title: Candidate Biomarkers in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Review of MRI Studies.
abstract: Searching for effective biomarkers is one of the most challenging tasks in the research field of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides a non-invasive and powerful tool for investigating changes in the structure, function, maturation, connectivity, and metabolism of the brain of children with ASD. Here, we review the more recent MRI studies in young children with ASD, aiming to provide candidate biomarkers for the diagnosis of childhood ASD. The review covers structural imaging methods, diffusion tensor imaging, resting-state functional MRI, and magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Future advances in neuroimaging techniques, as well as cross-disciplinary studies and large-scale collaborations will be needed for an integrated approach linking neuroimaging, genetics, and phenotypic data to allow the discovery of new, effective biomarkers.
authors.affiliation: Division of Child Health Care, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, 201102, China.
authors.forename: Dongyun
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Division of Neuropsychology, Center of Neurology, Hertie Institute of Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, 72076, Tübingen, Germany.|Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA.
authors.forename: Hans-Otto
authors.initials: HO
authors.lastname: Karnath
authors.affiliation: Division of Child Health Care, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, 201102, China. xuxiu@shmu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Xiu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000067877:Autism Spectrum Disorder / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007223:Infant; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers
keywords: Autism spectrum disorder; Biomarker; Children; Diffusion tensor imaging; Human; Magnetic resonance spectroscopy; Neuroimaging; Resting-state functional MRI; Structural MRI