Functional connectivity patterns differ as a function of co-occurring attentional problems in preschoolers with...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Psychology
• Child Psychiatry

Background:

• Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms are common in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
• These co-occurring symptoms are associated with significant developmental challenges and poorer outcomes.
• Understanding early developmental trajectories in ASD with co-occurring attention problems (AP) is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate early differences in adaptive skills, developmental outcomes, and brain functional connectivity (FC) in young children with ASD and co-occurring AP.
• To compare children with ASD and elevated AP to those with ASD and lower AP.

Main Methods:

• Examined 122 children aged 1.5-5 years with and without ASD.
• Assessed adaptive/developmental skills, ASD symptoms, and FC of frontoparietal, salience, language, and default mode networks.
• Utilized general linear model analyses.

Main Results:

• Children with ASD and elevated AP exhibited lower developmental and adaptive skills compared to peers with lower AP.
• Reduced FC was observed within the frontoparietal network and between frontoparietal and language/default mode networks in children with ASD and elevated AP.
• No significant differences in salience network FC were found between groups.

Conclusions:

• Neurodevelopmental and behavioral differences associated with co-occurring AP in ASD emerge very early in life.
• Early inattention symptoms correlate with distinct connectivity patterns in executive circuitry in young children with ASD.
• Early identification and intervention for co-occurring conditions in ASD are vital for improving outcomes.