Cortico-Cerebellar Connectivity in Autism Spectrum Disorder: What Do We Know So Far?

Abstract

Although the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is renowned to be a connectivity disorder and a condition characterized by cerebellar involvement, the connectivity between the cerebellum and other cortical brain regions is particularly underexamined. Indeed, converging evidence has recently suggested that the cerebellum could play a key role in the etiopathogenesis of ASD, since cerebellar anomalies have been consistently reported in ASD from the molecular to the behavioral level, and damage to the cerebellum early in development has been linked with signs of autistic features. In addition, current data have shown that the cerebellum is a key structure not only for sensory-motor control, but also for “higher functions,” such as social cognition and emotion, through its extensive connections with cortical areas. The disruption of these circuits could be implicated in the wide range of autistic symptoms that the term “spectrum” connotes. In this review, we present and discuss the recent findings from imaging studies that investigated cortico-cerebellar connectivity in people with ASD. The literature is still too limited to allow for definitive conclusions; however, this brief review reveals substantial areas for future studies, underlining currently unmet research perspectives.

Girls’ attentive traits associate with cerebellar to dorsal attention and default mode network connectivity

“…Indeed, in recent years there has been a surge in studies showcasing the cerebellum's role in attention (Baumann and Mattingley, 2014;Kellermann, et al, 2012;Striemer, et al, 2015). Genetic, animal model, post-mortem and neuroimaging studies, have all reported cerebellar differences between individuals with ADHD and those who are TD (Arime, et al, 2011;Baroni and Castellanos, 2015;Bonvicini, et al, 2016;Chess and Green, 2008;Rubia, et al, 2014;van der Meer, et al, 2016), as well as between TD individuals and those with ASD (for reviews see (Becker and Stoodley, 2013;Crippa, et al, 2016;Stoodley, 2016;Wang, et al, 2014). To our knowledge, however, this is only the second study to describe cerebellar FC with cortical networks in relation to attention or attention problems (see (Kucyi, et al, 2015) for an investigation into cerebellar FC with the DMN in relation to ADHD).…”

Auditory Processing Enhancements in the TS2-Neo Mouse Model of Timothy Syndrome, a Rare Genetic Disorder Associated with Autism Spectrum Disorders

“…Furthermore, it has also been reported that children with ASD demonstrate diffusely decreased connectivity across the motor execution network relative to control children (Mostosky et al, 2009). This cortico-cerebellar connectivity dysfunction is also considered a core characteristic of ASD, and is thought to contribute to anomalies in both sensory-motor control, and higher function such as social cognition and emotion (Crippa et al, 2016). …”

Autism genes are selectively targeted by environmental pollutants including pesticides, heavy metals, bisphenol A, phthalates and many others in food, cosmetics or household products

“…A recent MRI study has commented on the co-existence of Chiari malformation with some paediatric autism patients [267]. The targeting of the cerebellum by tretinoin is particularly relevant given that cerebellar abnormalities are a consistent feature of autism [268][269][270]. The transfer of retinoic acid across pig skin is increased by exposure to particulate matter containing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons [271].…”