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Autism Spectrum Disorder Symptoms are Associated with Connectivity Between Large-Scale Neural Networks and Brain Regions Involved in Social Processing

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Abstract

The neurobiology of autism spectrum disorder remains poorly understood. The present study addresses this knowledge gap by examining the relationship between functional brain connectivity and Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) scores using publicly available data from the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange (ABIDE) database (N = 107). This relationship was tested across all brain voxels, without a priori assumptions, using a novel statistical approach. ADOS scores were primarily associated with decreased connectivity to right temporoparietal junction, right anterior insula, and left fusiform gyrus (p < 0.05, corrected). Seven large-scale brain networks influenced these associations. Findings largely encompassed brain regions involved in processing socially relevant information, highlighting the importance of these processes in autism spectrum disorder.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by National Institutes of Health grants R01MH102224 (JRT), R01DK103691 (JRT), R21DK102052 (JRT), K01DK100445 (KTL), and UL1TR002535 (KTL/KW).

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KPW, JRT, and KTL designed the study; KPW and JJB conducted the statistical analyses; KPW, JRT, and KTL drafted the manuscript; KPW, JRT, JJB, and KTL participated in the interpretation of data and provided critical revision of the manuscript; all authors approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Kristina T. Legget.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Wylie, K.P., Tregellas, J.R., Bear, J.J. et al. Autism Spectrum Disorder Symptoms are Associated with Connectivity Between Large-Scale Neural Networks and Brain Regions Involved in Social Processing. J Autism Dev Disord 50, 2765–2778 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-020-04383-w

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-020-04383-w

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