Association of Reduced Tract Integrity with Social Communication Deficits in Preschool Autism Children: A Tract-Based Spatial Statistics Study

Abstract

Purpose To analyze the changes in white matter tracts in preschool children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and the correlation between these changes and social communication deficits. Methods Diffuse tensor imaging was used to assess white matter integrity using tract-based spatial statistics in a sample of 50 right-handed children with ASD aged 2–6 years vis a reference sample of 46 typically developing children aged 2–6 years. We then correlated these significant different fiber tracts between groups with communication and social interaction scores using the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised Assessment (ADI-R) Scale. Results We observed decreased fractional anisotropy (FA) in tracts including the left superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF), the splenium of the corpus callosum (splCC), the left corticospinal tracts, and the left inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF) in children with ASD. Specifically, there was reduced white matter integrity of these tracts in the left cerebral hemisphere. In addition, we found that the decreased FA of left SLF and ILF was negatively associated with the ADI-R scores in children with ASD. Conclusion The structural integrity of some white matter tracts in the five-level anatomical model for the social communication was reduced. The reduced integrity white matter that we observed primarily in the left cerebral hemisphere may be a neural substrate of social communication deficits in preschool children with ASD, and we speculate that the reduction is associated with the severity of social interaction. The reduced FA of the splCC might be a substantial biomarker for children with ASD.

Brain structure variation and individual differences in theory of mind among older adults

“…In our study, RMET score correlated significantly with the FA values of areas implicated in social cognition as well as tracts involved in motor function (the corticospinal tract, CST). It was recently reported that children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibited reduced FA in the CST compared to typically developing children [33] . We suggest that this association between CST and ToM may reemerge with aging.…”