Abstract #1182

Structural and Functional Underconnectivity as a Negative Prognostic Marker for Language in Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Marjolein Verly¹, Judith Verhoeven², Inge Zink¹, Lieven Lagae³, Nathalie Rommel¹, Stefan Sunaert⁴

¹ExpORL, Department of Neurosciences, Catholic University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; ²Epilepsy Center Kempenhaeghe, Heeze, Netherlands; ³Child Neurology, University Hospitals of the Catholic University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; ⁴Radiology, University Hospitals of the Catholic University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

In a sub-group of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) the failure in spoken language is not only restricted to the domain of pragmatics but encompasses semantic, syntactic and phonological domains. Functional and structural neuroimaging are promising techniques for unraveling the neural correlates underlying the linguistic deficits of autism. However, the interplay between structural and functional connectivity and language performance in autism is largely unstudied. In this study, we examined the neurostructural and neurofunctional basis of language impairment in ASD using diffusion tensor imaging and resting state magnetic resonance imaging. DTI tractography and rsfMRI have revealed a pattern of structural and functional underconnectivity in a subgroup of children with ASD. In this subgroup underconnectivity of the language network was associated with co-occurring language impairment.