Anterior cingulate folding pattern is altered in autism spectrum disorder

Area of Science:

• Neuroimaging
• Developmental Neuroscience
• Autism Spectrum Disorder Research

Background:

• Focal differences in cerebral cortex, specifically sulcal patterns, are observed in autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
• The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) plays a crucial role in social cognition and executive functions, areas often affected in ASD.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate, for the first time, the sulcal patterning and morphology of the ACC in young males with ASD compared to neurotypical (NT) individuals.
• To examine the presence and hemispheric asymmetry of the paracingulate sulcus (PCGS) within the ACC.

Main Methods:

• Utilized neuroimaging data from 50 NT and 50 age-matched male participants under 20 years old.
• Generated cortical reconstructions from T1-weighted MRI scans using FreeSurfer software.
• Identified and quantified the presence, asymmetry, length, depth, and cortical thickness of the PCGS.

Main Results:

• Neurotypical participants exhibited a significantly higher likelihood of asymmetrical PCGS patterns compared to ASD participants.
• No significant differences were found in quantitative morphological features (length, depth, cortical thickness) of the PCGS between the groups.
• Results were controlled for age and scanner site.

Conclusions:

• Findings suggest variations in prenatal neurodevelopment of the ACC in young males with ASD, specifically regarding PCGS asymmetry.
• The observed PCGS patterning difference may represent a potential trait marker, warranting further investigation into its role in ASD pathogenesis.
• Adds to the literature suggesting PCGS variations as a potential marker across multiple neurodevelopmental disorders.