The subcortical correlates of autistic traits in school-age children: a population-based neuroimaging study
Abstract Background There is emerging evidence that the neuroanatomy of autism forms a spectrum which extends into the general population. However, whilst several studies have identified cortical morphology correlates of autistic traits, it is not established whether morphological differences are pr...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2023-02-01
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| Series: | Molecular Autism |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13229-023-00538-5 |
| _version_ | 1811165888055869440 |
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| author | T. H. Sharp M. Elsabbagh A. Pickles R. Bedford |
| author_facet | T. H. Sharp M. Elsabbagh A. Pickles R. Bedford |
| author_sort | T. H. Sharp |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background There is emerging evidence that the neuroanatomy of autism forms a spectrum which extends into the general population. However, whilst several studies have identified cortical morphology correlates of autistic traits, it is not established whether morphological differences are present in the subcortical structures of the brain. Additionally, it is not clear to what extent previously reported structural associations may be confounded by co-occurring psychopathology. To address these questions, we utilised neuroimaging data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study to assess whether a measure of autistic traits was associated with differences in child subcortical morphology, and if any observed differences persisted after adjustment for child internalising and externalising symptoms. Methods Our analyses included data from 7005 children aged 9–10 years (female: 47.19%) participating in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study. Autistic traits were assessed using scores from the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS). Volumes of subcortical regions of interest were derived from structural magnetic resonance imaging data. Results Overall, we did not find strong evidence for an association of autistic traits with differences in subcortical morphology in this sample of school-aged children. Whilst lower absolute volumes of the nucleus accumbens and putamen were associated with higher scores of autistic traits, these differences did not persist once a global measure of brain size was accounted for. Limitations It is important to note that autistic traits were assessed using the SRS, of which higher scores are associated with general behavioural problems, and therefore may not be wholly indicative of autism-specific symptoms. In addition, individuals with a moderate or severe autism diagnosis were excluded from the ABCD study, and thus, the average level of autistic traits will be lower than in the general population which may bias findings towards the null. Conclusions These findings from our well-powered study suggest that other metrics of brain morphology, such as cortical morphology or shape-based phenotypes, may be stronger candidates to prioritise when attempting to identify robust neuromarkers of autistic traits. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T15:44:40Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d66f6aa36d2e44bd961caba0e5e768f7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2040-2392 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T15:44:40Z |
| publishDate | 2023-02-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Molecular Autism |
| spelling | doaj.art-d66f6aa36d2e44bd961caba0e5e768f72023-02-12T12:14:01ZengBMCMolecular Autism2040-23922023-02-0114111210.1186/s13229-023-00538-5The subcortical correlates of autistic traits in school-age children: a population-based neuroimaging studyT. H. Sharp0M. Elsabbagh1A. Pickles2R. Bedford3Biostatistics and Health Informatics Department, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College LondonMontreal Neurological Institute, McGill UniversityBiostatistics and Health Informatics Department, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College LondonDepartment of Psychology, University of BathAbstract Background There is emerging evidence that the neuroanatomy of autism forms a spectrum which extends into the general population. However, whilst several studies have identified cortical morphology correlates of autistic traits, it is not established whether morphological differences are present in the subcortical structures of the brain. Additionally, it is not clear to what extent previously reported structural associations may be confounded by co-occurring psychopathology. To address these questions, we utilised neuroimaging data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study to assess whether a measure of autistic traits was associated with differences in child subcortical morphology, and if any observed differences persisted after adjustment for child internalising and externalising symptoms. Methods Our analyses included data from 7005 children aged 9–10 years (female: 47.19%) participating in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study. Autistic traits were assessed using scores from the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS). Volumes of subcortical regions of interest were derived from structural magnetic resonance imaging data. Results Overall, we did not find strong evidence for an association of autistic traits with differences in subcortical morphology in this sample of school-aged children. Whilst lower absolute volumes of the nucleus accumbens and putamen were associated with higher scores of autistic traits, these differences did not persist once a global measure of brain size was accounted for. Limitations It is important to note that autistic traits were assessed using the SRS, of which higher scores are associated with general behavioural problems, and therefore may not be wholly indicative of autism-specific symptoms. In addition, individuals with a moderate or severe autism diagnosis were excluded from the ABCD study, and thus, the average level of autistic traits will be lower than in the general population which may bias findings towards the null. Conclusions These findings from our well-powered study suggest that other metrics of brain morphology, such as cortical morphology or shape-based phenotypes, may be stronger candidates to prioritise when attempting to identify robust neuromarkers of autistic traits.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13229-023-00538-5AutismAutistic traitsSubcortexMRIBrain morphologyNeuroimaging |
| spellingShingle | T. H. Sharp M. Elsabbagh A. Pickles R. Bedford The subcortical correlates of autistic traits in school-age children: a population-based neuroimaging study Molecular Autism Autism Autistic traits Subcortex MRI Brain morphology Neuroimaging |
| title | The subcortical correlates of autistic traits in school-age children: a population-based neuroimaging study |
| title_full | The subcortical correlates of autistic traits in school-age children: a population-based neuroimaging study |
| title_fullStr | The subcortical correlates of autistic traits in school-age children: a population-based neuroimaging study |
| title_full_unstemmed | The subcortical correlates of autistic traits in school-age children: a population-based neuroimaging study |
| title_short | The subcortical correlates of autistic traits in school-age children: a population-based neuroimaging study |
| title_sort | subcortical correlates of autistic traits in school age children a population based neuroimaging study |
| topic | Autism Autistic traits Subcortex MRI Brain morphology Neuroimaging |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13229-023-00538-5 |
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