Detection of atypical network development patterns in children with autism spectrum disorder using magnetoencephalography

PLoS One. 2017 Sep 8;12(9):e0184422. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0184422. eCollection 2017.

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder that involves developmental delays. It has been hypothesized that aberrant neural connectivity in ASD may cause atypical brain network development. Brain graphs not only describe the differences in brain networks between clinical and control groups, but also provide information about network development within each group. In the present study, graph indices of brain networks were estimated in children with ASD and in typically developing (TD) children using magnetoencephalography performed while the children viewed a cartoon video. We examined brain graphs from a developmental point of view, and compared the networks between children with ASD and TD children. Network development patterns (NDPs) were assessed by examining the association between the graph indices and the raw scores on the achievement scale or the age of the children. The ASD and TD groups exhibited different NDPs at both network and nodal levels. In the left frontal areas, the nodal degree and efficiency of the ASD group were negatively correlated with the achievement scores. Reduced network connections were observed in the temporal and posterior areas of TD children. These results suggested that the atypical network developmental trajectory in children with ASD is associated with the development score rather than age.

MeSH terms

  • Acoustic Stimulation
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder / diagnostic imaging*
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder / physiopathology*
  • Brain / physiopathology
  • Brain Mapping
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Magnetoencephalography* / methods
  • Male
  • Neural Pathways / physiopathology*
  • Photic Stimulation
  • Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted

Grants and funding

This work was partially supported by Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology and the Center of Innovation Program, the Japan Science and Technology Agency. This work was also supported by Japan Science and Technology Agency KAKENHI grant number 15H05707. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.