Multimodal MRI Brain Network Research Of Preschool Children With Autism

Objective: The characteristics of the brain network of the preschool children with autism are not clear.This study plan to construct a functional and structural brain network of the preschool children with autism.And then we will analyze the similarities and differences between the two groups,to get further understanding of the preschool children with autism.Methods: This research is divided into two parts.In the first part,we adopt the method of resting-state f MRI.We scanned 32 children with autism(age: 3.03±0.99 years),and 22 children as control(age: 2.95 ±0.90 years),and then calculate the functional connectivity of the two groups.We also calculate the functional connectivity network attributes by the method of graph theory.In the second part we use the method of diffusion tensor imaging in the scan.We scanned 39 children with autism(age: 2.89±0.97years),and 19 children as control(age: 3.15±1.12 years),after that we use graph analysis method for diffusion tensor imaging acquisition of white matter image analysis,draw the network properties.Results: In part one,compared with the control group,the autism's group's DMN(Default Module Network)and parts of the temporal lobe's functional connectivity were increased,while the functional connectivity in the hippocampus decreased.In the function of the connection network attributes,the clustering coefficient and local efficiency of children with autism were higher than the controls.The node efficiency of the nodes(IFGoperc.L,MTG.R)of the children with autism was increased,and the node efficiency of the nodes(CAL.L,LING.L,HIP.R)was decreased.In part two,ennhanced topological network efficiency was found in the preschool children with autism.A higher nodal efficiency was found in the left precuneus,thalamus,and bilateral superior parietal cortex,and the nodal efficiency of the left precuneus was positively associated with the severity of autism.Conclusion: Our study found that in the functional connection,the connect of the DMN and the part of the temporal were increased,while the connection of the hippocampus region decreased,which was associated with memory.At the same time,the function and structure of the local network efficiency both are increased.The global efficiency of structural networks increased in children with autism,but the global efficiency of functional networks was not significantly different from that of the normal group.The inconsistency between the functional network and the structural network indicates that there may be invalid links in the white matter network.It expanded the new train of thought in the research of autism.