Psychiatry Investig.  2018 Mar;15(3):292-299. 10.30773/pi.2017.08.15.

Impaired White Matter Integrity and Social Cognition in High-Function Autism: Diffusion Tensor Imaging Study

• Im WY
• Ha JH
• Kim EJ
• Cheon KA
• Cho J
• Song DH

• KMID: 2429158
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.30773/pi.2017.08.15

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
It is known that many of the cognitive and social deficits associated with autism can arise from abnormal functional connectivity between brain networks. This aberrant functional connectivity in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) can be explained by impaired integrity of white matter tracts that link distant regions of the networks.
METHODS
We investigated white matter in 9 children with high-function autism (HFA) compared to 13 typically developing controls using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). The aim of this research is to provide supporting evidence for abnormalities in neural connectivity as an underlying pathophysiology of the main characteristics of ASD.
RESULTS
We found impairment of neural connectivity, mainly in association fiber tracts as evidenced by decreased fractional anisotropy (FA), the index of white matter integrity, of these tracts. Among them, inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFOF) had a significant relationship with ADI-R score. The inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF) and superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF) also showed decreased FA. Decreased FA of ILF and SLF had negative correlations with scores of social interaction.
CONCLUSION
These findings suggest that widespread abnormalities in association fiber tracts may contribute to both core and associated symptoms of ASD.

Keyword

High-function autism; Diffusion tensor imaging; Brain network; Functional connectivity; White matter

MeSH Terms

Anisotropy
Autism Spectrum Disorder
Autistic Disorder*
Brain
Child
Cognition*
Diffusion Tensor Imaging*
Diffusion*
Humans
Interpersonal Relations
White Matter*