Reduced brain connectivity along the autism spectrum controlled for familial confounding by co-twin design.

ABSTRACT: Previous studies on brain connectivity correlates of autism have often focused on selective connections and yielded inconsistent results. By applying global fiber tracking and utilizing a within-twin pair design, we aimed to contribute to a more unbiased picture of white matter connectivity in association with clinical autism and autistic traits. Eighty-seven twin pairs (n = 174; 55% monozygotic; 24 with clinical autism) underwent diffusion tensor imaging. Linear regressions assessed within-twin pair associations between structural brain connectivity of anatomically defined brain regions and both clinical autism and autistic traits. These were explicitly adjusted for IQ, other neurodevelopmental/psychiatric conditions and multiple testing, and implicitly for biological sex, age, and all ge

SUBMITTER: Neufeld J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10423238 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature