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  • 1
    In: Molecular Autism, Springer Science and Business Media LLC, Vol. 13, No. 1 ( 2022-12)
    Abstract: Understanding the development of the neuronal circuitry underlying autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is critical to shed light into its etiology and for the development of treatment options. Resting state EEG provides a window into spontaneous local and long-range neuronal synchronization and has been investigated in many ASD studies, but results are inconsistent. Unbiased investigation in large and comprehensive samples focusing on replicability is needed. Methods We quantified resting state EEG alpha peak metrics, power spectrum (PS, 2–32 Hz) and functional connectivity (FC) in 411 children, adolescents and adults ( n  = 212 ASD, n  = 199 neurotypicals [NT], all with IQ  〉  75). We performed analyses in source-space using individual head models derived from the participants’ MRIs. We tested for differences in mean and variance between the ASD and NT groups for both PS and FC using linear mixed effects models accounting for age, sex, IQ and site effects. Then, we used machine learning to assess whether a multivariate combination of EEG features could better separate ASD and NT participants. All analyses were embedded within a train-validation approach (70%–30% split). Results In the training dataset, we found an interaction between age and group for the reactivity to eye opening ( p  = .042 uncorrected), and a significant but weak multivariate ASD vs. NT classification performance for PS and FC (sensitivity 0.52–0.62, specificity 0.59–0.73). None of these findings replicated significantly in the validation dataset, although the effect size in the validation dataset overlapped with the prediction interval from the training dataset. Limitations The statistical power to detect weak effects—of the magnitude of those found in the training dataset—in the validation dataset is small, and we cannot fully conclude on the reproducibility of the training dataset’s effects. Conclusions This suggests that PS and FC values in ASD and NT have a strong overlap, and that differences between both groups (in both mean and variance) have, at best, a small effect size. Larger studies would be needed to investigate and replicate such potential effects.
    Type of Medium: Online Resource
    ISSN: 2040-2392
    Language: English
    Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
    Publication Date: 2022
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  • 2
    In: Molecular Autism, Springer Science and Business Media LLC, Vol. 13, No. 1 ( 2022-12-27)
    Abstract: Autism spectrum disorder (autism) is a complex neurodevelopmental condition with pronounced behavioral, cognitive, and neural heterogeneities across individuals. Here, our goal was to characterize heterogeneity in autism by identifying patterns of neural diversity as reflected in BOLD fMRI in the way individuals with autism engage with a varied array of cognitive tasks. Methods All analyses were based on the EU-AIMS/AIMS-2-TRIALS multisite Longitudinal European Autism Project (LEAP) with participants with autism ( n  = 282) and typically developing (TD) controls ( n  = 221) between 6 and 30 years of age. We employed a novel task potency approach which combines the unique aspects of both resting state fMRI and task-fMRI to quantify task-induced variations in the functional connectome. Normative modelling was used to map atypicality of features on an individual basis with respect to their distribution in neurotypical control participants. We applied robust out-of-sample canonical correlation analysis (CCA) to relate connectome data to behavioral data. Results Deviation from the normative ranges of global functional connectivity was greater for individuals with autism compared to TD in each fMRI task paradigm (all tasks p   〈  0.001). The similarity across individuals of the deviation pattern was significantly increased in autistic relative to TD individuals ( p   〈  0.002). The CCA identified significant and robust brain-behavior covariation between functional connectivity atypicality and autism-related behavioral features. Conclusions Individuals with autism engage with tasks in a globally atypical way, but the particular spatial pattern of this atypicality is nevertheless similar across tasks. Atypicalities in the tasks originate mostly from prefrontal cortex and default mode network regions, but also speech and auditory networks. We show how sophisticated modeling methods such as task potency and normative modeling can be used toward unravelling complex heterogeneous conditions like autism.
    Type of Medium: Online Resource
    ISSN: 2040-2392
    Language: English
    Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
    Publication Date: 2022
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  • 3
    In: Molecular Autism, Springer Science and Business Media LLC, Vol. 14, No. 1 ( 2023-08-31)
    Abstract: Neuroimaging analyses of brain structure and function in autism have typically been conducted in isolation, missing the sensitivity gains of linking data across modalities. Here we focus on the integration of structural and functional organisational properties of brain regions. We aim to identify novel brain-organisation phenotypes of autism. We utilised multimodal MRI (T1-, diffusion-weighted and resting state functional), behavioural and clinical data from the EU AIMS Longitudinal European Autism Project (LEAP) from autistic ( n  = 206) and non-autistic ( n  = 196) participants. Of these, 97 had data from 2 timepoints resulting in a total scan number of 466. Grey matter density maps, probabilistic tractography connectivity matrices and connectopic maps were extracted from respective MRI modalities and were then integrated with Linked Independent Component Analysis. Linear mixed-effects models were used to evaluate the relationship between components and group while accounting for covariates and non-independence of participants with longitudinal data. Additional models were run to investigate associations with dimensional measures of behaviour. We identified one component that differed significantly between groups (coefficient = 0.33, p adj  = 0.02). This was driven (99%) by variance of the right fusiform gyrus connectopic map 2. While there were multiple nominal (uncorrected p   〈  0.05) associations with behavioural measures, none were significant following multiple comparison correction. Our analysis considered the relative contributions of both structural and functional brain phenotypes simultaneously, finding that functional phenotypes drive associations with autism. These findings expanded on previous unimodal studies by revealing the topographic organisation of functional connectivity patterns specific to autism and warrant further investigation.
