Connectivity of Anterior Cingulate Cortex Networks in Autism

描述(由申请人提供)：在这一探索性/发展性应用中，我们提出了一种新的方法来研究自闭症的病理生理学，自闭症越来越被理解为连接不良综合征。这项建议旨在通过将社会损害(自闭症的关键功能障碍)的生态意义指标与以生殖器前扣带回皮质为中心的网络的完整性联系起来，进一步深入了解皮质连接不足在自闭症中的重要性，该网络通常与社会认知有关。此外，它的目的是探索具有生态意义的执行功能指标(通常在自闭症中受损)与基于背侧前扣带回皮质的网络的关系，该网络通常与执行控制有关。与以前对这些网络中与自闭症相关的异常的研究不同，我们建议使用最近开发的依赖于静息状态血氧水平的功能连接性功能磁共振测量(即，区域间时间一致性)来实现这些目标。我们还建议使用扩散张量成像来评估白质完整性，并检查结构完整性度量与功能连通性之间的关系。我们假设，自闭症相关的神经元连通性损害将分别与社会和认知损害指数、社会反应性量表和执行功能行为反应问卷相关。我们建议比较30名患有高功能自闭症的成年男性和30名在年龄、性别、利手、全面智商和社会经济地位方面匹配的神经典型对照组的完整数据。这种方法有可能让我们了解自闭症的基本损害，从而改变目前的诊断和治疗方法。与公共健康相关：我们建议应用一种新的方法来更好地了解自闭症所涉及的大脑机制，自闭症是一种与严重的功能障碍和巨大痛苦相关的常见疾病。我们将研究两个大脑网络，在神经典型控制中，这两个网络通常与社交和认知控制技能有关，这两个技能都被认为在自闭症患者中被破坏。我们将招募一组患有自闭症的成年人，将他们的数据与神经典型志愿者的数据进行比较。这项拟议的工作为自闭症大脑回路的研究引入了新的技术，并有可能进一步加深我们对自闭症神经基础的理解，从而改进诊断和治疗方法。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): In this exploratory/developmental application, we propose a novel approach to the investigation of the pathophysiology of autism, which is increasingly understood as a dysconnection syndrome. This proposal aims to provide further insights into the significance of cortico-cortical under-connectivity in autism, by relating ecologically meaningful measures of social impairment (a key dysfunction in autism) to the integrity of a network centered in perigenual anterior cingulate cortex, commonly implicated in social cognition. In addition, it aims to explore the relationship of ecologically meaningful measures of executive function (often impaired in autism) to a network based in dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, typically implicated in executive control. Unlike prior investigations of autism-related abnormalities in each of these networks, we propose to accomplish these aims using recently developed resting state blood-oxygenation level dependent fMRI measures of functional connectivity (i.e., inter-regional temporal coherence). We also propose to assess white matter integrity using diffusion tensor imaging and examine the relation between measures of structural integrity and functional connectivity. We hypothesize that autism-related compromises in neuronal connectivity will be related to indices of social and cognitive impairment, the Social Responsiveness Scale, and the Behavioral Response Inventory of Executive Functions, respectively. We propose to compare complete data from 30 adult males with high-functioning autism to 30 neurotypical controls group- matched for age, sex, handedness, full scale IQ, and socioeconomic status. This approach has the potential to inform our understanding of fundamental impairments in autism and consequently to transform current diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: We propose to apply a novel approach to better understand the brain mechanisms involved in autism, a common condition that is associated with significant functional impairments, and immense suffering. We will study two brain networks that in neurotypical controls are commonly associated with social and cognitive control skills, both of which are thought to be disrupted in individuals with autism. We will enroll a group of adults with autism to compare their data to those of neurotypical volunteers. The proposed work introduces new techniques for the study of brain circuits in autism, and has the potential to further inform our understanding of the neural basis of autism, so that we can improve methods of diagnosis and treatment.