Alterations in white matter connectivity of the dorsal and ventral language pathways in children with autism spectrum disorder.

Researchers used brain scans to study the connections in language areas of the brain in 120 children (60 with autism, 60 without). They found that children with autism had weaker connections in important language pathways compared to other children. These weaker connections were linked to language difficulties, especially in younger children with autism. This suggests that problems with brain connections might explain why many children with autism struggle with language development.

This neuroimaging study used diffusional kurtosis imaging to examine white matter connectivity in language pathways among 60 children with ASD and 60 typically developing controls, divided into early childhood (24-59 months) and late childhood (60-95 months) groups. Children with ASD showed significantly reduced connectivity in bilateral inferior longitudinal fasciculus, right inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus, and right superior longitudinal fasciculus - key pathways supporting language processing. Connectivity measures correlated with language abilities, particularly in younger children with ASD. The findings suggest that disrupted white matter connectivity in both dorsal and ventral language pathways may underlie language difficulties in autism, with more pronounced effects in younger children.

Findings suggest that neuroimaging of language pathways might help identify children with ASD at risk for language difficulties, particularly younger children. The age-related differences indicate that early intervention targeting language development may be especially important for younger children with autism.

Single study design without longitudinal follow-up. Age groupings may not capture individual developmental variability. Unclear if findings relate to specific language domains or general language ability. No information provided about language intervention history or severity ranges within the ASD sample.

Language difficulties are prevalent in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The present study aimed to investigate differences in white matter connectivity of the dorsal and ventral language pathways between children with ASD and typically developing (TD) children, utilizing diffusional kurtosis imaging (DKI), with the goal of exploring neurobiological mechanisms underlying language dysfunction in autism. The study included 60 children with ASD and 60 age-matched TD controls. Participants were categorized into two subgroups based on age to assess developmental modulation effects: early childhood (24 ≤ months < 60) and late childhood (60 ≤ months < 96).

Clinical symptoms were assessed using Griffiths Development Scales-Chinese Edition (GDS-C) and Autism Behavior Checklist (ABC) scales. ASD children exhibited significantly reduced connectivity in the bilateral inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF), right inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFOF), and right superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF). In the ASD group and ASD early childhood subgroup, kurtosis fractional anisotropy (KFA) in the bilateral ILF were positively correlated with the GDS-C language subscale scores, while KFA in the right IFOF and SLF were negatively correlated with the ABC language subscale scores. No significant correlations were found in the ASD late childhood subgroup.

The findings suggest that reduced connectivity in the dorsal and ventral language pathways may represent a key neurological mechanism underlying language difficulties in ASD. Furthermore, younger children with ASD may exhibit more pronounced language difficulties and white matter alterations compared to older children with ASD.