Abstract
The relationship between brain development and clinical heterogeneity in autism (ASD) is unknown. This study examines the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) in relation to the longitudinal development of cortical thickness. Participants (N = 91 ASD, N = 56 TDC; 3–39 years at first scan) were scanned up to three times over a 7-year period. Mixed-effects models examined cortical thickness in relation to SRS score. ASD participants with higher SRS scores showed regionally increased age-related cortical thinning. Regional thickness differences and reduced age-related cortical thinning were found in predominantly right lateralized regions in ASD with decreasing SRS scores over time. Our findings emphasize the importance of examining clinical phenotypes in brain-based studies of ASD.
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Funding
The funding was provided by National Institute of Mental Health (R01 MH080826, R01 MH084795, R01 MH097464, K08 MH100609, K08 MH092697), Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (P30 HD003352, U54 HD090256), Poelman Foundation, Primary Children's Foundation, the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation and the Hartwell Foundation. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Mental Health, the National Institute of Child Health and Development or the National Institutes of Health.
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MDP conceived of the study, performed statistical analysis and drafted the manuscript; BZ helped with study design and draft of the manuscript; AF helped with data collection and coordination of the study; TA helped with imaging data collection and management; BT helped with study design and provided statistical expertise; JA provided input in study design; EB, JL, NL, AA all provided input in study design and conceived of the larger ASD study that provided the funding for the data collection. All authors approved and read the final manuscript.
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All procedures in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinski declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.
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Prigge, M.B.D., Bigler, E.D., Travers, B.G. et al. Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) in Relation to Longitudinal Cortical Thickness Changes in Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Autism Dev Disord 48, 3319–3329 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-018-3566-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-018-3566-1