Cognitive Neuropsychiatry Lab, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University Marburg/Marburg University Hospital-UKGM, Marburg, Germany.
Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), Hans-Meerwein-Str. 6, 35032Marburg, Germany.
Eur Psychiatry. 2021 Mar 3;64(1):e27. doi: 10.1192/j.eurpsy.2021.15.
Previous case-control studies of autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) have identified altered brain structure such as altered frontal and temporal cortex volumes, or decreased fractional anisotropy (FA) within the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus in patients. It remains unclear whether subclinical autistic-like traits might also be related to variation in these brain structures.
In this study, we analyzed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data of 250 psychiatrically healthy subjects phenotyped for subclinical autistic-like traits using the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ). For data analysis, we used voxel-based morphometry of T1-MRIs (Computational Anatomy Toolbox) and tract-based spatial statistics for diffusion tensor imaging data.
AQ attention switching subscale correlated negatively with FA values in the bilateral uncinate fasciculus as well as the bilateral inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus. Higher AQ attention switching subscale scores were associated with increased mean diffusivity and radial diffusivity values in the uncinate fasciculus, while axial diffusivity values within this tract show a negative correlation. AQ attention to detail subscale correlated positively with gray matter volume in the right pre- and postcentral gyrus.
We demonstrate that individuals with higher levels of autism-spectrum-like features show decreased white matter integrity in tracts associated with higher-level visual processing and increased cortical volume in areas linked to movement sequencing and working memory. Our results resemble regional brain structure alterations found in individuals with ASD. This offers opportunities to further understand the etiology and pathogenesis of the disorder and shows a subclinical continuum perspective.
先前的自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）病例对照研究已经发现，患者的大脑结构发生了改变，例如额叶和颞叶皮层体积的改变，或者下额枕束内的各向异性分数（FA）降低。目前尚不清楚亚临床类自闭症特征是否也与这些大脑结构的变化有关。
在这项研究中，我们分析了 250 名精神病学上健康的受试者的磁共振成像（MRI）数据，这些受试者使用自闭症谱系商数（AQ）进行了亚临床类自闭症特征的表型分析。为了进行数据分析，我们使用了 T1-MRI 的基于体素的形态测量学（计算解剖工具箱）和扩散张量成像数据的基于束的空间统计学。
AQ 注意力转换分量表与双侧钩束以及双侧下额枕束的 FA 值呈负相关。AQ 注意力转换分量表得分较高与钩束内的平均弥散度和径向弥散度值增加有关，而该束内的轴向弥散度值呈负相关。AQ 注意细节分量表与右侧额顶叶和后中央回的灰质体积呈正相关。
我们证明，具有较高自闭症谱系特征水平的个体在与高级视觉处理相关的束内显示出较低的白质完整性，并且在与运动序列和工作记忆相关的区域中显示出较高的皮质体积。我们的研究结果类似于在 ASD 个体中发现的区域性脑结构改变。这为进一步了解该疾病的病因和发病机制提供了机会，并显示了亚临床连续体的观点。
