White matter alterations in autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in relation to sensory profile

Abstract

Word Count words2 Abstract Background. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have high rates of co-occurrence and share atypical behavioral characteristics, including sensory problems. The present diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) study was conducted to examine whether and how white matter abnormalities are observed in adult populations with developmental disabilities (DD) and to determine how brain-sensory relationships are either shared between or distinct to ASD and ADHD.Methods. We collected DTI data from adult developmental disorder (DD) populations (a primary diagnosis of ASD: n=105, ADHD: n=55) as well as age and sex matched typically developed (TD) participants (n=58). Voxel-wise fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity, axial diffusivity, and radial diffusivity (RD) were analyzed using tract-based spatial statistics. The severities of sensory problems were assessed using the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile (AASP). Results. Categorical analyses identified voxel clusters showing significant effects of DD on FA andRD in the posterior portion of the corpus callosum and its extension in the right hemisphere. Furthermore, regression analyses using the AASP scores revealed that slopes in relationships of FA or RD with the degree of sensory problems were parallel between the two DDs in large parts of the affected corpus callosum regions, although a small but significant cluster did exist showing interaction between the diagnosis of DD and an AASP subscale score on RD. 3 Conclusions. These results indicate that white matter abnormalities and their relationships to sensory problems are largely shared between ASD and ADHD, with localized abnormalities showing significant between-diagnosis differences within DD. (247 words)

Case report: A heterozygous mutation in ZNF462 leads to growth hormone deficiency

“…However, patients 5, 8, and 28 also have attention disorder. Furthermore, ASD, attention deficit, and ADHD have high rates of co-occurrence (Ohta et al, 2020). Therefore, the patient's ADHD might be caused by his ZNF462 genetic mutation.…”

Sensation seeking correlates with increased white matter integrity of structures associated with visuospatial processing in healthy adults

“…For example, Owen et al reported among children with SPD a decreased FA and increased MD and RD, particularly in the posterior cingulate cortex (CC), corona radiata and thalamic radiations (Owen et al, 2013). Ohta and colleages reported that adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) display a correlation between sensory sensitivity scores and RD in the posterior CC (Ohta et al, 2020). However, further research is needed to find objective measures that provide possible explanations for neural mechanisms underlying the linkage between sensory processing and psychopathology (Engel-Yeger et al, 2016b).…”

“…Despite the crucial importance of sensory processing in shaping normal and psychopathological behaviors, this topic is currently under investigated (Dunn et al, 2016). Indeed, the body of MRI research concerning sensory profiles is limited to few articles, mainly focused on young-aged, typically developed populations (Yoshimura et al, 2017;Shiotsu et al, 2021) and neurodevelopmental disorders (Owen et al, 2013;Ohta et al, 2020).…”