Frequency-dependent brain state dynamic alterations in autism spectrum disorder: A co-activation pattern analysis.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Brain Dynamics
• Autism Spectrum Disorder Research

Background:

• Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition impacting brain function.
• Previous research on ASD brain connectivity primarily focused on low-frequency ranges.
• The frequency-dependent nature of brain dynamics in ASD remains underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the frequency-dependent spatiotemporal dynamics of spontaneous brain activity in ASD.
• To analyze brain dynamics across different frequency bands using whole-brain co-activation pattern (CAP) analysis.
• To explore the relationship between brain dynamics and restricted and repetitive behaviors (RRB) in ASD.

Main Methods:

• Utilized resting-state fMRI data from 52 individuals with ASD and 52 typical controls (TCs).
• Employed whole-brain co-activation pattern (CAP) analysis across three frequency bands: LFO, slow-5, and slow-4.
• Applied k-means clustering to identify CAPs and analyzed their temporal dynamics (appearance frequency, duration, entry rate, transition probability).

Main Results:

• CAPs showed similar spatial patterns but differing temporal evolution across frequency bands; slow-5 band exhibited lower dynamic variability.
• Individuals with ASD displayed abnormal brain dynamics in LFO and slow-4 bands compared to TCs; no significant differences were found in the slow-5 band.
• Dynamic metrics of CAPs in LFO and slow-5 bands correlated significantly with the severity of RRB in individuals with ASD.

Conclusions:

• Brain dynamics in ASD are frequency-specific, with abnormalities observed in LFO and slow-4 bands.
• The slow-5 band's reduced dynamic variability may represent a distinct feature in ASD brain function.
• These findings offer novel insights into the time-varying neural mechanisms underlying ASD and its associated behaviors.