(The) association of autism susceptibility genes with the functional complex network metrics in autism spectrum disorder toddlers

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impaired social cognition and restricted behaviors. Currently, the diagnosis is only based on behavioral measures due to incomplete understanding of the genetic and imaging bases of ASD. There are currently no studies that investigated the relationships between gene expression levels and brain connectivity in ASD subjects. ASD susceptibility genes were selected according to Ansel. Functional connectivity matrices were obtained using SPM and DPARSF. Eight network measures were calculated from the functional connectivity matrices. Relationships between age, gene expression, and the eight network measures were calculated using general linear models (GLMs). Betweenness centrality, characteristic path length was significantly lower in ASDs at low threshold values. Global efficiency and small-worldness was significantly higher in ASDs at low and high threshold values. As the subjects aged, effective gene expression decreased, especially in ASDs. The study can help clinicians diagnose ASD infants at an earlier age based on other factors than clinical measures.