Multimodal Morphometric Similarity Network Analysis of Autism Spectrum Disorder

Antonio Del Casale; Darvin Shehu; Maria Camilla Rossi-Espagnet; Clarissa Zocchi; Irene Bilotta; Jan Francesco Arena; Alessandro Alcibiade; Barbara Adriani; Daniela Longo; Carlo Gandolfo; Andrea Romano; Stefano Ferracuti; Alessandro Bozzao; Antonio Napolitano

doi:10.3390/brainsci15030247

Brain Sciences (Feb 2025)

Multimodal Morphometric Similarity Network Analysis of Autism Spectrum Disorder

Antonio Del Casale,
Darvin Shehu,
Maria Camilla Rossi-Espagnet,
Clarissa Zocchi,
Irene Bilotta,
Jan Francesco Arena,
Alessandro Alcibiade,
Barbara Adriani,
Daniela Longo,
Carlo Gandolfo,
Andrea Romano,
Stefano Ferracuti,
Alessandro Bozzao,
Antonio Napolitano

Affiliations

Antonio Del Casale: Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology and Health Studies, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00189 Rome, Italy
Darvin Shehu: Medical Physics Department, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, 00165 Rome, Italy
Maria Camilla Rossi-Espagnet: Functional and Interventional Neuroimaging Unit, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, 00165 Rome, Italy
Clarissa Zocchi: Psychiatric Diagnosis and Treatment Unit, S. Giovanni Evangelista Hospital, Department of Mental Health, Local Health Authority ASL Roma 5, 00019 Tivoli, Italy
Irene Bilotta: Psychiatric Diagnosis and Treatment Unit, S. Camillo de Lellis Hospital, Department of Mental Health, Local Health Authority ASL Rieti, 02100 Rieti, Italy
Jan Francesco Arena: Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology and Health Studies, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00189 Rome, Italy
Alessandro Alcibiade: Marina Militare Italiana (Italian Navy), Ministry of Defence, Piazza della Marina, 4, 00196 Rome, Italy
Barbara Adriani: Department of Neuroscience, Mental Health and Sensory Organs (NESMOS), Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00189 Rome, Italy
Daniela Longo: Functional and Interventional Neuroimaging Unit, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, 00165 Rome, Italy
Carlo Gandolfo: Functional and Interventional Neuroimaging Unit, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, 00165 Rome, Italy
Andrea Romano: Department of Neuroscience, Mental Health and Sensory Organs (NESMOS), Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00189 Rome, Italy
Stefano Ferracuti: Department of Human Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy
Alessandro Bozzao: Department of Neuroscience, Mental Health and Sensory Organs (NESMOS), Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00189 Rome, Italy
Antonio Napolitano: Functional and Interventional Neuroimaging Unit, Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital, IRCCS, 00165 Rome, Italy

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci15030247
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 15, no. 3
p. 247

Abstract

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Background: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by persistent difficulties in social interaction, communication, and repetitive behaviors. Neuroimaging studies have revealed structural and functional neural changes in individuals with ASD compared to healthy subjects. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate brain network structural connectivity in ASD using Morphometric Similarity Network (MSN) analysis. Methods: Data from the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange (ABIDE) were analyzed, comprising 597 individuals with ASD and 644 healthy controls. Structural connectivity was assessed using cortical morphometric features. Global and regional network indices, including the density index, node degree, node strength, and clustering coefficients, were evaluated. Results: Among the global network indices, when using a threshold value of 0.4, ASD patients compared to HCs showed a lower density (p = 0.041) and higher negative clustering (p = 0.0051) coefficients. For regional network indices, ASD patients showed a lower bilateral superior frontal cortices degree (left hemisphere: p = 0.014; right hemisphere: p = 0.0038) and strength (left: p = 0.017; right: p = 0.018). Additionally, they showed higher negative clustering coefficients in the bilateral superior frontal cortices (left, p = 0.0088; right, p = 0.0056) and bilateral pars orbitalis (left, p = 0.016; right, p = 0.0006), as well as lower positive clustering in the bilateral frontal pole (left, p = 0.03; right, p = 0.044). Conclusions: These findings highlight significant alterations in both global and regional brain network organization in ASD, which may contribute to the disorder’s cognitive and behavioral manifestations. Future studies are needed to investigate the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying these structural connectivity changes, to inform the development of more targeted and individualized therapeutic interventions for individuals with ASD.

Published in Brain Sciences

ISSN: 2076-3425 (Online)
Publisher: MDPI AG
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Medicine: Internal medicine: Neurosciences. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry
Website: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/brainsci/

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