Abnormal white matter development during early childhood in autism spectrum disorder

Motivation: The axon morphology underlying the evolution of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) symptoms during early childhood is still enigmatic. Goal(s): To uncover the developmental patterns of axon density in early childhood of ASD , and further explore their relationships with clinical measures in ASD. Approach: We used a multi-shell diffusion MRI dataset of 1- to 7-year-old children (including 156 ASD , 48 developmental delay/intellectual disability and 160 Typical Development). Results: ASD reserved three white matter clusters during early childhood as TD, but exhibited abnormal curves with various developmental stages. The development-stage-specific associations between axon density and clinical measures were elucidated in ASD. Impact: Whilst reserving uneven spatial layouts of white matter development during early childhood as TD, ASD exhibited developmental curves with altered growth rates and distinct clinical associations in different developmental stages, elucidating potential targets for early diagnoses and interventions in ASD.