Dynamic Functional Connectivity Alterations and Their Associated Gene Expression Pattern in Autism Spectrum Disorders

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Genetics
• Psychiatry

Background:

• Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are complex neurodevelopmental conditions with high heritability.
• Altered dynamic functional connectivity (DFC) is a known feature of ASDs, but underlying molecular mechanisms are unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate DFC alterations in ASDs.
• To explore the molecular mechanisms associated with DFC disruptions in ASDs.
• To examine the relationship between DFC alterations and ASD symptom severity.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a seed-based sliding window approach on resting-state fMRI data from 88 ASD patients and 87 controls.
• Performed transcription-neuroimaging association analyses linking gene expression data with DFC differences.
• Conducted enrichment analysis on identified genes.

Main Results:

• ASD patients showed significantly increased DFC in several brain regions, including prefrontal cortex, temporal gyrus, and parietal sulcus.
• DFC alterations were significantly correlated with ASD symptom severity.
• Identified genes associated with DFC changes were enriched for synaptic signaling, ion channels, and calcium pathways.

Conclusions:

• ASD is characterized by heightened DFC, particularly in specific prefrontal and temporal networks.
• Molecular mechanisms of DFC alterations in ASD involve genes related to synaptic function and ion channel activity.
• Findings provide novel insights into the neurobiological underpinnings of ASD.