Age-related changes in brain signal variability in autism spectrum disorder.
Priyanka Sigar, Nicholas Kathrein, Elijah Gragas and 3 others
PMID 39923093WHAT IT FOUND
Brain signal variability was lower in people with ASD than in typically developing people, rose with age in people with ASD, and fell with age in typically developing people.
Higher repetitive behavior scores were linked to greater variability.
Key findings
01People with ASD had lower brain signal variability than typically developing people in temporal-parietal and occipital regions after accounting for age.
02Brain signal variability increased with age in people with ASD but decreased with age in typically developing people.
03In people with ASD, higher repetitive behavior scores were associated with greater brain signal variability, and the relationship with age was not linear.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they found
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What it does not show
The study was cross-sectional, so it cannot show how one person's brain variability or repetitive behaviors change over time. Age findings are limited because only 22 participants were over 30 in the primary analysis, and the ADI-RRB subset did not include participants older than 30. The authors note a focus on right-handed, high-functioning adult males, which may not represent all people with ASD. 66 participants with ASD were taking psychotropic medications, which could influence brain signals. Participants with average head motion above 0.5 mm were excluded, so people who cannot sit still for scanning may be underrepresented. The rMSSD values ranged from 0.3 to 1, and the authors state the measure depends on scan timing. Repetitive behaviors were measured with only the ADI-RRB score, which may not capture all repetitive behavior subtypes.
Declared interests
The funding statement names the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the National Institute of Mental Health. The supplied text does not report author conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not use brain signal variability to assess or treat autism or repetitive behaviors. This was a cross-sectional scan study, not a diagnostic or therapy trial, and it included few older participants and only a subset with repetitive behavior scores.