The Autistic Brain Over 45: The Anatomic, Functional, and Cognitive Phenotype

 描述（由申请人提供）：在过去的几十年里，关于自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）儿童和青少年的行为和神经科学文献急剧增长。相比之下，几乎没有人知道ASD在以后的生活中。这是有问题的，因为初步研究结果表明，一些患有ASD的老年人可能会经历加速的认知和神经功能衰退，再加上与年龄相关的并发症和其他神经发育障碍下降的广泛证据。目前的研究将是第一个系统的调查大脑解剖和连接在中期到后期的成年， 自闭症 我们将招募100名年龄在45-65岁之间的ASD成年人和80名匹配的神经典型对照（NC）参与者，并将在纵向研究中使用解剖，功能连接和弥散MRI以及一系列感觉运动和认知测试，参与者在2.5年后返回第二个时间点。具体目标将是研究（1）大脑解剖学（皮质厚度和灰质结构、白色物质和CSF的体积）和（2）与NC参与者相比患有ASD的成年人的解剖学和功能性脑连接，（3）表征认知和行为能力，并将这些技能与脑结构和功能相关联，以及（4）建立一个广泛的变量清单，这些变量可以预测ASD的长期神经认知成功或下降。分析将进行广泛的领域和网络，一些重点是执行，电机和记忆系统。 虽然目标1-3将提供一个目前无法获得的关于ASD成年中后期大脑和行为变化的系统证据，但目标4将具有很强的前瞻性翻译相关性，因为确定最有可能预测ASD中年龄相关衰退与成功衰老的大脑部位和行为措施对于预防性干预措施的发展至关重要。

 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The behavioral and neuroscientific literature on children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has grown dramatically over the past decades. In contrast, almost nothing is known about ASD later in life. This is problematic in view of preliminary findings suggesting that some older people with ASD may experience accelerated cognitive and neurological decline, combined with extensive evidence of age-related complications and decline in other neurodevelopmental disorders. The present study will be the first systematic investigation of brain anatomy and connectivity in mid to late adulthood in ASD. We will recruit 100 adults with ASD, ages 45-65 years, and 80 matched neurotypical control (NC) participants, and will use anatomical, functional connectivity, and diffusion MRI as well as a battery of sensorimotor and cognitive tests in a longitudinal study, with participants returning after 2.5 years for a second time point. Specific aims will be to examine (1) brain anatomy (cortical thickness and volumes of gray matter structures, white matter, and CSF) and (2) anatomical and functional brain connectivity in adults with ASD compared to NC participants, (3) to characterize cognitive and behavioral abilities, and correlate these skills with brain structure and function, and (4) to create an extensive inventory of variables that may predict long- term neurocognitive success or decline in ASD. Analyses will be performed for a broad range of domains and networks, with some focus on executive, motor, and memory systems. Whereas aims 1-3 will provide a currently unavailable systematic body of evidence on changes in brain and behavior during mid to late adulthood in ASD, aim 4 will have strong prospective translational relevance because identification of brain sites and behavioral measures most likely to predict age-related decline vs. successful aging in ASD will be crucial for the development of preventative interventions.