Meeting Banner
Abstract #3568

Alteration of Regional Low-Frequency Fluctuation in Very Young Autistic Children: A Sedated-State fMRI Study

Hua Cheng1, Jishui Zhang1, Hao Huang2, Jun Wang3, Gaolang Gong3, Yun Peng1

1Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China; 2Advanced Imaging Research Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States; 3State key laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China

While fMRI technique has revealed functional abnormalities of multiple brain regions in high-functioning autistic adolescents and adults, how the regional functional patterns are altered in very young autistic children remained unknown. In this study, we utilized sedated-state fMRI to examine 33 treatment-nave young autistic children and 27 controls. The analysis of amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) and fALFF revealed significant changes of functional activity of autistic children in multiple regions, which possibly underlies the core symptoms of autism. Our findings suggest that the sedated-state fMRI can be a potential method to evaluate brain functional development in young children.

Abstract PDF Presentation Video

Keywords

aberrant abnormalities according activities activity addition adolescents adult adulthood advanced affected altered amplitude angular applied approved audience autism autistic band bands behaviors bilateral birth blue brain cerebellar cerebellum children china clinicians cluster cognition cognitive color committee communication compensation components connectivity consistently control controls core corrected cortical decreased decreases default deficits dependent derived detect detection developing development diagnosed difficulties discarded diseases disorder disorders disrupted ethics evaluate explanatory extent face five fluctuation fluctuations fractional frequency function functional functioning fusiform gong hospital improved include inferior junction largely leaving linear majority male matched medical middle mild mode model networks neurologist normally occipital parietal patient patients patterns perception planar posterior potential protocol psychiatric psychiatry putatively recent reduction regional related repeatedly repetition reported represents responsible resting restricted revealed scanner sedated significantly slow social software southwestern specifically spectrum stage statistical stem structure studies subject subjects superior symptoms system temporal theory threshold treatment underlies unknown utilized vast years young