    Type of Medium: Online Resource
    ISSN: 2040-2392
    Language: English
    Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
    Publication Date: 2023
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  • 4
    In: Communications Biology, Springer Science and Business Media LLC, Vol. 4, No. 1 ( 2021-05-14)
    Abstract: Social-communication (SC) and restricted repetitive behaviors (RRB) are autism diagnostic symptom domains. SC and RRB severity can markedly differ within and between individuals and may be underpinned by different neural circuitry and genetic mechanisms. Modeling SC-RRB balance could help identify how neural circuitry and genetic mechanisms map onto such phenotypic heterogeneity. Here, we developed a phenotypic stratification model that makes highly accurate (97–99%) out-of-sample SC = RRB, SC  〉  RRB, and RRB  〉  SC subtype predictions. Applying this model to resting state fMRI data from the EU-AIMS LEAP dataset ( n  = 509), we find that while the phenotypic subtypes share many commonalities in terms of intrinsic functional connectivity, they also show replicable differences within some networks compared to a typically-developing group (TD). Specifically, the somatomotor network is hypoconnected with perisylvian circuitry in SC  〉  RRB and visual association circuitry in SC = RRB. The SC = RRB subtype show hyperconnectivity between medial motor and anterior salience circuitry. Genes that are highly expressed within these networks show a differential enrichment pattern with known autism-associated genes, indicating that such circuits are affected by differing autism-associated genomic mechanisms. These results suggest that SC-RRB imbalance subtypes share many commonalities, but also express subtle differences in functional neural circuitry and the genomic underpinnings behind such circuitry.
    Type of Medium: Online Resource
    ISSN: 2399-3642
    Language: English
    Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
    Publication Date: 2021
    detail.hit.zdb_id: 2919698-X
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  • 5
    In: Molecular Autism, Springer Science and Business Media LLC, Vol. 11, No. 1 ( 2020-12)
    Abstract: Heterogeneity in the phenotypic presentation of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is apparent in the profile and the severity of sensory features. Here, we applied factor mixture modelling (FMM) to test a multidimensional factor model of sensory processing in ASD. We aimed to identify homogeneous sensory subgroups in ASD that differ intrinsically in their severity along continuous factor scores. We also investigated sensory subgroups in relation to clinical variables: sex, age, IQ, social-communication symptoms, restricted and repetitive behaviours, adaptive functioning and symptoms of anxiety and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Methods Three hundred thirty-two children and adults with ASD between the ages of 6 and 30 years with IQs varying between 40 and 148 were included. First, three different confirmatory factor models were fit to the 38 items of the Short Sensory Profile (SSP). Then, latent class models (with two-to-six subgroups) were evaluated. The best performing factor model, the 7-factor structure, was subsequently used in two FMMs that varied in the number of subgroups: a two-subgroup, seven-factor model and a three-subgroup and seven-factor model. Results The ‘three-subgroup/seven-factor’ FMM was superior to all other models based on different fit criteria. Identified subgroups differed in sensory severity from severe, moderate to low. Accounting for the potential confounding effects of age and IQ, participants in these sensory subgroups had different levels of social-communicative symptoms, restricted and repetitive behaviours, adaptive functioning skills and symptoms of inattention and anxiety. Limitations Results were derived using a single parent-report measure of sensory features, the SSP, which limits the generalisability of findings. Conclusion Sensory features can be best described by three homogeneous sensory subgroups that differ in sensory severity gradients along seven continuous factor scores. Identified sensory subgroups were further differentiated by the severity of core and co-occurring symptoms, and level of adaptive functioning, providing novel evidence on the associated clinical correlates of sensory subgroups. These sensory subgroups provide a platform to further interrogate the neurobiological and genetic correlates of altered sensory processing in ASD.
