Functional Brain Alterations in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder after Fecal Microbiota Transplantation: a preliminary study.

Motivation: The combination of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) and resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI) can provide a new imaging perspective for understanding the neural mechanism of gut microbiota in ASD. Goal(s): This study is to evaluate the functional alterations and investigate the potential mechanisms of FMT treatment in ASD. Approach: Amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) and Regional Homogeneity (ReHo) based on rs-fMRI are useful methods to characterize brain function and activity. Results: After FMT treatments, the higher ALFF and ReHo values in the left angular gyrus and bilateral lingual gyrus, which could become the underlying mechanism of improvements. Impact: FMT can improve the symptoms of ASD and influence the brain functional activity. Combining FMT and MRI can provide a new imaging perspective for understanding the neural mechanism and assist clinical follow-up of ASD.