Altered topological properties of white matter structural network in adults with autism spectrum disorder

Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex developmental disability and is currently viewed as a disorder of brain connectivity in which white matter abnormalities. However, the majority of the research to date has focused on children with ASD. Understanding the topological organization of the white matter structural network in adults may help uncover the nature of ASD pathology in adulthood.Method: This study investigated the topological properties of white matter structural network using diffusion tensor imaging and graph theory analysis in a sample of 32 adults with ASD compared to 35 matched typically developing (TD) controls. Group differences in global and nodal topological metrics were compared. The re-lationships between the altered network metrics and the severity of clinical symptoms were calculated. Results: Compared to TD controls, ASD patients exhibited decreased small-worldness and increased global effi-ciency. In addition, the reduced nodal efficiency and increased nodal degree were found in the frontal (e.g., the inferior frontal gyrus) and parietal (e.g., postcentral gyrus) regions. Furthermore, the altered topological metrics (e.g., increased global efficiency and reduced nodal efficiency) were correlated with the severity of ASD symptoms.Conclusion: These results indicated that the complicatedly topological organization of the white matter structural network was abnormal and may play an essential role in the underlying pathological mechanism of ASD in adults.

Automated summary

Research has found that there are abnormalities in the topological organization of the white matter structural network in adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), which may play a crucial role in the underlying pathological mechanism of ASD.