    Type of Medium: Online Resource
    ISSN: 2040-2392
    Language: English
    Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
    Publication Date: 2020
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  • 6
    In: Molecular Autism, Springer Science and Business Media LLC, Vol. 14, No. 1 ( 2023-02-09)
    Abstract: Attenuated social attention is a key marker of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Recent neuroimaging findings also emphasize an altered processing of sensory salience in ASD. The locus coeruleus–norepinephrine system (LC-NE) has been established as a modulator of this sensory salience processing (SSP). We tested the hypothesis that altered LC-NE functioning contributes to different SSP and results in diverging social attention in ASD. Methods We analyzed the baseline eye-tracking data of the EU-AIMS Longitudinal European Autism Project (LEAP) for subgroups of autistic participants ( n  = 166, age = 6–30 years, IQ = 61–138, gender [female/male] = 41/125) or neurotypical development (TD; n  = 166, age = 6–30 years, IQ = 63–138, gender [female/male] = 49/117) that were matched for demographic variables and data quality. Participants watched brief movie scenes ( k  = 85) depicting humans in social situations (human) or without humans (non-human). SSP was estimated by gazes on physical and motion salience and a corresponding pupillary response that indexes phasic activity of the LC-NE. Social attention is estimated by gazes on faces via manual areas of interest definition. SSP is compared between groups and related to social attention by linear mixed models that consider temporal dynamics within scenes. Models are controlled for comorbid psychopathology, gaze behavior, and luminance. Results We found no group differences in gazes on salience, whereas pupillary responses were associated with altered gazes on physical and motion salience. In ASD compared to TD, we observed pupillary responses that were higher for non-human scenes and lower for human scenes. In ASD, we observed lower gazes on faces across the duration of the scenes. Crucially, this different social attention was influenced by gazes on physical salience and moderated by pupillary responses. Limitations The naturalistic study design precluded experimental manipulations and stimulus control, while effect sizes were small to moderate. Covariate effects of age and IQ indicate that the findings differ between age and developmental subgroups. Conclusions Pupillary responses as a proxy of LC-NE phasic activity during visual attention are suggested to modulate sensory salience processing and contribute to attenuated social attention in ASD.
    Type of Medium: Online Resource
    ISSN: 2040-2392
    Language: English
    Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
    Publication Date: 2023
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  • 7
    In: Molecular Autism, Springer Science and Business Media LLC, Vol. 8, No. 1 ( 2017-12)
    Type of Medium: Online Resource
    ISSN: 2040-2392
    Language: English
    Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
    Publication Date: 2017
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  • 8
    In: Molecular Autism, Springer Science and Business Media LLC, Vol. 8, No. 1 ( 2017-12)
    Type of Medium: Online Resource
    ISSN: 2040-2392
    Language: English
    Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
    Publication Date: 2017
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  • 9
    In: Molecular Autism, Springer Science and Business Media LLC, Vol. 14, No. 1 ( 2023-10-04)
    Abstract: Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are neurodevelopmental conditions accompanied by differences in brain development. Neuroanatomical differences in autism are variable across individuals and likely underpin distinct clinical phenotypes. To parse heterogeneity, it is essential to establish how the neurobiology of ASD is modulated by differences associated with co-occurring conditions, such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This study aimed to (1) investigate between-group differences in autistic individuals with and without co-occurring ADHD, and to (2) link these variances to putative genomic underpinnings. Methods We examined differences in cortical thickness (CT) and surface area (SA) and their genomic associations in a sample of 533 individuals from the Longitudinal European Autism Project. Using a general linear model including main effects of autism and ADHD, and an ASD-by-ADHD interaction, we examined to which degree ADHD modulates the autism-related neuroanatomy. Further, leveraging the spatial gene expression data of the Allen Human Brain Atlas, we identified genes whose spatial expression patterns resemble our neuroimaging findings. Results In addition to significant main effects for ASD and ADHD in fronto-temporal, limbic, and occipital regions, we observed a significant ASD-by-ADHD interaction in the left precentral gyrus and the right frontal gyrus for measures of CT and SA, respectively. Moreover, individuals with ASD + ADHD differed in CT to those without. Both main effects and the interaction were enriched for ASD—but not for ADHD-related genes. Limitations Although we employed a multicenter design to overcome single-site recruitment limitations, our sample size of N  = 25 individuals in the ADHD only group is relatively small compared to the other subgroups, which limits the generalizability of the results. Also, we assigned subjects into ADHD positive groupings according to the DSM-5 rating scale. While this is sufficient for obtaining a research diagnosis of ADHD, our approach did not take into account for how long the symptoms have been present, which is typically considered when assessing ADHD in the clinical setting. Conclusion Thus, our findings suggest that the neuroanatomy of ASD is significantly modulated by ADHD, and that autistic individuals with co-occurring ADHD may have specific neuroanatomical underpinnings potentially mediated by atypical gene expression.
    Type of Medium: Online Resource
    ISSN: 2040-2392
    Language: English
    Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
    Publication Date: 2023
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