Diffusion trajectory of atypical morphological development in autism spectrum disorder

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Neuroscience
• Autism Research

Background:

• Understanding brain development in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is key.
• The role of functional networks in regulating brain morphology changes during development in ASD is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how functional brain networks influence developmental changes in brain morphology in individuals with ASD.
• To analyze gray matter volume (GMV) and functional connectivity (FC) in relation to neurodevelopmental trajectories in ASD.

Main Methods:

• Analyzed GMV and FC in 301 individuals with ASD and 375 typically developing controls (TDCs), aged 8-18 years, using ABIDE data.
• Employed a sliding-window approach and Kullback-Leibler divergence to quantify GMV deviations (DEV) across age groups.
• Utilized network diffusion modeling (NDM) to predict developmental alterations and assess network constraints on neurodevelopment.

Main Results:

• A developmental shift in GMV divergence was observed: positive deviations in early adolescence shifted to negative in late adolescence for ASD participants compared to TDCs.
• Significant GMV deviations were found in the superior temporal sulcus, cingulate gyrus, insula, and superior parietal lobule.
• NDM confirmed that atypical brain region DEV at earlier stages predicted subsequent stages, constrained by network architecture.

Conclusions:

• ASD exhibits a dynamic developmental shift from gray matter overgrowth to delayed maturation throughout adolescence.
• Intrinsic functional brain networks play a crucial role in constraining atypical anatomical development in ASD.