Neural correlates of impaired self-regulation in male youths with autism spectrum disorder: A voxel-based morphometry study
Journal
Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry
Journal Volume
82
Date Issued
2018-03-02
Author(s)
Abstract
© 2017 The Authors Although recent studies revealed impaired self-regulation (dysregulation) in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), neural correlates of dysregulation and its impacts on autistic neuroanatomy remain unclear. Voxel-based morphometry was applied on structural MRI images in 81 ASD and 61 typically developing (TD) boys aged 7–17 years. Dysregulation was defined by the sum of T-scores of Attention, Aggression, and Anxiety/Depression subscales in the Child Behavior Checklist > 180. There were 53 and 28 boys in the ASD + Dysregulation and ASD-Dysregulation groups, respectively. First, we compared regional gray matter (GM) volume for ASD and TD. Second, we investigated regional GM volumetric differences among the ASD + Dysregulation, ASD-Dysregulation and TD groups. Lastly, shared and distinct neurostructural correlates of dysregulation were investigated in the ASD and TD groups. The ASD-TD difference on neuroanatomy no longer existed after controlling the dysregulation severity. ASD + Dysregulation had larger regional GM volumes in the right fusiform gyrus, and smaller GM volumes in the anterior prefrontal cortex than ASD-Dysregulation and TD, respectively. ASD + Dysregulation had smaller GM volumes in the left lateral occipital/superior parietal cortex than TD boys. No GM difference was identified between ASD-Dysregulation and TD. ASD and TD had a shared association between GM volumes in the orbitofrontal cortex and dysregulation levels. Our findings suggest that atypical neuroanatomy associated with ASD might partially reflect a disproportionate level of impaired self-regulation. Categorical and dimensional considerations of dysregulation should be implemented in future ASD studies.
Subjects
Autism spectrum disorder | Child behavior checklist | Dysregulation | Structural MRI | Voxel-based morphometry
Autism spectrum disorder; Child behavior checklist; Dysregulation; Structural MRI; Voxel-based morphometry
SDGs
Other Subjects
adolescent; aggression; anxiety; Article; attention; autism; autoregulation; brain region; brain size; child; Child Behavior Checklist; clinical feature; controlled study; disease severity; fusiform gyrus; gray matter; human; intelligence quotient; juvenile; major clinical study; male; neuroanatomy; nuclear magnetic resonance imaging; orbital cortex; parietal cortex; prefrontal cortex; scoring system; volumetry; voxel based morphometry; autism; brain; diagnostic imaging; organ size; pathology; psychology; self control; Adolescent; Autism Spectrum Disorder; Brain; Child; Gray Matter; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Organ Size; Self-Control
Type
journal article