Reduced asymmetry of the hand knob area and decreased sensorimotor u-fiber connectivity in middle-aged adults with autism.

Autor: Hau J; Brain Development Imaging Laboratories, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA., Baker A; Brain Development Imaging Laboratories, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA., Chaaban C; Brain Development Imaging Laboratories, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA., Kohli JS; Brain Development Imaging Laboratories, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA., Jao Keehn RJ; Brain Development Imaging Laboratories, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA., Linke AC; Brain Development Imaging Laboratories, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA., Mash LE; Brain Development Imaging Laboratories, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA., Wilkinson M; Brain Development Imaging Laboratories, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA., Kinnear MK; Brain Development Imaging Laboratories, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA., Müller RA; Brain Development Imaging Laboratories, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA., Carper RA; Brain Development Imaging Laboratories, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA. Electronic address: rcarper@sdsu.edu.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Cortex; a journal devoted to the study of the nervous system and behavior [Cortex] 2022 Aug; Vol. 153, pp. 110-125. Date of Electronic Publication: 2022 May 12.
DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2022.04.004
Abstrakt: Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) frequently present with impairments in motor skills (e.g., limb coordination, handwriting and balance), which are observed across the lifespan but remain largely untreated. Many adults with ASD may thus experience adverse motor outcomes in aging, when physical decline naturally occurs. The 'hand knob' of the sensorimotor cortex is an area that is critical for motor control of the fingers and hands. However, this region has received little attention in ASD research, especially in adults after midlife. The hand knob area of the precentral (PrC hand ) and postcentral (PoC hand ) gyri was semi-manually delineated in 49 right-handed adults (25 ASD, 24 typical comparison [TC] participants, aged 41-70 years). Using multimodal (T1-weighted, diffusion-weighted, and resting-state functional) MRI, we examined the morphology, ipsilateral connectivity and laterality of these regions. We also explored correlations between hand knob measures with motor skills and autism symptoms, and between structural and functional connectivity measures. Bayesian analyses indicated moderate evidence of group effects with greater right PrC hand volume and reduced leftward laterality of PrC hand and PoC hand volume in the ASD relative to TC group. Furthermore, the right PoC-PrC hand u-fibers showed increased mean diffusivity in the ASD group. In the ASD group, right u-fiber volume positively correlated with corresponding functional connectivity but did not survive multiple comparisons correction. Correlations of hand knob measures and behavior were observed in the ASD group but did not survive multiple comparisons correction. Our findings suggest that morphological laterality and u-fiber connectivity of the sensorimotor network, putatively involved in hand motor/premotor function, may be diminished in middle-aged adults with ASD, perhaps rendering them more vulnerable to motor decline in old age. The altered morphology may relate to atypical functional motor asymmetries found in ASD earlier in life, possibly reflecting altered functional asymmetries over time.
Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None.
(Copyright © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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