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Atypical hemispheric lateralization of brain function and structure in autism: a comprehensive meta-analysis study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 February 2023

Qingqing Li ,
Wei Zhao ,
Lena Palaniyappan  and
Shuixia Guo
Qingqing Li
Affiliation:
MOE-LCSM, School of Mathematics and Statistics, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410006, P. R. China Key Laboratory of Applied Statistics and Data Science, College of Hunan Province, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410006, P. R. China
Wei Zhao
Affiliation:
MOE-LCSM, School of Mathematics and Statistics, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410006, P. R. China Key Laboratory of Applied Statistics and Data Science, College of Hunan Province, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410006, P. R. China
Lena Palaniyappan
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada Robarts Research Institute, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
Shuixia Guo*
Affiliation:
MOE-LCSM, School of Mathematics and Statistics, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410006, P. R. China Key Laboratory of Applied Statistics and Data Science, College of Hunan Province, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410006, P. R. China
*
Author for correspondence: Shuixia Guo, E-mail: guoshuixia75@163.com
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Abstract

Background

Characteristic changes in the asymmetric nature of the human brain are associated with neurodevelopmental differences related to autism. In people with autism, these differences are thought to affect brain structure and function, although the structural and functional bases of these defects are yet to be fully characterized.

Methods

We applied a comprehensive meta-analysis to resting-state functional and structural magnetic resonance imaging datasets from 370 people with autism and 498 non-autistic controls using seven datasets of the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange Project. We studied the meta-effect sizes based on standardized mean differences and standard deviations (s.d.) for lateralization of gray matter volume (GMV), fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (fALFF), and regional homogeneity (ReHo). We examined the functional correlates of atypical laterality through an indirect annotation approach followed by a direct correlation analysis with symptom scores.

Results

In people with autism, 85, 51, and 51% of brain regions showed a significant diagnostic effect for lateralization in GMV, fALFF, and ReHo, respectively. Among these regions, 35.7% showed overlapping differences in lateralization in GMV, fALFF, and ReHo, particularly in regions with functional annotations for language, motor, and perceptual functions. These differences were associated with clinical measures of reciprocal social interaction, communication, and repetitive behaviors. A meta-analysis based on s.d. showed that people with autism had lower variability in structural lateralization but higher variability in functional lateralization.

Conclusion

These findings highlight that atypical hemispheric lateralization is a consistent feature in autism across different sites and may be used as a neurobiological marker for autism.

Keywords

Autismfunctional annotationlateralizationmeta-analysisstandardized mean difference
Type
Original Article
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 53 , Issue 14 , October 2023 , pp. 6702 - 6713
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Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press

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