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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http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/brain/awv351 | DOI Listing |
Sci Rep
December 2024
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Weill Center for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, 94107, USA.
Telomere attrition is a hallmark of biological aging, contributing to cellular replicative senescence. However, few studies have examined the determinants of telomere attrition in vivo in humans. Mitochondrial Health Index (MHI), a composite marker integrating mitochondrial energy-transformation capacity and content, may be one important mediator of telomere attrition, as it could impact telomerase activity, a direct regulator of telomere maintenance.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAutism Res
December 2024
Center for Cognition and Brain Disorders, The Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder and its underlying neuroanatomical mechanisms still remain unclear. The scaled subprofile model of principal component analysis (SSM-PCA) is a data-driven multivariate technique for capturing stable disease-related spatial covariance pattern. Here, SSM-PCA is innovatively applied to obtain robust ASD-related gray matter volume pattern associated with clinical symptoms.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGenet Med
December 2024
Sheffield Clinical Genetics Service, Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust, Sheffield, UK; Division of Clinical Medicine, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK. Electronic address:
Purpose: The TAOK proteins are a group of serine/threonine-protein kinases involved in signalling pathways, cytoskeleton regulation, and neuronal development. TAOK1 variants are associated with a neurodevelopmental disorder (NDD) characterized by distinctive facial features, hypotonia and feeding difficulties. TAOK2 variants have been reported to be associated with autism and early-onset obesity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCureus
November 2024
Department of Emergency Medicine, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Tokyo, JPN.
Foreign body ingestion is sometimes missed during the initial evaluation of a patient with a psychiatric disorder in the emergency department. This is often due to a lack of awareness regarding the need for thorough physical and diagnostic imaging examinations. Additionally, the management of ingested foreign bodies is often controversial.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCureus
November 2024
Child Psychiatry, Adana City Training and Research Hospital, Adana, TUR.
Objective: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that emerges in early childhood and is characterized by difficulties in social communication, repetitive behaviors, and restricted interests. The Ras homolog (Rho)/Rho-kinase signaling pathway plays a critical role in maintaining synaptic structure and function, as it regulates the actin cytoskeleton. This study aims to investigate the expression of the Ras homolog (Rho) family member A (), Rho-kinase 1 (), and Rho-kinase 2 () genes within this pathway in relation to ASD.
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