White matter alterations in autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in relation to sensory profile

Molecular Autism

Chieko Kanai¹  Yuta Y. Aoki¹  Junya Fujino¹  Haruhisa Ohta¹  Takashi Itahashi¹  Nobumasa Kato¹  Motoaki Nakamura¹  Ryu-ichiro Hashimoto² 

[1] Medical Institute of Developmental Disabilities Research, Showa University, 6-11-11, Kita-Karasuyama, 157-8577, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, Japan;Medical Institute of Developmental Disabilities Research, Showa University, 6-11-11, Kita-Karasuyama, 157-8577, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, Japan;Department of Language Sciences, Graduate School of Humanities, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hachioji, Japan;

关键词: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder;    Autism spectrum disorder;    Developmental disorder;    Diffusion tensor imaging;    Sensory problem;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s13229-020-00379-6

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundAutism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have high rates of co-occurrence and share atypical behavioral characteristics, including sensory symptoms. The present diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) study was conducted to examine whether and how white matter alterations are observed in adult populations with developmental disorders (DD) and to determine how brain–sensory relationships are either shared between or distinct to ASD and ADHD.MethodsWe collected DTI data from adult population with DD (a primary diagnosis of ASD: n = 105, ADHD: n = 55) as well as age- and sex-matched typically developing (TD) participants (n = 58). Voxel-wise fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity, axial diffusivity, and radial diffusivity (RD) were analyzed using tract-based spatial statistics. The severities of sensory symptoms were assessed using the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile (AASP).ResultsCategorical analyses identified voxel clusters showing significant effects of DD on FA and RD in the posterior portion of the corpus callosum and its extension in the right hemisphere. Furthermore, regression analyses using the AASP scores revealed that slopes in relationships of FA or RD with the degree of sensory symptoms were parallel between the two DDs in large parts of the affected corpus callosum regions. A small but significant cluster did exist showing difference in association between an AASP subscale score and RD across ASD and ADHD.LimitationsWide age range of the participants may be oversimplified.ConclusionsThese results indicate that white matter alteration and their relationships to sensory symptoms are largely shared between ASD and ADHD, with localized abnormalities showing significant between-diagnosis differences within DD.

【 授权许可】

CC BY