TY - JOUR
T1 - Superior temporal sulcus folding, functional network connectivity, and autistic-like traits in a non-clinical population
AU - Nenadić, Igor
AU - Schröder, Yvonne
AU - Hoffmann, Jonas
AU - Evermann, Ulrika
AU - Pfarr, Julia Katharina
AU - Bergmann, Aliénor
AU - Hohmann, Daniela Michelle
AU - Keil, Boris
AU - Abu-Akel, Ahmad
AU - Stroth, Sanna
AU - Kamp-Becker, Inge
AU - Jansen, Andreas
AU - Grezellschak, Sarah
AU - Meller, Tina
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2024.
PY - 2024/10/8
Y1 - 2024/10/8
N2 - Background: Autistic-like traits (ALT) are prevalent across the general population and might be linked to some facets of a broader autism spectrum disorder (ASD) phenotype. Recent studies suggest an association of these traits with both genetic and brain structural markers in non-autistic individuals, showing similar spatial location of findings observed in ASD and thus suggesting a potential neurobiological continuum. Methods: In this study, we first tested an association of ALTs (assessed with the AQ questionnaire) with cortical complexity, a cortical surface marker of early neurodevelopment, and then the association with disrupted functional connectivity. We analysed structural T1-weighted and resting-state functional MRI scans in 250 psychiatrically healthy individuals without a history of early developmental disorders, in a first step using the CAT12 toolbox for cortical complexity analysis and in a second step we used regional cortical complexity findings to apply the CONN toolbox for seed-based functional connectivity analysis. Results: Our findings show a significant negative correlation of both AQ total and AQ attention switching subscores with left superior temporal sulcus (STS) cortical folding complexity, with the former being significantly correlated with STS to left lateral occipital cortex connectivity, while the latter showed significant positive correlation of STS to left inferior/middle frontal gyrus connectivity (n = 233; all p < 0.05, FWE cluster-level corrected). Additional analyses also revealed a significant correlation of AQ attention to detail subscores with STS to left lateral occipital cortex connectivity. Limitations: Phenotyping might affect association results (e.g. choice of inventories); in addition, our study was limited to subclinical expressions of autistic-like traits. Conclusions: Our findings provide further evidence for biological correlates of ALT even in the absence of clinical ASD, while establishing a link between structural variation of early developmental origin and functional connectivity.
AB - Background: Autistic-like traits (ALT) are prevalent across the general population and might be linked to some facets of a broader autism spectrum disorder (ASD) phenotype. Recent studies suggest an association of these traits with both genetic and brain structural markers in non-autistic individuals, showing similar spatial location of findings observed in ASD and thus suggesting a potential neurobiological continuum. Methods: In this study, we first tested an association of ALTs (assessed with the AQ questionnaire) with cortical complexity, a cortical surface marker of early neurodevelopment, and then the association with disrupted functional connectivity. We analysed structural T1-weighted and resting-state functional MRI scans in 250 psychiatrically healthy individuals without a history of early developmental disorders, in a first step using the CAT12 toolbox for cortical complexity analysis and in a second step we used regional cortical complexity findings to apply the CONN toolbox for seed-based functional connectivity analysis. Results: Our findings show a significant negative correlation of both AQ total and AQ attention switching subscores with left superior temporal sulcus (STS) cortical folding complexity, with the former being significantly correlated with STS to left lateral occipital cortex connectivity, while the latter showed significant positive correlation of STS to left inferior/middle frontal gyrus connectivity (n = 233; all p < 0.05, FWE cluster-level corrected). Additional analyses also revealed a significant correlation of AQ attention to detail subscores with STS to left lateral occipital cortex connectivity. Limitations: Phenotyping might affect association results (e.g. choice of inventories); in addition, our study was limited to subclinical expressions of autistic-like traits. Conclusions: Our findings provide further evidence for biological correlates of ALT even in the absence of clinical ASD, while establishing a link between structural variation of early developmental origin and functional connectivity.
KW - Autism quotient (AQ)
KW - Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
KW - Cortical surface complexity
KW - Interpersonal
KW - Subclinical
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85206014357&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1186/s13229-024-00623-3
DO - 10.1186/s13229-024-00623-3
M3 - Article
C2 - 39380071
AN - SCOPUS:85206014357
SN - 2040-2392
VL - 15
JO - Molecular Autism
JF - Molecular Autism
IS - 1
M1 - 44
ER -