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Neural circuitry at age 6 months associated with later repetitive behavior and sensory responsiveness in autism
Jason J Wolff1, Meghan R Swanson2, Jed T Elison3
1Department of Educational Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN USA.
Insights
Early brain pathway differences in infants at high risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) predict later repetitive behaviors and sensory issues. These findings highlight specific white matter connections in the brain related to ASD symptoms.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Restricted and repetitive behaviors (RRBs) are core features of autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
- Revised ASD diagnostic criteria include atypical sensory responses within the RRB domain.
- Neural circuitry underlying early-life RRBs and sensory features in ASD remains poorly understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between white matter pathway structure in infancy and the development of RRBs and sensory response patterns in children diagnosed with ASD.
- To identify early neural markers associated with RRBs and sensory responsiveness in high-risk infants.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data were collected from 217 high-risk infants at 6, 12, and 24 months.
- Forty-four infants were diagnosed with ASD at age 2.
- Structural properties of callosal (genu), cerebellar, and striatal white matter pathways were measured; behavioral data included the Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised and Sensory Experiences Questionnaire.
Main Results:
- In children with ASD, repetitive behaviors and sensory response patterns were strongly correlated, independent of developmental level or social impairment.
- Longitudinal analyses revealed significant associations between genu and cerebellar pathways and both repetitive behaviors and sensory responsiveness, but not social deficits.
- Early fractional anisotropy (FA) in the genu at 6 months predicted later repetitive behaviors and sensory responsiveness; cerebellar pathways predicted later sensory responsiveness.
Conclusions:
- Structural properties of callosal and cerebellar white matter pathways in infancy and toddlerhood are associated with RRBs characteristic of ASD.
- Repetitive behaviors and unusual sensory responses co-occur in ASD and share common brain-behavior relationships.
- These findings highlight the specificity of white matter pathway associations with RRBs and sensory patterns, distinct from social deficits in early ASD.
Background:
Restricted and repetitive behaviors are defining features of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Under revised diagnostic criteria for ASD, this behavioral domain now includes atypical responses to sensory stimuli. To date, little is known about the neural circuitry underlying these features of ASD early in life.
Methods:
Longitudinal diffusion tensor imaging data were collected from 217 infants at high familial risk for ASD. Forty-four of these infants were diagnosed with ASD at age 2. Targeted cortical, cerebellar, and striatal white matter pathways were defined and measured at ages 6, 12, and 24 months. Dependent variables included the Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised and the Sensory Experiences Questionnaire.
Results:
Among children diagnosed with ASD, repetitive behaviors and sensory response patterns were strongly correlated, even when accounting for developmental level or social impairment. Longitudinal analyses indicated that the genu and cerebellar pathways were significantly associated with both repetitive behaviors and sensory responsiveness but not social deficits. At age 6 months, fractional anisotropy in the genu significantly predicted repetitive behaviors and sensory responsiveness at age 2. Cerebellar pathways significantly predicted later sensory responsiveness. Exploratory analyses suggested a possible disordinal interaction based on diagnostic status for the association between fractional anisotropy and repetitive behavior.
Conclusions:
Our findings suggest that restricted and repetitive behaviors contributing to a diagnosis of ASD at age 2 years are associated with structural properties of callosal and cerebellar white matter pathways measured during infancy and toddlerhood. We further identified that repetitive behaviors and unusual sensory response patterns co-occur and share common brain-behavior relationships. These results were strikingly specific given the absence of association between targeted pathways and social deficits.
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