A study of altered neural mechanisms in high-functioning autism using network analysis

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25870738
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Experimental psychology; Perceptual information processing
• Research Institution: Showa University
• Principal Investigator: ITAHASHI Takashi 昭和大学, 大学共同利用機関等の部局等, 講師 (70636943)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 自閉症スペクトラム障害 / 安静時脳機能結合 / ネットワーク解析 / マルチモーダル画像解析

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), I conducted a series of analyses on resting-state functional MRI (rsfMRI), diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), and structural MRI (sMRI), to identify neural mechanisms that underlie social and communicative deficits in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). For rsfMRI analyses, the ASD group showed loss of hubness in several brain regions that are critical for social functions. Furthermore, their functional brain networks tended to show a randomized organization. For analyses of DTI and sMRI, the ASD group showed decreased gray matter (GM) volumes in multiple regions, including the bilateral fusiform gyri and bilateral orbitofrontal cortices. These GM changes were linked with a pattern of decreased fractional anisotropy in several tracts, such as the bilateral inferior longitudinal fasciculi and inferior fronto-occipital fasciculi. These findings help to identify abnormal neural mechanism, which may be characterized social and communicative deficits in ASD.

Free Research Field

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