Resting-state abnormalities in Autism Spectrum Disorders: A meta-analysis.

Area of Science:

• Neuroimaging
• Developmental Neuroscience
• Psychiatry

Background:

• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis relies on behavioral assessments, which may miss at-risk individuals.
• Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) offers non-invasive, objective neural markers.
• Previous rs-fMRI studies in ASD show inconsistent findings due to small sample sizes and heterogeneity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify consistent local resting-state brain abnormalities in ASD across diverse populations.
• To investigate potential neurobiological markers for ASD using meta-analysis.
• To overcome limitations of previous studies by accounting for age, IQ, gender, and severity.

Main Methods:

• A systematic literature search of MEDLINE/PubMed for rs-fMRI studies on ASD.
• Activation Likelihood Estimation (ALE) meta-analysis of eight selected studies.
• Inclusion of 424 subjects across studies published until February 2018.

Main Results:

• Identified significant local underconnectivity in the dorsal posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) in individuals with ASD.
• Detected local underconnectivity in the right medial paracentral lobule in ASD.
• Revealed consistent patterns of resting-state abnormalities irrespective of subject characteristics.

Conclusions:

• This meta-analysis provides evidence for specific local resting-state underconnectivity in ASD.
• The identified brain regions may serve as potential neurobiological markers for ASD.
• These findings contribute to a more objective understanding of ASD neurobiology.