基于rs-fMRI探究孤独症谱系障碍儿童左侧海马全脑功能连接的异常表现

Resting-state functional MRI study on abnormal whole-brain functional connectivity of the left hippocampus in children with autism spectrum disorder

目的探讨孤独症谱系障碍(autism spectrum disorder,ASD)儿童左侧海马的全脑功能连接(functional connectivity,FC)。材料与方法从国际孤独症脑成像交换数据库(Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange,ABIDE)中获取了110名患有ASD儿童和182名正常发育(typically developing,TD)对照的静息态功能磁共振成像(resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging,rs-fMRI)数据。采用基于种子点的rs-fMRI FC算法,以左侧海马为种子点,分析其全脑FC表现。使用两独立样本t检验分析ASD组和TD组之间的FC差异,P_(FDR)<0.05被认为差异具有统计学意义,提取ASD异常FC值与孤独症诊断观察表(Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule,ADOS)进行Pearson相关分析,P<0.05被认为差异具有统计学意义。结果与TD组相比,ASD组左侧海马与右侧额中回、眶部额下回、颞上回、颞中回等多个脑区之间FC显著增加。相关性分析显示,左侧海马与右侧额中回、左侧眶部额下回、右侧眶部额下回、右侧内侧额上回、左侧尾状核、左侧颞上回、左侧颞中回的FC值与ADOS总分(ADOS_G_TOTAL)评分呈负相关(r值分别为-0.313、-0.395、-0.321、-0.303、-0.380、-0.366、-0.355,P<0.05)左侧海马与左侧眶部额下回、右侧顶上回的FC值与ADOS_G_COMM评分呈负相关(r值分别为-0.339、-0.316,P<0.05)。结论儿童ASD患者的左侧海马全脑FC存在显著异常,这些异常与其临床表现具有显著相关性。这一发现不仅揭示了ASD患者左侧海马的全脑FC在ASD发病机制中扮演重要角色,有助于为未来的干预措施提供理论依据,推动更具针对性的治疗方案开发,也为我们理解ASD的神经生物学机制提供了新的视角。

Objective:To investigate the whole-brain functional connectivity(FC)of the left hippocampus in children with autism spectrum disorder(ASD).Materials and Methods:Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging(rs-fMRI)data were obtained from the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange(ABIDE)database,including 110 children with ASD and 182 typically developing(TD)controls.Seed-based resting-state FC analysis was performed using the left hippocampus as the seed region to assess whole-brain FC patterns.Two-sample t-tests were used to analyze FC differences between the ASD and TD groups,with a significance threshold of P_(FDR)<0.05.Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to examine the relationship between abnormal FC values in the ASD group and scores on the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule(ADOS),with P<0.05 considered significant.Results:Compared with the TD group,the FC between the left hippocampus and multiple brain regions,including right middle frontal gyrus,inferior frontal gyrus(orbital part),superior temporal gyrus,and middle temporal gyrus were enhanced in the ASD group.Correlation analysis showed that the FC values of the left hippocampus with the right middle frontal gyrus,bilateral inferior frontal gyrus(orbital part),right superior frontal gyrus(medial part),left caudate nucleus,left superior temporal gyrus,and left middle temporal gyrus were negatively correlated with ADOS_G_TOTAL scores(r values are−0.313,−0.395,−0.321,−0.303,−0.380,−0.366,−0.355,respectively,P<0.05).The FC values of the left hippocampus with the left inferior frontal gyrus(orbital part)and right superior parietal gyrus were negatively correlated with the ADOS_G_COMM score(r values are−0.339 and−0.316,both P<0.05).Conclusions:Children with ASD exhibit significant abnormalities in whole-brain FC of the left hippocampus,which are significantly correlated with clinical manifestations.These findings not only highlight the critical role of left hippocampal FC in the pathogenesis of ASD but also provide a theoretical basis for future intervention strategies,promoting the development of more targeted treatment options.Moreover,this research offers new perspectives for understanding the neurobiological mechanisms underlying ASD.