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A voxel-wise assessment of growth differences in infants developing autism spectrum disorder
A Cárdenas-de-la-Parra1, J D Lewis1, V S Fonov1
1Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 0G4, Canada.
Insights
Early brain growth differences in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) were identified using MRI scans in at-risk infants. These findings reveal distinct cerebral growth trajectories, offering potential for earlier ASD detection and intervention.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex developmental condition diagnosed around age 4.
- Earlier diagnosis through biomarkers could improve intervention outcomes and understanding of ASD mechanisms.
- Infant Brain Imaging Study (IBIS) provides longitudinal data on high-risk infants.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify early brain growth trajectory differences in infants at high risk for ASD.
- To investigate the relationship between brain morphology changes and ASD development in the first two years of life.
- To pinpoint specific brain regions exhibiting altered growth patterns associated with ASD.
Main Methods:
- Utilized magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans from the IBIS cohort at 6, 12, and 24 months.
- Applied Tensor Based Morphometry (TBM) and mixed-effects modeling for voxel-wise analysis of brain growth.
- Grouped subjects based on familial risk and clinical diagnosis at 2 years of age.
Main Results:
- Significant group-by-age interactions were observed in regions including the posterior cingulate, cingulum, fusiform, and precentral gyri.
- ASD-associated growth patterns showed increased rates in white matter and decreased rates primarily in grey matter.
- Regions with increased growth rates were generally larger and more numerous than those with decreased rates.
Conclusions:
- Voxel-level analysis reveals distinct brain growth trajectories in infants who develop ASD.
- These findings support the potential for early ASD detection using neuroimaging biomarkers.
- Understanding early brain development differences is crucial for advancing ASD research and intervention strategies.
Abstract:
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a phenotypically and etiologically heterogeneous developmental disorder typically diagnosed around 4 years of age. The development of biomarkers to help in earlier, presymptomatic diagnosis could facilitate earlier identification and therefore earlier intervention and may lead to better outcomes, as well as providing information to help better understand the underlying mechanisms of ASD. In this study, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of infants at high familial risk, from the Infant Brain Imaging Study (IBIS), at 6, 12 and 24 months of age were included in a morphological analysis, fitting a mixed-effects model to Tensor Based Morphometry (TBM) results to obtain voxel-wise growth trajectories. Subjects were grouped by familial risk and clinical diagnosis at 2 years of age. Several regions, including the posterior cingulate gyrus, the cingulum, the fusiform gyrus, and the precentral gyrus, showed a significant effect for the interaction of group and age associated with ASD, either as an increased or a decreased growth rate of the cerebrum. In general, our results showed increased growth rate within white matter with decreased growth rate found mostly in grey matter. Overall, the regions showing increased growth rate were larger and more numerous than those with decreased growth rate. These results detail, at the voxel level, differences in brain growth trajectories in ASD during the first years of life, previously reported in terms of overall brain volume and surface area.
