Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have high rates of co-occurrence and share atypical behavioral characteristics, including sensory symptoms. The present diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) study was conducted to examine whether and how white matter alterations are observed in adult populations with developmental disorders (DD) and to determine how brain–sensory relationships are either shared between or distinct to ASD and ADHD. We collected DTI data from adult population with DD (a primary diagnosis of ASD: n = 105, ADHD: n = 55) as well as age- and sex-matched typically developing (TD) participants (n = 58). Voxel-wise fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity, axial diffusivity, and radial diffusivity (RD) were analyzed using tract-based spatial statistics. The severities of sensory symptoms were assessed using the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile (AASP). Categorical analyses identified voxel clusters showing significant effects of DD on FA and RD in the posterior portion of the corpus callosum and its extension in the right hemisphere. Furthermore, regression analyses using the AASP scores revealed that slopes in relationships of FA or RD with the degree of sensory symptoms were parallel between the two DDs in large parts of the affected corpus callosum regions. A small but significant cluster did exist showing difference in association between an AASP subscale score and RD across ASD and ADHD. Wide age range of the participants may be oversimplified. These results indicate that white matter alteration and their relationships to sensory symptoms are largely shared between ASD and ADHD, with localized abnormalities showing significant between-diagnosis differences within DD.

中文翻译：

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自闭症谱系障碍和注意力缺陷/多动障碍的白质改变与感觉特征有关

自闭症谱系障碍 (ASD) 和注意力缺陷/多动障碍 (ADHD) 的共发生率很高，并且具有非典型的行为特征，包括感觉症状。目前的弥散张量成像 (DTI) 研究旨在检查是否以及如何在患有发育障碍 (DD) 的成年人群中观察到白质改变，并确定大脑 - 感觉关系如何在 ASD 和 ADHD 之间共享或不同。我们从患有 DD 的成年人群（ASD 的主要诊断：n = 105，ADHD：n = 55）以及年龄和性别匹配的典型发育 (TD) 参与者（n = 58）中收集了 DTI 数据。使用基于道的空间统计分析了体素分数各向异性 (FA)、平均扩散率、轴向扩散率和径向扩散率 (RD)。使用青少年/成人感觉概况（AASP）评估感觉症状的严重程度。分类分析确定了体素簇，表明 DD 对胼胝体后部的 FA 和 RD 及其在右半球的延伸有显着影响。此外，使用 AASP 评分的回归分析显示，FA 或 RD 与感觉症状程度的关系的斜率在大部分受影响的胼胝体区域的两个 DD 之间是平行的。确实存在一个小而重要的集群，显示 AASP 分量表评分与 ASD 和 ADHD 的 RD 之间的关联存在差异。参与者的广泛年龄范围可能过于简单化。这些结果表明白质改变及其与感觉症状的关系在 ASD 和 ADHD 之间主要共享，