on Mirror Trials), controls tended to increase connections between certain brain regions, whereas the ASD group appeared to suppress connections between these regions. There was an interesting exception to this pattern in the visual cortex, a finding that may suggest an advantage in early visual perceptual processing in ASD. Overall, this study has identified a relative advantage in mental rotation in ASD that is associated with aberrant neural connectivity and that may stem from enhanced visual perceptual processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane McGrath
- Department of Psychiatry, Trinity Centre for Health Sciences, St. James's Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.
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46
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Ameis SH, Fan J, Rockel C, Voineskos AN, Lobaugh NJ, Soorya L, Wang AT, Hollander E, Anagnostou E. Impaired structural connectivity of socio-emotional circuits in autism spectrum disorders: a diffusion tensor imaging study. PLoS One 2011; 6:e28044. [PMID: 22132206 PMCID: PMC3223195 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0028044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2011] [Accepted: 10/31/2011] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Abnormal white matter development may disrupt integration within neural circuits, causing particular impairments in higher-order behaviours. In autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), white matter alterations may contribute to characteristic deficits in complex socio-emotional and communication domains. Here, we used diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and tract based spatial statistics (TBSS) to evaluate white matter microstructure in ASD. Methods/Principal Findings DTI scans were acquired for 19 children and adolescents with ASD (∼8–18 years; mean 12.4±3.1) and 16 age and IQ matched controls (∼8–18 years; mean 12.3±3.6) on a 3T MRI system. DTI values for fractional anisotropy, mean diffusivity, radial diffusivity and axial diffusivity, were measured. Age by group interactions for global and voxel-wise white matter indices were examined. Voxel-wise analyses comparing ASD with controls in: (i) the full cohort (ii), children only (≤12 yrs.), and (iii) adolescents only (>12 yrs.) were performed, followed by tract-specific comparisons. Significant age-by-group interactions on global DTI indices were found for all three diffusivity measures, but not for fractional anisotropy. Voxel-wise analyses revealed prominent diffusion measure differences in ASD children but not adolescents, when compared to healthy controls. Widespread increases in mean and radial diffusivity in ASD children were prominent in frontal white matter voxels. Follow-up tract-specific analyses highlighted disruption to pathways integrating frontal, temporal, and occipital structures involved in socio-emotional processing. Conclusions/Significance Our findings highlight disruption of neural circuitry in ASD, particularly in those white matter tracts that integrate the complex socio-emotional processing that is impaired in this disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie H. Ameis
- Department of Psychiatry, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jin Fan
- Department of Psychology, Queens College, The City University of New York, Flushing, New York, United States of America
- Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Conrad Rockel
- Department of Psychology, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Aristotle N. Voineskos
- The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Nancy J. Lobaugh
- LC Campbell Cognitive Neurology Research Unit and Brain Sciences Research Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Latha Soorya
- Department of Psychiatry, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - A. Ting Wang
- Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Eric Hollander
- Department of Psychiatry, Montefiore Medical Center, University Hospital for Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States of America
| | - Evdokia Anagnostou
- Department of Psychiatry, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York, United States of America
- Bloorview Research Institute, Department of Pediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- * E-mail:
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47
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Dziobek I, Köhne S. [Brain imaging in autism spectrum disorders. A review]. DER NERVENARZT 2011; 82:564-72. [PMID: 21533594 DOI: 10.1007/s00115-010-3240-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
In the past two decades, an increasing number of functional and structural brain imaging studies has provided insights into the neurobiological basis of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). This article summarizes pertinent functional brain imaging studies addressing the neuronal underpinnings of ASD symptomatology (impairments in social interaction and communication, repetitive and restrictive behavior) and associated neuropsychological deficits (theory of mind, executive functions, central coherence), complemented by relevant structural imaging findings. The results of these studies show that although cognitive functions in ASD are generally mediated by the same brain regions as in typically developed individuals, the degree and especially the patterns of brain activation often differ. Therefore, a hypothesis of aberrant network connectivity has increasingly been favored over one of focal brain dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Dziobek
- Cluster Languages of Emotion, Freie Universität Berlin, Habelschwerdter Allee 45, 14195, Berlin.
