Exploring Cerebellar Morphometric Trajectories and their Association with Clinical Severity in Autism Spectrum Disorder from Infancy to Early Adulthood

Diplôme Master Exploring Cerebellar Morphometric Trajectories and their Association with Clinical Severity in Autism Spectrum Disorder from Infancy to Early Adulthood eng 2023 author Laneve Chiara 957992 director Schaer Marie 0000-0001-8479-6365 510515 Département de psychiatrie (PSYAT) director Kojovic Nada 0000-0003-0116-2485 776933 Département de psychiatrie (PSYAT) 77 The current cross-sectional study explored the cerebellar developmental trajectories of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and their typically developing (TD) peers, aged 1-23 years old, across a wide range of cognitive functioning levels. The structural MRI images were acquired at the Autism Brain and Behavior Laboratory of the University of Geneva through a very unique protocol for structural MRI, allowing for the inclusion of very young infants. To increase the sample size and age range, additional data were obtained from New York University (NYU) through the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange (ABIDE). The cerebellar parcellation was done with the CERES pipeline. Generalized linear models were used to assess differences in cerebellar morphometric trajectories in individuals with ASD compared to TD and further assess sex effects. Similarly, we examined the association between cerebellar morphometry and the behavioral phenotype of boys with ASD. The findings indicated no significant differences in cerebellar volumetric developmental trajectories between ASD and TD groups. An overall pattern was found as all boys experienced a developmental increase in white matter and a grey matter decrease in the cerebellum. The investigation of group-by-sex interactions revealed increased trajectories of total and white matter volumes in the inferior posterior lobe for boys compared to girls. Finally, notable effects emerged within distinct clinical profiles of ASD, specifically in the posterior lobe of the cerebellum. This region considered the most recent cerebellar area from an evolutionary standpoint, has previously been linked to higher cognitive processes, and could therefore play an important role in ASD. Overall, higher symptomatology was associated with stabilized or slightly decreased volumetric trajectories, and the opposite effect was found in patients with fewer symptoms. This exploratory study sheds light on the cerebellar developmental trajectories in ASD compared to TD individuals and its association with the clinical severity of ASD. While no significant group differences were observed in the developmental trajectories, distinct clinical ASD profiles influenced cerebellar morphometry, particularly in the posterior lobe. The inclusion of very young infants, the relatively large sample size, and the inclusivity of a variety of cognitive functioning levels contributed to the significance of this study, deepening our understanding of ASD-related cerebellar differences. Dewey 616.89 Dewey 616.8 Maîtrise universitaire interdisciplinaire en neurosciences 60 Département de psychiatrie 225 16 Centre interfacultaire de neurosciences 0D9 false 1f2f15d5-f68c-4c6a-847b-d5d3a14d6fc3 Master thesis Restricted THESIS_FINAL_CL.pdf 20965189 application/pdf 115cc1cec89fa56181dde59f1d4ba3e84949e8ee80f16210b7f9d99a06b1ae2d restrictedAccess Faculté de médecine / Section de médecine clinique / Département de psychiatrie Centres et instituts / Centre interfacultaire de neurosciences

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Exploring Cerebellar Morphometric Trajectories and their Association with Clinical Severity in Autism Spectrum Disorder from Infancy to Early Adulthood				2023	78	2

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Laneve, Chiara

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