Mapping Progressive Gray Matter Alterations in Early Childhood Autistic Brain

Authors

Xiaonan Guo, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Xujun Duan, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
John Suckling, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Jia Wang, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Xiaodong Kang, Harbin Medical University
Heng Chen, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Bharat B. Biswal, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Jing Cao, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Changchun He, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Jinming Xiao, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Xinyue Huang, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Runshi Wang, Department of Psychiatry
Shaoqiang Han, Department of Psychiatry
Yun Shuang Fan, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust
Jing Guo, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Jingping Zhao, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China
Lijie Wu, Harbin Medical University
Huafu Chen, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

3-1-2021

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorder is an early-onset neurodevelopmental condition. This study aimed to investigate the progressive structural alterations in the autistic brain during early childhood. Structural magnetic resonance imaging scans were examined in a cross-sectional sample of 67 autistic children and 63 demographically matched typically developing (TD) children, aged 2-7 years. Voxel-based morphometry and a general linear model were used to ascertain the effects of diagnosis, age, and a diagnosis-by-age interaction on the gray matter volume. Causal structural covariance network analysis was performed to map the interregional influences of brain structural alterations with increasing age. The autism group showed spatially distributed increases in gray matter volume when controlling for age-related effects, compared with TD children. A significant diagnosis-by-age interaction effect was observed in the fusiform face area (FFA, Fpeak = 13.57) and cerebellum/vermis (Fpeak = 12.73). Compared with TD children, the gray matter development of the FFA in autism displayed altered influences on that of the social brain network regions (false discovery rate corrected, P < 0.05). Our findings indicate the atypical neurodevelopment of the FFA in the autistic brain during early childhood and highlight altered developmental effects of this region on the social brain network.

Identifier

85102090761 (Scopus)

Publication Title

Cerebral Cortex

External Full Text Location

https://doi.org/10.1093/cercor/bhaa304

e-ISSN

14602199

ISSN

10473211

PubMed ID

33123725

First Page

1500

Last Page

1510

Issue

3

Volume

31

Recommended Citation

Guo, Xiaonan; Duan, Xujun; Suckling, John; Wang, Jia; Kang, Xiaodong; Chen, Heng; Biswal, Bharat B.; Cao, Jing; He, Changchun; Xiao, Jinming; Huang, Xinyue; Wang, Runshi; Han, Shaoqiang; Fan, Yun Shuang; Guo, Jing; Zhao, Jingping; Wu, Lijie; and Chen, Huafu, "Mapping Progressive Gray Matter Alterations in Early Childhood Autistic Brain" (2021). Faculty Publications. 4306.
https://digitalcommons.njit.edu/fac_pubs/4306