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48
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Jou RJ, Mateljevic N, Kaiser MD, Sugrue DR, Volkmar FR, Pelphrey KA. Structural neural phenotype of autism: preliminary evidence from a diffusion tensor imaging study using tract-based spatial statistics. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 2011; 32:1607-13. [PMID: 21799040 PMCID: PMC7965377 DOI: 10.3174/ajnr.a2558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE There is mounting evidence suggesting widespread aberrations in neural connectivity as the underlying neurobiology of autism. Using DTI to assess white matter abnormalities, this study implemented a voxelwise analysis and tract-labeling strategy to test for a structural neural phenotype in autism. MATERIALS AND METHODS Subjects included 15 boys with autism and 8 controls, group-matched on age, cognitive functioning, sex, and handedness. DTI data were obtained by using a 3T scanner. FSL, including TBSS, was used to process and analyze DTI data where FA was chosen as the primary measure of fiber tract integrity. Affected voxels were labeled by using an integrated white matter tractography atlas. Post hoc correlation analyses were performed between FA of each affected fiber tract and scores on the Social Responsiveness Scale. RESULTS The autism group exhibited bilateral reductions in FA involving numerous association, commissural, and projection tracts, with the most severely affected being the forceps minor. The most affected association tracts were the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus and superior longitudinal fasciculus. There were no areas of increased FA in the autism group. All post hoc correlation analyses became nonsignificant after controlling for multiple comparisons. CONCLUSIONS This study provides preliminary evidence of reduced FA along many long-range fiber tracts in autism, suggesting aberrant long-range corticocortical connectivity. Although the spatial distribution of these findings suggests widespread abnormalities, there are major differences in the degree to which different tracts are affected, suggesting a more specific neural phenotype in autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- R J Jou
- Yale Child Study Center; Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.
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49
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Shukla DK, Keehn B, Smylie DM, Müller RA. Microstructural abnormalities of short-distance white matter tracts in autism spectrum disorder. Neuropsychologia 2011; 49:1378-1382. [PMID: 21333661 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2011.02.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2010] [Revised: 02/08/2011] [Accepted: 02/10/2011] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Recent functional connectivity magnetic resonance imaging and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) studies have suggested atypical functional connectivity and reduced integrity of long-distance white matter fibers in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, evidence for short-distance white matter fibers is still limited, despite some speculation of potential sparing of local connectivity in ASD. Short-distance U-fibers are an important component of neural networks and are thought to play a crucial role in cognitive function. In the present study, we applied tract-based spatial statistics to derive short- and long-distance white matter tracts in frontal, parietal, and temporal lobes in both hemispheres. DTI data were acquired from 26 children with ASD and 24 typically developing (TD) children. A mean fractional anisotropy (FA) image was created and thinned to represent centers of all common tracts. Evidence of compromised short-distance tracts for the ASD group was found in frontal lobe (reduced FA, increased mean diffusivity [MD] and radial diffusivity) as well as in temporal and parietal lobes (increased MD and radial diffusivity). Significant positive correlations between age and FA and negative correlations between age and MD and radial diffusivity were also found for short-distance tracts in each lobe in the TD, but not the ASD group. These results suggest white matter compromise in short-distance tracts in ASD. Absence of typical age-related correlations with DTI indices may reflect altered maturation of short-distance tracts in ASD. Our results are inconsistent with a notion of selective sparing of short-distance connectivity in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dinesh K Shukla
- Brain Development Imaging Lab, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, 6363 Alvarado Ct, Suite 225E, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Brandon Keehn
- Brain Development Imaging Lab, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, 6363 Alvarado Ct, Suite 225E, San Diego, CA, USA; Joint Doctoral Program in Language and Communicative Disorders, San Diego State University / University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Daren M Smylie
- Brain Development Imaging Lab, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, 6363 Alvarado Ct, Suite 225E, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Ralph-Axel Müller
- Brain Development Imaging Lab, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, 6363 Alvarado Ct, Suite 225E, San Diego, CA, USA.
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