title: Developmental differences in higher-order resting-state networks in Autism Spectrum Disorder.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has been associated with a complex pattern of increases and decreases in resting-state functional connectivity. The developmental disconnection hypothesis of ASD poses that shorter connections become overly well established with development in this disorder, at the cost of long-range connections. Here, we investigated resting-state connectivity in relatively young boys with ASD and typically developing children. We hypothesized that ASD would be associated with reduced connectivity between networks, and increased connectivity within networks, reflecting poorer integration and segregation of functional networks in ASD.
  
  
  METHODS
  We acquired resting-state fMRI from 27 boys with ASD and 29 age- and IQ-matched typically developing boys between 6 and 16 years of age. Functional connectivity networks were identified using Independent Component Analysis (ICA). Group comparisons were conducted using permutation testing, with and without voxel-wise correction for grey matter density.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found no between-group differences in within-network connectivity. However, we did find reduced functional connectivity between two higher-order cognitive networks in ASD. Furthermore, we found an interaction effect with age in the DMN: insula connectivity increased with age in ASD, whereas it decreased in typically developing children.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results show subtle changes in between network connectivity in relatively young boys with ASD. However, the global architecture of resting-state networks appeared to be intact. This argues against recent suggestions that changes in connectivity in ASD may be the most prominent during development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, NICHE Lab, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Dienke J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Bos
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, NICHE Lab, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Tamar R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: van Raalten
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, NICHE Lab, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Bob
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Oranje
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, NICHE Lab, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Anouk R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Smits
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, NICHE Lab, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Nieke A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Kobussen
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, NICHE Lab, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Janna van
authors.initials: Jv
authors.lastname: Belle
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands ; Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands ; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Serge A R B
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Rombouts
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, NICHE Lab, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Durston
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002648:Child; D002659:Child Development Disorders, Pervasive / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology*; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D012146:Rest
chemical_list: D010100:Oxygen
keywords: Autism; Connectivity; Development; Independent Component Analysis; Networks