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Journal of Pediatric Neurology 2013; 11(02): 079-082
DOI: 10.3233/JPN-130599
Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart – New York

Functional connectivity in tuberous sclerosis complex with autistic spectrum disorder preliminary findings

Roozbeh Rezaie
a   Department of Pediatrics, Division of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
b   Neuroscience Institute, Le Bonheur Children's Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
,
George Zouridakis
c   Department of Engineering Technology, Computer Science, and Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
,
Asim F. Choudhri
b   Neuroscience Institute, Le Bonheur Children's Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
d   Department of Radiology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
e   Department of Neurosurgery, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
,
James W. Wheless
b   Neuroscience Institute, Le Bonheur Children's Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
f   Department of Pediatric Neurology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
g   Tuberous Sclerosis Complex Clinic, Affiliated with the National Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance, Silver Spring, MD, USA
,
Eszter Völgyi
h   Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
,
Katherine Van Poppel
b   Neuroscience Institute, Le Bonheur Children's Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
f   Department of Pediatric Neurology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
g   Tuberous Sclerosis Complex Clinic, Affiliated with the National Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance, Silver Spring, MD, USA
,
Nancy R. Clanton
b   Neuroscience Institute, Le Bonheur Children's Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
,
Andrew C. Papanicolaou
a   Department of Pediatrics, Division of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, USA
b   Neuroscience Institute, Le Bonheur Children's Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
› Author Affiliations
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Publication History

26 September 2012

05 October 2012

Publication Date:
30 July 2015 (online)

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Abstract

Despite the frequent occurrence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC), the neurophysiological factors that distinguish children with TSC from children with TSC presenting with ASD symptoms remain unspecified. Growing evidence suggests that ASD may be characterized by atypical structural and functional connectivity between specific cortical regions. In this exploratory study, we utilized magnetoencephalography to derive resting brain connectivity patterns, in an attempt to identify neurophysiological markers that may differentiate TSC children with ASD (n = 2) from TSC children without ASD (n = 2) and typically developing children (n = 2). Connectivity pattern analysis revealed that TSC children presenting with ASD symptoms can be distinguished from TSC and typically developing children by the presence of long-range, medial, anterior-posterior connections previously observed in adolescents with ASD. While preliminary in nature, our findings support the notion that altered functional connectivity may be a constituent characteristic of ASD and may enable prediction of which TSC children are likely to develop ASD and facilitate early behavioral and medical intervention.

Keywords

Tuberous sclerosis complex - autism spectrum disorder - magnetoencephalography - functional connectivity