Predicting pragmatic language abilities from brain structural MRI in preschool children with ASD by NBS-Predict.

Researchers used brain scans to study how brain structure relates to communication skills in 92 preschooler children with autism compared to 52 typically developing children. They found specific brain connection patterns that could identify autism with nearly 80% accuracy. Children with autism showed weaker connections in areas of the brain important for social communication, particularly between the front parts of the brain. These weaker brain connections were linked to difficulties with pragmatic language - the social aspects of communication like understanding context and taking turns in conversation.

This neuroimaging study examined brain structure and pragmatic language abilities in 92 preschool children with ASD and 52 typically developing controls using diffusion tensor imaging. Researchers employed NBS-Predict methodology to identify brain connectivity patterns associated with ASD and predict pragmatic language skills. The study identified a subnetwork of 42 reduced white matter connections across 37 brain regions, primarily in frontotemporal and subcortical areas, that could classify ASD with 79.4% accuracy. The right superior medial frontal gyrus showed the most extensive disconnection.

White matter connections between this region and the bilateral anterior cingulate gyrus were significantly associated with pragmatic language abilities in children with ASD, suggesting these neural pathways may underlie pragmatic communication difficulties.

Findings suggest pragmatic language difficulties in ASD may have identifiable neurobiological underpinnings in specific brain connection patterns. This research could inform future development of targeted interventions and contribute to understanding individual differences in communication abilities within the autism spectrum.

Single study with moderate sample size. Correlation between predicted and actual pragmatic language scores was relatively modest (r=0.220). Cross-sectional design limits understanding of developmental trajectories. Generalizability to broader ASD population unclear.

Pragmatics plays a crucial role in effectively conveying messages across various social communication contexts. This aspect is frequently highlighted in the challenges experienced by children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Notably, there remains a paucity of research investigating how the structural connectome (SC) predicts pragmatic language abilities within this population. Using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and deterministic tractography, we constructed the whole-brain white matter structural network (WMSN) in a cohort comprising 92 children with ASD and 52 typically developing (TD) preschoolers, matched for age and gender.

We employed network-based statistic (NBS)-Predict, a novel methodology that integrates machine learning (ML) with NBS, to identify dysconnected subnetworks associated with ASD, and then to predict pragmatic language abilities based on the SC derived from the whole-brain WMSN in the ASD group. Initially, NBS-Predict identified a subnetwork characterized by 42 reduced connections across 37 brain regions (p = 0.01), achieving a highest classification accuracy of 79.4% (95% CI: 0.791 ~ 0.796). The dysconnected regions were predominantly localized within the brain's frontotemporal and subcortical areas, with the right superior medial frontal gyrus (SFGmed.R) emerging as the region exhibiting the most extensive disconnection. Moreover, NBS-Predict demonstrated that the optimal correlation coefficient between the predicted pragmatic language scores and the actual measured scores was 0.220 (95% CI: 0.174 ~ 0.265).

This analysis revealed a significant association between the pragmatic language abilities of the ASD cohort and the white matter connections linking the SFGmed.R with the bilateral anterior cingulate gyrus (ACG). In summary, our findings suggest that the subnetworks displaying the most significant abnormal connections were concentrated in the frontotemporal and subcortical regions among the ASD group. Furthermore, the observed abnormalities in the white matter connection pathways between the SFGmed.R and ACG may underlie the neurobiological basis for pragmatic language deficits in preschool children with ASD.