Generalizability and reproducibility of functional connectivity in autism

Molecular Autism

Brandon Zielinski¹  Molly B. D. Prigge¹  Jeffrey S. Anderson²  Fiona Weathersby²  Jace B. King²  Carolyn K. King²  Jubel Morgan²  J. Chancellor Fox²  Nicholas Lange³  Erin D. Bigler⁴  Douglas C. Dean⁵  Abigail Freeman⁵  Andrew L. Alexander⁵  Joaquin Alfonso M. Villaruz⁵  Janet E. Lainhart⁵  Karen L. Kane⁵ 

[1] Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah;Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, University of Utah;McLean Hospital and Department of Psychiatry, Harvard University;Psychology Department and Neuroscience Center, Brigham Young University;Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison;

关键词: Autism spectrum conditions;    Resting-state;    fMRI;    Functional connectivity MRI;    Replicability;    Reproducibility;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s13229-019-0273-5

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Abstract Background Autism is hypothesized to represent a disorder of brain connectivity, yet patterns of atypical functional connectivity show marked heterogeneity across individuals. Methods We used a large multi-site dataset comprised of a heterogeneous population of individuals with autism and typically developing individuals to compare a number of resting-state functional connectivity features of autism. These features were also tested in a single site sample that utilized a high-temporal resolution, long-duration resting-state acquisition technique. Results No one method of analysis provided reproducible results across research sites, combined samples, and the high-resolution dataset. Distinct categories of functional connectivity features that differed in autism such as homotopic, default network, salience network, long-range connections, and corticostriatal connectivity, did not align with differences in clinical and behavioral traits in individuals with autism. One method, lag-based functional connectivity, was not correlated to other methods in describing patterns of resting-state functional connectivity and their relationship to autism traits. Conclusion Overall, functional connectivity features predictive of autism demonstrated limited generalizability across sites, with consistent results only for large samples. Different types of functional connectivity features do not consistently predict different symptoms of autism. Rather, specific features that predict autism symptoms are distributed across feature types.

【 授权许可】

Unknown