Unraveling the Individualized Shared and Distinct Dynamic Functional Connectivity in Idiopathic Autism Spectrum Disorder and Fragile X Syndrome.

AIMS: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), a neurodevelopmental disorder, and Fragile X Syndrome (FXS), an X chromosome-linked hereditary neurodevelopmental disorder, exhibit overlapping phenotypes like social impairment and stereotyped behaviors. Previous studies have predominantly explored the functional network characteristics of either FXS or ASD. However, the shared and distinct dynamic neural circuitry underlying both disorders remains unclear, impeding personalized treatment.

METHODS

This study examined the shared and distinct temporal topological properties of ASD and FXS, along with their respective patterns of functional network deviation relative to typically developing (TD). A total of 47 FXS children (5.2 ± 2.5 years), 91 ASD children (3.37 ± 1.37 years), and 52 TD children (5.2 ± 2.9 years) were included.

RESULTS

Analyses revealed both shared hyperconnectivity involving sensorimotor network (SMN), default mode network (DMN), ventral attention-visual network (VAN-VN) connectivity, and subcortical-cerebellum network (SN-CN) and distinct temporal topological features, with temporal metrics differences primarily localized to intermediate activation patterns linked to cognitive switching.

CONCLUSIONS

As a large-scale pediatric dFC study comparing FXS and ASD, it advances mechanistic understanding and proposes novel differentiation.