Disrupted Brain Network in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Neuroscience
• Computational Neuroscience

Background:

• Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with known alterations in brain connectivity.
• The impact of these alterations on the overall topology of brain networks remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate abnormal brain network organization in children with ASD using resting-state EEG.
• To characterize topological changes in brain networks in ASD.

Main Methods:

• Resting-state electroencephalography (EEG) was employed to record brain activity.
• Temporal synchronization analysis was used to assess brain connectivity.
• Network topology was analyzed using weighted and binary graphs, and minimum spanning tree (MST) methods.

Main Results:

• Reduced whole-brain connectivity in the theta and alpha bands was observed in children with ASD compared to typically developing (TD) children.
• ASD group showed decreased path length and clustering coefficient in the alpha band, indicating a loss of small-world network properties.
• MST analysis revealed significantly lower leaf fractions and a trend towards decreased tree hierarchy in the alpha band for ASD, suggesting a decentralized network organization.

Conclusions:

• Altered brain network topology, characterized by reduced connectivity and decentralized organization, is present in children with ASD.
• These findings provide insights into ASD pathology and may contribute to the development of diagnostic biomarkers.