Multi-modality MRI In Preschool Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Objective:The ambiguous mechanism and locations of the pathological changes associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in preschool children have become the foci of an increasing amount of research. According to the previous references and our research team’s basic work, we hypothesized that the sound stimulation from body language represents an individual’s attitudes may cause its mirror neurons’ disorder.Methods:Parti:The Small-world method of Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) was used to analyze the brain white matter fiber pathways for 21 children with ASD and age-matched 21 normal controls (NCs). T2-weighted imaging (T2WI), three dimensional fast spoiled gradient-echo (3D-FSPGR) and DTI were scanned to depict the fine white matter fibre structures and pathways. Then, the nodal efficiency of regional information flow was statistically computed.Part 2:Blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) of functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) with a hand-related auditory and visual stimulation event-related experiment was performed in 15 children with ASD and 21 age-matched NCs. T2WI,3D-FSPGR and DTI were executed to statistically analyze the spacial distribution.Part 3:Electroencephalograph (EEG) with a hand-related auditory and visual stimulation event-related experiment was performed in 10 ASD children with ASD and 21 age-matched NCs. All subjects were scanned with 32 electrodes to analyze the mu rythum (8-12Hz) power and Independent Component Analysis.Results:Part 1:DTI:Compared with NCs, our recent study on preschool children with ASD revealed the 16 regions with statistically significant difference (p<0.05) mainly concentrated in basal ganglia network, including bilateral caudate (L:p=0.0441, R: p=0.0009), putamen (L:p=0.0222, R:p=0.0287), pallidum(L:p=0.0007, R: p=0.0082), and in paralimbic-limbic network, including bilateral hippocampus (L: p=0.0191, R:p=0.0119), parahippocampus gyrus (L:p=0.0191, R:p=0.0119), left temporal pole of superior temporal gyrus (L:p=0.0186) and right amygdale (R: p=0.0337). Also, left Heschl gyrus (L:p=0.0207) and bilateral fusiform gyrus (p=0.0034, R:p=0.0419), all showed significantly increased nodal efficiency. But one region, supplementary motor area showed decreased nodal efficiency in preschool children with ASD.Part 2:BOLD:Compared with NCs, this study with hand-related auditory stimulation versus no-hand-related auditory stimulation on preschool children with ASD revealed that bilateral temporal area and the junctional zone of temporal area and occipital area indicated the statistically significant increasing, and bilateral frontal area and the junctional zone of frontal area and parietal area depicted the statistically significant decreasing (p<0.05).Part 3:EEG:Compared with NCs, this study with hand-related auditory stimulation on preschool children with ASD revealed that the mu rhythm power depression existed in 3000ms.Conclusions:The Small-world method of DTI was used to explore the disorder of the nodal efficiency in the basal ganglia and paralimbic-limbic network. BOLD-fMRI with hand-related auditory stimulation was used to find the decreased bilateral frontal area and junctional zone of frontal area and parietal area and increased bilateral temporal area and the junctional zone of temporal area and occipital area. And the mu rhythm power depression of EEG was analyzed. That may be the breakthrough of precise position causes for in preschool children with ASD. And it would be the important basis of intervention and treatment in precise brain area for preschool children with ASD in the future.