Differences in regional brain structure in toddlers with autism are related to future language outcomes.
Kuaikuai DuanLisa EylerKaren PierceMichael V LombardoMichael DatkoDonald J HaglerVani TalujaJavad ZahiriKathleen CampbellCynthia Carter BarnesSteven AriasSrinivasa NalaboluJaden TroxelPeng JiEric CourchesnePublished in: Nature communications (2024)
Language and social symptoms improve with age in some autistic toddlers, but not in others, and such outcome differences are not clearly predictable from clinical scores alone. Here we aim to identify early-age brain alterations in autism that are prognostic of future language ability. Leveraging 372 longitudinal structural MRI scans from 166 autistic toddlers and 109 typical toddlers and controlling for brain size, we find that, compared to typical toddlers, autistic toddlers show differentially larger or thicker temporal and fusiform regions; smaller or thinner inferior frontal lobe and midline structures; larger callosal subregion volume; and smaller cerebellum. Most differences are replicated in an independent cohort of 75 toddlers. These brain alterations improve accuracy for predicting language outcome at 6-month follow-up beyond intake clinical and demographic variables. Temporal, fusiform, and inferior frontal alterations are related to autism symptom severity and cognitive impairments at early intake ages. Among autistic toddlers, brain alterations in social, language and face processing areas enhance the prediction of the child's future language ability.
Keyphrases
- autism spectrum disorder
- resting state
- functional connectivity
- white matter
- intellectual disability
- mental health
- cerebral ischemia
- healthcare
- current status
- multiple sclerosis
- cross sectional
- physical activity
- body mass index
- adipose tissue
- depressive symptoms
- brain injury
- subarachnoid hemorrhage
- sleep quality
- dual energy