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Abstract #1239

Brain Connectivity and Autistic Traits Moderated by Olfactory Perception among Children and Adolescents with Congenital Heart Defects

Vanessa Jean Schmithorst1, Julia Wallace1, Pablo Polosecki2, Daryaneh Badaly3, Vincent Lee1, Sue Beers1, Pablo Meyer2, Cecilia Lo1, and Ashok Panigrahy1
1University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States, 2IBM T.J. Watson Research Center, Ossining, NY, United States, 3Child Mind Institute, New York, NY, United States

Synopsis

We investigate the relation between congenital heart disease (CHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and olfaction in a cohort of children and young adults using fcMRI (Functional Connectivity Strength; FCS, and amygdala seed-based connectivity) and DTI (RD). ASD severity was positively correlated with FCS in widespread regions, with amygdala connectivity to the DMN, and with RD in posterior parietal white matter; however, these relations were stronger in individuals with impaired olfaction scores and individuals with CHD. The relation between impaired olfaction, CHD, and ASD may be the result of individuals with impaired olfaction and/or CHD having different brain structure-function relationships.

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