Abstract #4795

White Matter Integrity and Asymmetry Alterations in Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: An Automated Fiber Quantification Study

Dan Luo¹, Chunfeng Zhao¹, Lisha Nie², Yu Yin³, Xiaoqing Liu⁴, Haoyue Yu¹, Fuqin Wang¹, Heng Chen⁵, and Heng Liu¹

¹Department of Radiology, Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University, Engineering Research Center of Intelligent Medical Imaging in Guizhou Higher Education Institutions, 149 Dalian Road, Huichuan District, Zunyi, Guizhou 563003, P.R. China, Zunyi, China, ²GE Healthcare, MR Research China, Beijing, China, Beijing, China, ³Department of Radiology, the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha 410011, China, Changsha, China, ⁴Department of Radiology, Meishan City People's Hospital, 288# Dong Po Avenue, Meishan, Sichuan 620000, China, Meishan, China, ⁵School of Medicine, Guizhou University, Jiaxiu Road, Huaxi District, Guiyang, Guizhou, 550025, PR China, Guiyang, China

Synopsis

Keywords: DWI/DTI/DKI, DWI/DTI/DKI, Autism spectrum disorder, Diffusion tensor imaging, Automated fiber quantification, Structural lateralization, White matter

Motivation: Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) display altered white matter (WM) microstructure, but the specific regions and patterns remain unclear.

Goal(s): This study investigates WM abnormalities in young children with ASD and their relationships with behavioral symptoms using automated fiber quantification (AFQ).

Approach: Diffusion tensor imaging data were collected from 36 children with ASD and 27 healthy controls to extract WM tract diffusion metrics.

Results: Children with ASD exhibited WM microstructural abnormalities, atypical lateralization, and delayed development, which correlated with social and repetitive behavioral symptoms.

Impact: This study identifies WM biomarkers linked to social and repetitive behaviors in ASD, guiding early diagnosis and intervention. These findings pave the way for research on targeted treatments addressing specific neurodevelopmental delays in ASD.

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