Paternal age contribution to brain white matter aberrations in autism spectrum disorder

Area of Science:

• Neuroimaging
• Developmental Neuroscience
• Autism Spectrum Disorder Research

Background:

• Advanced parental age is a known risk factor for autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
• The specific impact of parental age on white matter development in ASD remains underexplored.
• White matter alterations are implicated in the underlying pathophysiology of ASD.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify white matter differences in adults with high-functioning ASD compared to typically developing individuals.
• To investigate the association between paternal and maternal age at birth and observed white matter disparities in ASD.

Main Methods:

• Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data from 39 adult males with ASD and 37 typically developing (TD) males were analyzed.
• Tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) and FMRIB Software Library (FSL) were employed for DTI data processing.
• Linear and multiple regression analyses were used to examine the relationship between parental age and white matter metrics.

Main Results:

• Individuals with ASD showed significantly higher mean diffusivity (MD) and radial diffusivity (RD) in multiple white matter tracts compared to TD individuals.
• No significant differences were found in fractional anisotropy (FA) or axial diffusivity (AD) between groups.
• Paternal age (PA), but not maternal age, positively correlated with MD and RD in affected white matter tracts, and PA was identified as a significant predictor.

Conclusions:

• Paternal age at birth is associated with white matter microstructural differences observed in adults with ASD.
• These findings highlight paternal age as a contributing factor to atypical white matter development in ASD.
• Further research is warranted to elucidate the mechanisms linking paternal age to ASD pathophysiology.