Tract-specific analyses of diffusion tensor imaging show widespread white matter compromise in autism spectrum disorder.
Tract-specific analyses of diffusion tensor imaging show widespread white matter compromise in autism spectrum disorder.
复制标题
扩散张量成像的区域特异性分析表明，自闭症谱系障碍中的广泛白质妥协。
DOI：
10.1111/j.1469-7610.2010.02342.x
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发表时间：
2011-03
期刊：
影响因子：
--
通讯作者：
Müller RA
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Shukla DK;Keehn B;Müller RA
先前的扩散张量成像（DTI）研究显示，自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）儿童和成人的白色物质受损，这可能与分布式网络的连接性降低和功能受损有关。然而，在ASD中，特定的证据仍然有限。我们应用基于束的空间统计学（TBSS）对ASD儿童和青少年的白色物质束的各向异性分数（FA）、平均扩散（MD）以及轴向和径向扩散进行无偏的全脑定量估计。在26名ASD和24名典型发育（TD）参与者中进行了DTI，年龄在9-20岁之间。各组在年龄和智商上相匹配。每个参与者的对齐FA，MD和轴向和径向扩散数据被投影到平均FA骨架代表的所有束的中心，并将所得数据送入体素组统计。TBSS显示，ASD组与TD组相比，在胼胝体、内囊前肢和后肢、下纵束、下额枕束、上级纵束、扣带回、丘脑前放射和皮质脊髓束中FA减少，MD和径向扩散增加。没有检测到具有相反效应的单个部位（ASD组中FA增加、MD减少或径向扩散）。在组间差异显著的组群中，TD组的年龄与FA呈正相关，与MD和径向扩散呈负相关，但ASD组则不然。我们的研究结果揭示了白色物质妥协影响许多大片的儿童和青少年与ASD。在某些神经束中检测到的弥散异常模式略有不同，这可能提示与ASD相关的白色物质异常的特定模式。年龄依赖性效应进一步表明，ASD从学龄儿童期到青年期的成熟变化（FA增加，MD减少和径向扩散）减少。
Previous diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) studies have shown white matter compromise in children and adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), which may relate to reduced connectivity and impaired function of distributed networks. However, tract-specific evidence remains limited in ASD. We applied tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) for an unbiased whole-brain quantitative estimation of the fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusion (MD) and axial and radial diffusion of the white matter tracts in children and adolescents with ASD. DTI was performed in 26 ASD and 24 typically developing (TD) participants, aged 9–20 years. Groups were matched for age and IQ. Each participant’s aligned FA, MD and axial and radial diffusion data were projected onto the mean FA skeleton representing the centers of all tracts and the resulting data fed into voxelwise group statistics. TBSS revealed decreased FA, and increased MD and radial diffusion in the ASD group compared to the TD group in the corpus callosum, anterior and posterior limbs of the internal capsule, inferior longitudinal fasciculus, inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus, superior longitudinal fasciculus, cingulum, anterior thalamic radiation, and corticospinal tract. No single site with inverse effects (increased FA, reduced MD or radial diffusion in the ASD group) was detected. In clusters of significant group difference, age was positively correlated with FA and negatively correlated with MD and radial diffusion in the TD, but not the ASD group. Our findings reveal white matter compromise affecting numerous tracts in children and adolescents with ASD. Slightly varying patterns of diffusion abnormalities detected for some tracts may suggest tract-specific patterns of white matter abnormalities associated with ASD. Age-dependent effects further show that maturational changes (increasing FA, decreasing MD and radial diffusion with age) are diminished in ASD from school-age childhood into young adulthood.