The development of the social brain in baby siblings of children with autism

Abstract

Purpose of review Impairments in social interaction/communication become apparent after 12 months of age in children who develop Autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Studies of baby siblings of children with ASD provide the means to detect changes in the brain that are present before behavioral symptoms appear. In this review, advances from brain imaging studies of infant siblings over the past 18 months are highlighted. Recent findings During the first 2 months of life, functional differences in social brain regions and microstructural differences in dorsal language tracks are found in some high-risk baby siblings. At 4–6 months of age, differences in subcortical and cerebellum volumes and atypical cortical responses to social stimuli are evident. At 6 months, extra-axial cerebrospinal fluid is increased, and at 8 months there is evidence of cortical hyper-reactivity. Patterns of functional connectivity are distinct in infant siblings and suggest dysfunctional activation and integration of information across the cortex and neural networks underlying social behaviors. Summary Further replication in very large independent samples is needed to verify the majority of the findings discussed and understand how they are related within individual infants. Much more research is needed before translation to clinical practice.

Application of Three-Dimensional Pseudocontinuous Arterial Spin Labeling Perfusion Imaging in the Brains of Children With Autism

“…Some pathogenic factors have not been clearly identified ( 4 , 5 ). For example, studies have found that some brain regions of children with autism have abnormal anatomical structures or abnormal brain function activities ( 6 , 7 ), but whether cerebral blood perfusion in abnormal brain regions is also abnormal is unknown.…”

Application of Quantitative Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Diagnosis of Autism in Children

“…Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a group of neurodevelopmental disorder with the onset in early childhood, characterized by impairment in communication, and social interaction, rigidity of interests, and repetitive stereotypical behaviors ( 1 – 4 ). The incidence of ASD is increasing worldwide, while the etiology and pathogenesis of autism are poorly understood and no drug is available ( 5 , 6 ). Children with autism are mainly treated with rehabilitation intervention, and there is no specific treatment yet.…”

“…Children with autism are mainly treated with rehabilitation intervention, and there is no specific treatment yet. Studies have shown that early and reasonable systematic rehabilitation intervention can improve the symptoms of most children, and even obtain a basic “recovery.” The earlier the rehabilitation intervention, the better the recovery of children, which requires clinicians to accurately diagnose children with autism at an early stage ( 6 , 7 ).…”

Application of TBSS-based machine learning models in the diagnosis of pediatric autism

“…Nowadays, the early diagnosis of ASD is mainly based on the clinical symptoms, but most children with ASD have no typical clinical manifestations, which makes early diagnosis very difficult. However, some researches have reported appropriate systematic rehabilitation interventions in the early stages of autism could improve the symptoms of most patients ( 7 , 8 ). It is widely accepted in the medical community that the earlier rehabilitation interventions are provided to children with ASD, the better prognosis will be.…”