This study examined whether disruptions in connectivity involving regions critical for learning, planning, and executing movements are relevant to core autism symptoms. Spatially constrained ICA was performed using resting-state fMRI from 419 children (autism spectrum disorder (ASD) = 105; typically developing (TD) = 314) to identify functional motor subdivisions. Comparing the spatial organization of each subdivision between groups, we found voxels that contributed significantly less to the right posterior cerebellar component in children with ASD versus TD (P <0.001). Next, we examined the effect of diagnosis on right posterior cerebellar connectivity with all other motor subdivisions. The model was significant (P = 0.014) revealing that right posterior cerebellar connectivity with bilateral dorsomedial primary motor cortex was, on average, stronger in children with ASD, while right posterior cerebellar connectivity with left-inferior parietal lobule (IPL), bilateral dorsolateral premotor cortex, and supplementary motor area was stronger in TD children (all P ≤0.02). We observed a diagnosis-by-connectivity interaction such that for children with ASD, elevated social-communicative and excessive repetitive-behavior symptom severity were both associated with right posterior cerebellar-left-IPL hypoconnectivity (P ≤0.001). Right posterior cerebellar and left-IPL are strongly implicated in visuomotor processing with dysfunction in this circuit possibly leading to anomalous development of skills, such as motor imitation, that are crucial for effective social-communication.

中文翻译：

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一种数据驱动的方法揭示了异常的运动系统连接与核心自闭症症状的严重程度有关

这项研究检查了涉及对学习、计划和执行运动至关重要的区域的连接中断是否与核心自闭症症状相关。使用来自 419 名儿童（自闭症谱系障碍 (ASD) = 105；通常发育 (TD) = 314）的静息状态 fMRI 进行空间受限 ICA，以识别功能性运动细分。比较组间每个细分的空间组织，我们发现体素对 ASD 与 TD 儿童右后小脑成分的贡献显着减少（P <0.001）。接下来，我们检查了诊断对所有其他运动细分的右小脑后部连接的影响。模型显着（P= 0.014) 表明右后小脑与双侧背内侧初级运动皮层的连接平均在 ASD 儿童中更强，而右后小脑与左下顶叶 (IPL)、双侧背外侧前运动皮层和辅助运动区的连接在 TD 儿童中更强（所有P ≤ 0.02）。我们观察到一种通过连接进行诊断的交互作用，因此对于患有 ASD 的儿童，社交交流和过度重复行为症状的严重程度都与右后小脑 - 左 - IPL 低连接性相关（P≤0.001)。右小脑后部和左 IPL 与视觉运动处理密切相关，该回路功能障碍可能导致技能的异常发展，例如运动模仿，这对于有效的社交交流至关重要。