Hyper-connectivity of the striatum related to restricted and repetitive behaviors’ severity in children with ASD

Abstract

Restricted and repetitive behaviors (RRB) are a core feature of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). But little is known about the underlying neurobiology of the disorder, preventing from having specific therapeutic targets. Based on the literature, we explored the correlates between a clinical score of RRB, using the Repetitive Behaviour Scale -Revised, and the intrinsic connectivity of seven striatal regions in a sample of 157 children with ASD. The sample was acquired from the ABIDE consortium.We found a significant correlation between the severity of our clinical scale and several cortico-striatal networks. Specifically, stronger connections were found between striatal seeds and two cortical areas, an occipital area and a frontal area in the left hemisphere. Intrinsic functional connectivity of the striatum could serve as a potential biomarker for improved detection of RRB severity. DRAFT VERSION

More than the sum of its parts: Merging network psychometrics and network neuroscience with application in autism

“…Because the network-based regressors only contain the unique variance in each measure, any remaining overlap hints at a shared mechanism at the brain level. Thus, the brain-level association between social interaction and RRBI suggests that variation in both is driven by altered connectivity of the orbitofrontal cortex with the amygdala and striatum, possibly leading to both altered emotional processing and reward-related processing [34][35][36] .…”

More than the sum of its parts: Merging network psychometrics and network neuroscience with application in autism

“…Repetitive and stereotyped behaviours and narrow interests (RRBIs) have been associated with differences in systems involved in sensation, motor control, and reward-related processing. Specifically, higher RRBIs scores are linked to greater connectivity between the striatum with occipital and frontal areas ( Dupong & Di Martino, 2020 ), alongside lower connectivity of the striatum with cortical motor and sensory areas ( Abbott et al, 2018 ; Maximo & Kana, 2019 ). Furthermore, higher RRBIs scores are associated with lower connectivity of fronto-parietal regions ( Abbott et al, 2018 ; J. M. Lee et al, 2016 ), broadly consistent with the DMN.…”