Resting Electroencephalography Microstates and Alpha Power Modulation in Preschool-Aged Children with Autism Spectrum...

Background/Objectives: Emerging evidence suggests that individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit altered neural connectivity and disrupted brain network dynamics, which can be captured through EEG microstate analysis. Most research to date has focused on older children, adolescents, or adults with ASD, while studies focusing on preschool-aged children with ASD remain limited. Given that early brain development is critical for understanding the onset and progression of ASD, more research targeting this age group is essential. Methods: In this study, resting EEG data were collected from 59 preschool-aged children with ASD and 59 typically developing (TD) participants. Results: The results revealed a reduction in global explained variance and coverage of microstate in children with ASD, indicating poorer social performance that was independent of alpha power after the removal of the 1/f-like aperiodic signal. These findings reflect the social symptoms commonly observed in ASD. Additionally, alpha power was found to modulate the occurrence and duration of microstates in both groups. Conclusions: Our findings highlight that atypical microstates can serve as reliable biomarkers for ASD, offering valuable insights into the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying the disorder and paving the way for future research directions.