Sex-specific cerebrovascular reactivity differences in autistic children related to functional connectivity.

ABSTRACT: Many studies utilize resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) metrics, such as functional connectivity (FC), to investigate the neuronal underpinnings of autism and identify functional brain networks related to autistic behaviors. However, fMRI indirectly measures neuronal activity by imaging local fluctuations in the blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) signal, which, in turn, rely on the cerebrovascular system to efficiently direct oxygenated blood flow. Most rs-fMRI studies of autism interpret group differences in FC as autism-related changes in neuronal activity, without considering the underlying vascular function. Yet, atypical cerebrovasculature has been identified in preclinical and post-mortem studies of autism, strongly underscoring the need to characterize ce

SUBMITTER: Lee QN 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12624364 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature