Gray matter microstructure differences in autistic males: A gray matter based spatial statistics study.

Researchers used advanced brain scans to study the brain structure of autistic boys and young men compared to their non-autistic peers. They found differences in how brain cells are organized, particularly in the right side of the brain. These differences were linked to autism symptoms - suggesting that brain structure may help explain some autism characteristics. The findings could help develop better, more personalized support approaches.

This neuroimaging study used Gray-Matter Based Spatial Statistics to examine brain microstructure differences between 83 typically developing and 70 autistic males aged 5-21 years. Using advanced diffusion MRI techniques, researchers found increased neurite density in autistic individuals across frontal, temporal, and occipital regions of the right hemisphere. Age-related differences were observed in frontal areas, and within the autism group, lower neurite dispersion correlated with higher autism symptom severity scores. The findings suggest altered neurodevelopmental processes affecting gray matter microstructure in autistic males, with implications for understanding brain-behavior relationships in autism and potential development of targeted interventions.

Findings suggest brain microstructure differences may underlie autism characteristics and could inform personalized intervention approaches. Age-related differences indicate importance of developmental timing in support strategies. However, more research needed to translate neuroimaging findings into practical clinical applications.

Single study design without replication. Male-only sample limits generalizability to females with autism. Cross-sectional design cannot establish causality. Unclear if findings translate to functional outcomes or intervention planning.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental condition. Understanding the brain's microstructure and its relationship to clinical characteristics is important to advance our understanding of the neural supports underlying ASD. In the current work, we implemented Gray-Matter Based Spatial Statistics (GBSS) to examine and characterize cortical microstructure and assess differences between typically developing (TD) and autistic males. A multi-shell diffusion MRI (dMRI) protocol was acquired from 83 TD and 70 autistic males (5-to-21-years) and fit to the DTI and NODDI models.

GBSS was performed for voxelwise analysis of cortical gray matter (GM). General linear models were used to investigate group differences, while age-by-group interactions assessed age-related differences between groups. Within the ASD group, relationships between cortical microstructure and measures of autistic symptoms were investigated. All dMRI measures were significantly associated with age across the GM skeleton.

Group differences and age-by-group interactions are reported. Group-wise increases in neurite density in autistic individuals were observed across frontal, temporal, and occipital regions of the right hemisphere. Significant age-by-group interactions of neurite density were observed within the middle frontal gyrus, precentral gyrus, and frontal pole. Negative relationships between neurite dispersion and the ADOS-2 Calibrated Severity Scores (CSS) were observed within the ASD group.

Findings demonstrate group and age-related differences between groups in neurite density in ASD across right-hemisphere brain regions supporting cognitive processes. Results provide evidence of altered neurodevelopmental processes affecting GM microstructure in autistic males with implications for the role of cortical microstructure in the level of autistic symptoms. Using dMRI and GBSS, our findings provide new insights into group and age-related differences of the GM microstructure in autistic males. Defining where and when these cortical GM differences arise will contribute to our understanding of brain-behavior relationships of ASD and may aid in the development and monitoring of targeted and individualized interventions.