Alterations of Functional Connectivity in Autism and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Revealed by Multi-Voxel...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Psychology
• Radiology

Background:

• Autism and ADHD are neurodevelopmental disorders with overlapping and distinct neurobiological underpinnings.
• Disrupted brain connectivity is a key feature in both autism and ADHD, but patterns are heterogeneous.
• Understanding these connectivity differences is crucial for mechanistic insights into these conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate shared and distinct resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) patterns in autistic and ADHD adults.
• To utilize multi-voxel pattern analysis (MVPA) for a data-driven exploration of brain connectivity without prior hypotheses.
• To characterize the functional connectivity profile of the cerebellum with cortical areas in autism and ADHD.

Main Methods:

• Employed whole-brain, connectome-wide multi-voxel pattern analysis (MVPA) on resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) data.
• Analyzed data from 15 autistic, 19 ADHD, and 15 neurotypical (NT) young adults.
• Conducted post hoc seed-to-voxel analyses using identified significant clusters as seed regions of interest (ROIs).

Main Results:

• MVPA identified distinct rsFC patterns: cerebellar vermis 9, precuneus, and right cerebellum VI in autistic vs. NT adults.
• Right inferior frontal gyrus and vermis 9 were significant for ADHD vs. NT adults.
• Right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex distinguished autistic vs. ADHD adults; cerebellum and frontal regions showed group-specific connectivity differences.

Conclusions:

• The study highlights specific cerebellar and cortical connectivity differences in autistic and ADHD adults compared to neurotypicals.
• Findings underscore the cerebellum's role in the neurobiology of autism and ADHD.
• Emphasizes the importance of investigating cerebellar functional connectivity in neurodevelopmental disorders.