Publication Type Academic Article
Authors Buch A, Vértes P, Seidlitz J, Kim S, Grosenick L, Liston C
Journal Nat Neurosci
Volume 26
Issue 4
Pagination 650-663
Date Published 03/09/2023
ISSN 1546-1726
Keywords Autism Spectrum Disorder
Abstract The mechanisms underlying phenotypic heterogeneity in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are not well understood. Using a large neuroimaging dataset, we identified three latent dimensions of functional brain network connectivity that predicted individual differences in ASD behaviors and were stable in cross-validation. Clustering along these three dimensions revealed four reproducible ASD subgroups with distinct functional connectivity alterations in ASD-related networks and clinical symptom profiles that were reproducible in an independent sample. By integrating neuroimaging data with normative gene expression data from two independent transcriptomic atlases, we found that within each subgroup, ASD-related functional connectivity was explained by regional differences in the expression of distinct ASD-related gene sets. These gene sets were differentially associated with distinct molecular signaling pathways involving immune and synapse function, G-protein-coupled receptor signaling, protein synthesis and other processes. Collectively, our findings delineate atypical connectivity patterns underlying different forms of ASD that implicate distinct molecular signaling mechanisms.
DOI 10.1038/s41593-023-01259-x
PubMed ID 36894656
PubMed Central ID PMC11446249
Back to Top