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Widespread Disrupted White Matter Microstructure in Autism Spectrum Disorders
Jacqueline Fitzgerald1,2, Louise Gallagher3,4, Jane McGrath3,4
1Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland. fitzgeje@tcd.ie.
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
|May 22, 2016
Summary
Researchers found that individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) exhibit disrupted white matter organization, impacting structural connectivity. This abnormality is linked to core social and behavioral challenges in ASD.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Radiology
Background:
- Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) present with core deficits in social communication and restricted, repetitive behaviors.
- Altered structural connectivity in white matter pathways is hypothesized to underlie these core ASD features.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate white matter organization and structural connectivity in individuals with ASD compared to neurotypical controls.
- To explore the association between disrupted white matter integrity and behavioral characteristics in ASD.
Main Methods:
- Diffusion MRI data was analyzed using tract-based spatial statistics.
- A cohort of 45 individuals with ASD and 45 age- and IQ-matched controls participated.
Main Results:
- Reduced fractional anisotropy, indicating aberrant structural connectivity, was found in multiple fiber pathways in the ASD group.
- Disrupted white matter organization correlated with social deficits and restricted repetitive behaviors in individuals with ASD.
Conclusions:
- Abnormal structural connectivity is evident in Autism Spectrum Disorders.
- These white matter alterations may be fundamentally linked to the core behavioral manifestations of ASD.
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