INS NYC 2024 Program

Poster	Poster Session 10 Program Schedule 02/17/2024 09:00 am - 10:15 am Room: Shubert Complex (Posters 1-60) Poster Session 10: Neurodevelopmental \| Congenital Conditions Final Abstract #41 Resting-State Neurofunctional Activation in Theory of Mind Network Regions is Associated with Symptoms of Autism in Youth Robert Hickson, Palo Alto University, Palo Alto, United States Orsolya Kiss, SRI, Menlo Park, United States Marie Gombert, SRI, Menlo Park, United States Anastasia Cheu, Palo Alto University, Palo Alto, United States Richa Patel, Palo Alto University, Palo Alto, United States Monica Calderon, Palo Alto University, Palo Alto, United States Andres Hernandez, Palo Alto University, Palo Alto, United States Jonastasya Griffith, Palo Alto University, Palo Alto, United States Naomi Edwards, Palo Alto University, Palo Alto, United States Fiona Baker, SRI, Menlo Park, United States Mikael Rubin, Palo Alto University, Palo Alto, United States Tilman Schulte, Palo Alto University, Palo Alto, United States Eva Müller-Oehring, SRI, Menlo Park, United States Category: Neuroimaging Keyword 1: autism spectrum disorder Keyword 2: neuroimaging: functional Keyword 3: social cognition Objective: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with deficits in social cognitive processes. Yet, the underlying neurofunctional characteristics in brain networks associated with social cognitive and self-referential processes in youth with ASD symptoms remain unclear. We aimed to explore if activation in brain regions shared by the theory of mind network (ToMN) and the default mode network (DMN) are associated with ASD symptoms. We hypothesized that activation during rest in ToMN and DMN regions, measured by temporal variance during resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI), will be associated with symptoms of autism. Participants and Methods: We used cross-sectional parent-reported data from the Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (K-SADS) and youth rs-fMRI data collected as part of the the 2-year follow-up of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study. Our sample consisted of 7,106 (53% male) adolescents between the ages of 10-13. ASD symptoms were measured by items of the K-SADS. For brain activations, we used rs-fMRI temporal variance of 22 distinct brain regions from the Destrieux’s brain atlas. First, we conducted confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) to establish the viability of our latent measurements: ASD symptoms and regional brain activation in ToMN and DMN regions. Then, we ran SEM models to investigate the associations between the six latent measurements of activation in the ToMN and ASD. Results: The results of the CFA for symptoms of ASD suggested high internal consistency (CFI = 1.00, TLI = 1.00, SRMR = .00, RMSEA = .00, chi-square < .001) with loadings ranging from .28 to .5. Similarly, the CFA for brain activation converged with an adequate model fit (CFI = 1.00, SRMR = .00, RMSEA = .13 chi-square < .001) with all loadings above .38. The structural regression of latent variables of brain activation on symptoms of ASD revealed that activation in the medial prefrontal cortex (B = .16, p < .05) and the superior temporal sulcus (B = .08, p < .05) was positively associated with ASD symptoms while the activation in the inferior frontal gyrus (B = -.08, p < .05) was negatively associated. Conclusions: The results reveal a resting state brain signature of ASD symptoms in early adolescence. Here, ASD symptoms were related to variations in the activation of ToMN regions implicated in social-cognitive processes such as self-referential thinking, attribution of agency, and cognitive perspective-taking. Better understanding of the neural underpinnings of ASD could offer insights into its heterogeneity, developmental timing, and targeted treatment needs in youth.

Poster

02/17/2024
09:00 am - 10:15 am
Room: Shubert Complex (Posters 1-60)

Poster Session 10: Neurodevelopmental | Congenital Conditions

Final Abstract #41

Resting-State Neurofunctional Activation in Theory of Mind Network Regions is Associated with Symptoms of Autism in Youth

Robert Hickson, Palo Alto University, Palo Alto, United States
Orsolya Kiss, SRI, Menlo Park, United States
Marie Gombert, SRI, Menlo Park, United States
Anastasia Cheu, Palo Alto University, Palo Alto, United States
Richa Patel, Palo Alto University, Palo Alto, United States
Monica Calderon, Palo Alto University, Palo Alto, United States
Andres Hernandez, Palo Alto University, Palo Alto, United States
Jonastasya Griffith, Palo Alto University, Palo Alto, United States
Naomi Edwards, Palo Alto University, Palo Alto, United States
Fiona Baker, SRI, Menlo Park, United States
Mikael Rubin, Palo Alto University, Palo Alto, United States
Tilman Schulte, Palo Alto University, Palo Alto, United States
Eva Müller-Oehring, SRI, Menlo Park, United States

Category: Neuroimaging

Keyword 1: autism spectrum disorder
Keyword 2: neuroimaging: functional
Keyword 3: social cognition

Objective:

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with deficits in social cognitive processes. Yet, the underlying neurofunctional characteristics in brain networks associated with social cognitive and self-referential processes in youth with ASD symptoms remain unclear. We aimed to explore if activation in brain regions shared by the theory of mind network (ToMN) and the default mode network (DMN) are associated with ASD symptoms. We hypothesized that activation during rest in ToMN and DMN regions, measured by temporal variance during resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI), will be associated with symptoms of autism.

Participants and Methods:

We used cross-sectional parent-reported data from the Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (K-SADS) and youth rs-fMRI data collected as part of the the 2-year follow-up of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study. Our sample consisted of 7,106 (53% male) adolescents between the ages of 10-13. ASD symptoms were measured by items of the K-SADS. For brain activations, we used rs-fMRI temporal variance of 22 distinct brain regions from the Destrieux’s brain atlas. First, we conducted confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) to establish the viability of our latent measurements: ASD symptoms and regional brain activation in ToMN and DMN regions. Then, we ran SEM models to investigate the associations between the six latent measurements of activation in the ToMN and ASD.

Results:

The results of the CFA for symptoms of ASD suggested high internal consistency (CFI = 1.00, TLI = 1.00, SRMR = .00, RMSEA = .00, chi-square < .001) with loadings ranging from .28 to .5. Similarly, the CFA for brain activation converged with an adequate model fit (CFI = 1.00, SRMR = .00, RMSEA = .13 chi-square < .001) with all loadings above .38. The structural regression of latent variables of brain activation on symptoms of ASD revealed that activation in the medial prefrontal cortex (B = .16, p < .05) and the superior temporal sulcus (B = .08, p < .05) was positively associated with ASD symptoms while the activation in the inferior frontal gyrus (B = -.08, p < .05) was negatively associated.

Conclusions:

The results reveal a resting state brain signature of ASD symptoms in early adolescence. Here, ASD symptoms were related to variations in the activation of ToMN regions implicated in social-cognitive processes such as self-referential thinking, attribution of agency, and cognitive perspective-taking. Better understanding of the neural underpinnings of ASD could offer insights into its heterogeneity, developmental timing, and targeted treatment needs in youth.