Default mode and fronto-parietal network associations with IQ development across childhood in autism
Abstract Background Intellectual disability affects approximately one third of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (autism). Yet, a major unresolved neurobiological question is what differentiates autistic individuals with and without intellectual disability. Intelligence quotients (IQs) are h...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2022-09-01
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| Series: | Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s11689-022-09460-y |
| _version_ | 1811267710505451520 |
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| author | Joshua K. Lee An Chuen Billy Cho Derek S. Andrews Sally Ozonoff Sally J. Rogers David G. Amaral Marjorie Solomon Christine Wu Nordahl |
| author_facet | Joshua K. Lee An Chuen Billy Cho Derek S. Andrews Sally Ozonoff Sally J. Rogers David G. Amaral Marjorie Solomon Christine Wu Nordahl |
| author_sort | Joshua K. Lee |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Intellectual disability affects approximately one third of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (autism). Yet, a major unresolved neurobiological question is what differentiates autistic individuals with and without intellectual disability. Intelligence quotients (IQs) are highly variable during childhood. We previously identified three subgroups of autistic children with different trajectories of intellectual development from early (2–3½ years) to middle childhood (9–12 years): (a) persistently high: individuals whose IQs remained in the normal range; (b) persistently low: individuals whose IQs remained in the range of intellectual disability (IQ < 70); and (c) changers: individuals whose IQs began in the range of intellectual disability but increased to the normal IQ range. The frontoparietal (FPN) and default mode (DMN) networks have established links to intellectual functioning. Here, we tested whether brain regions within the FPN and DMN differed volumetrically between these IQ trajectory groups in early childhood. Methods We conducted multivariate distance matrix regression to examine the brain regions within the FPN (11 regions x 2 hemispheres) and the DMN (12 regions x 2 hemispheres) in 48 persistently high (18 female), 108 persistently low (32 female), and 109 changers (39 female) using structural MRI acquired at baseline. FPN and DMN regions were defined using networks identified in Smith et al. (Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 106:13040–5, 2009). IQ trajectory groups were defined by IQ measurements from up to three time points spanning early to middle childhood (mean age time 1: 3.2 years; time 2: 5.4 years; time 3: 11.3 years). Results The changers group exhibited volumetric differences in the DMN compared to both the persistently low and persistently high groups at time 1. However, the persistently high group did not differ from the persistently low group, suggesting that DMN structure may be an early predictor for change in IQ trajectory. In contrast, the persistently high group exhibited differences in the FPN compared to both the persistently low and changers groups, suggesting differences related more to concurrent IQ and the absence of intellectual disability. Conclusions Within autism, volumetric differences of brain regions within the DMN in early childhood may differentiate individuals with persistently low IQ from those with low IQ that improves through childhood. Structural differences in brain networks between these three IQ-based subgroups highlight distinct neural underpinnings of these autism sub-phenotypes. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T21:07:45Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e123f563090e41538a13a5771811a473 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1866-1947 1866-1955 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T21:07:45Z |
| publishDate | 2022-09-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders |
| spelling | doaj.art-e123f563090e41538a13a5771811a4732022-12-22T03:16:40ZengBMCJournal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders1866-19471866-19552022-09-0114111010.1186/s11689-022-09460-yDefault mode and fronto-parietal network associations with IQ development across childhood in autismJoshua K. Lee0An Chuen Billy Cho1Derek S. Andrews2Sally Ozonoff3Sally J. Rogers4David G. Amaral5Marjorie Solomon6Christine Wu Nordahl7MIND Institute, University of California Davis School of MedicineMIND Institute, University of California Davis School of MedicineMIND Institute, University of California Davis School of MedicineMIND Institute, University of California Davis School of MedicineMIND Institute, University of California Davis School of MedicineMIND Institute, University of California Davis School of MedicineMIND Institute, University of California Davis School of MedicineMIND Institute, University of California Davis School of MedicineAbstract Background Intellectual disability affects approximately one third of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (autism). Yet, a major unresolved neurobiological question is what differentiates autistic individuals with and without intellectual disability. Intelligence quotients (IQs) are highly variable during childhood. We previously identified three subgroups of autistic children with different trajectories of intellectual development from early (2–3½ years) to middle childhood (9–12 years): (a) persistently high: individuals whose IQs remained in the normal range; (b) persistently low: individuals whose IQs remained in the range of intellectual disability (IQ < 70); and (c) changers: individuals whose IQs began in the range of intellectual disability but increased to the normal IQ range. The frontoparietal (FPN) and default mode (DMN) networks have established links to intellectual functioning. Here, we tested whether brain regions within the FPN and DMN differed volumetrically between these IQ trajectory groups in early childhood. Methods We conducted multivariate distance matrix regression to examine the brain regions within the FPN (11 regions x 2 hemispheres) and the DMN (12 regions x 2 hemispheres) in 48 persistently high (18 female), 108 persistently low (32 female), and 109 changers (39 female) using structural MRI acquired at baseline. FPN and DMN regions were defined using networks identified in Smith et al. (Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 106:13040–5, 2009). IQ trajectory groups were defined by IQ measurements from up to three time points spanning early to middle childhood (mean age time 1: 3.2 years; time 2: 5.4 years; time 3: 11.3 years). Results The changers group exhibited volumetric differences in the DMN compared to both the persistently low and persistently high groups at time 1. However, the persistently high group did not differ from the persistently low group, suggesting that DMN structure may be an early predictor for change in IQ trajectory. In contrast, the persistently high group exhibited differences in the FPN compared to both the persistently low and changers groups, suggesting differences related more to concurrent IQ and the absence of intellectual disability. Conclusions Within autism, volumetric differences of brain regions within the DMN in early childhood may differentiate individuals with persistently low IQ from those with low IQ that improves through childhood. Structural differences in brain networks between these three IQ-based subgroups highlight distinct neural underpinnings of these autism sub-phenotypes.https://doi.org/10.1186/s11689-022-09460-yAutism spectrum disorderIntellectual disabilityIQMRILongitudinalDefault mode |
| spellingShingle | Joshua K. Lee An Chuen Billy Cho Derek S. Andrews Sally Ozonoff Sally J. Rogers David G. Amaral Marjorie Solomon Christine Wu Nordahl Default mode and fronto-parietal network associations with IQ development across childhood in autism Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders Autism spectrum disorder Intellectual disability IQ MRI Longitudinal Default mode |
| title | Default mode and fronto-parietal network associations with IQ development across childhood in autism |
| title_full | Default mode and fronto-parietal network associations with IQ development across childhood in autism |
| title_fullStr | Default mode and fronto-parietal network associations with IQ development across childhood in autism |
| title_full_unstemmed | Default mode and fronto-parietal network associations with IQ development across childhood in autism |
| title_short | Default mode and fronto-parietal network associations with IQ development across childhood in autism |
| title_sort | default mode and fronto parietal network associations with iq development across childhood in autism |
| topic | Autism spectrum disorder Intellectual disability IQ MRI Longitudinal Default mode |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s11689-022-09460-y |
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