Frontal networks in adults with autism spectrum disorder.
Frontal networks in adults with autism spectrum disorder.
复制标题
成人自闭症谱系障碍的额叶网络。
DOI：
10.1093/brain/awv351
复制
发表时间：
2016-02
期刊：
影响因子：
--
通讯作者：
Murphy DG
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Catani M;Dell'Acqua F;Budisavljevic S;Howells H;Thiebaut de Schotten M;Froudist-Walsh S;D'Anna L;Thompson A;Sandrone S;Bullmore ET;Suckling J;Baron-Cohen S;Lombardo MV;Wheelwright SJ;Chakrabarti B;Lai MC;Ruigrok AN;Leemans A;Ecker C;Consortium MA;Craig MC;Murphy DG
自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）被认为反映了高阶关联区域之间的非典型连接。Catani等人利用扩散成像揭示了ASD与额叶白色异常之间的关联，并提出这种情况与成年后持续存在的额叶网络异常发育轨迹有关。自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）被认为反映了高阶关联区域之间的非典型连接。Catani等人利用扩散成像揭示了ASD与额叶白色异常之间的关联，并提出这种情况与成年后持续存在的额叶网络异常发育轨迹有关。据推测，自闭症谱系障碍是由涉及高阶关联大脑区域的“非典型连接”所支撑的。为了验证这一假设，在一个大型队列的成人自闭症谱系障碍，我们比较了白色物质网络的61名成年男性自闭症谱系障碍和61名神经典型的控制，使用两种互补的方法扩散张量磁共振成像。首先，我们应用基于轨迹的空间统计，一种“全脑”非假设驱动的方法，来识别自闭症谱系障碍成年人白色物质网络的差异。在此之后，我们使用了一个特定的道分析，基于纤维束成像，进行更详细的分析，个别道确定的基于纤维束的空间统计。最后，在自闭症谱系障碍组内，我们研究了扩散措施和自闭症症状严重程度之间的关系。基于区域的空间统计显示，自闭症谱系障碍与包括额叶通路在内的区域的各向异性分数显著降低有关。这些特定途径的纤维束成像分析显示，平均和垂直扩散率增加，弓状束，扣带和钩状体的前段和长段的流线数量减少，主要在左半球。在连接左右额叶的胼胝体前部也有明显的回缩。弓状束和钩束的微结构改变的程度与儿童期语言和社会互惠症状的严重程度相关。我们的研究结果表明，自闭症谱系障碍是一种与额叶异常连接相关的发育状况。此外，我们的研究结果表明，患有自闭症谱系障碍的男性成年人在大脑解剖结构上存在区域差异，这与自闭症症状的特定方面相关。总的来说，这些结果表明，自闭症谱系障碍是一种与成年后持续存在的额叶网络异常发展轨迹有关的疾病。
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is proposed to reflect atypical connectivity between higher-order association areas. Using diffusion imaging, Catani et al. reveal associations between ASD and white matter abnormalities of the frontal lobe, and suggest that the condition is linked to aberrant developmental trajectories of frontal networks that persist in adulthood. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is proposed to reflect atypical connectivity between higher-order association areas. Using diffusion imaging, Catani et al. reveal associations between ASD and white matter abnormalities of the frontal lobe, and suggest that the condition is linked to aberrant developmental trajectories of frontal networks that persist in adulthood. It has been postulated that autism spectrum disorder is underpinned by an ‘atypical connectivity’ involving higher-order association brain regions. To test this hypothesis in a large cohort of adults with autism spectrum disorder we compared the white matter networks of 61 adult males with autism spectrum disorder and 61 neurotypical controls, using two complementary approaches to diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging. First, we applied tract-based spatial statistics, a ‘whole brain’ non-hypothesis driven method, to identify differences in white matter networks in adults with autism spectrum disorder. Following this we used a tract-specific analysis, based on tractography, to carry out a more detailed analysis of individual tracts identified by tract-based spatial statistics. Finally, within the autism spectrum disorder group, we studied the relationship between diffusion measures and autistic symptom severity. Tract-based spatial statistics revealed that autism spectrum disorder was associated with significantly reduced fractional anisotropy in regions that included frontal lobe pathways. Tractography analysis of these specific pathways showed increased mean and perpendicular diffusivity, and reduced number of streamlines in the anterior and long segments of the arcuate fasciculus, cingulum and uncinate—predominantly in the left hemisphere. Abnormalities were also evident in the anterior portions of the corpus callosum connecting left and right frontal lobes. The degree of microstructural alteration of the arcuate and uncinate fasciculi was associated with severity of symptoms in language and social reciprocity in childhood. Our results indicated that autism spectrum disorder is a developmental condition associated with abnormal connectivity of the frontal lobes. Furthermore our findings showed that male adults with autism spectrum disorder have regional differences in brain anatomy, which correlate with specific aspects of autistic symptoms. Overall these results suggest that autism spectrum disorder is a condition linked to aberrant developmental trajectories of the frontal networks that persist in adult life.