Dataset Information

The autism brain imaging data exchange: towards a large-scale evaluation of the intrinsic brain architecture in autism.

ABSTRACT: Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) represent a formidable challenge for psychiatry and neuroscience because of their high prevalence, lifelong nature, complexity and substantial heterogeneity. Facing these obstacles requires large-scale multidisciplinary efforts. Although the field of genetics has pioneered data sharing for these reasons, neuroimaging had not kept pace. In response, we introduce the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange (ABIDE)-a grassroots consortium aggregating and openly sharing 1112 existing resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (R-fMRI) data sets with corresponding structural MRI and phenotypic information from 539 individuals with ASDs and 573 age-matched typical controls (TCs; 7-64 years) (http://fcon_1000.projects.nitrc.org/indi/abide/). Here, we present this resource and demonstrate its suitability for advancing knowledge of ASD neurobiology based on analyses of 360 male subjects with ASDs and 403 male age-matched TCs. We focused on whole-brain intrinsic functional connectivity and also survey a range of voxel-wise measures of intrinsic functional brain architecture. Whole-brain analyses reconciled seemingly disparate themes of both hypo- and hyperconnectivity in the ASD literature; both were detected, although hypoconnectivity dominated, particularly for corticocortical and interhemispheric functional connectivity. Exploratory analyses using an array of regional metrics of intrinsic brain function converged on common loci of dysfunction in ASDs (mid- and posterior insula and posterior cingulate cortex), and highlighted less commonly explored regions such as the thalamus. The survey of the ABIDE R-fMRI data sets provides unprecedented demonstrations of both replication and novel discovery. By pooling multiple international data sets, ABIDE is expected to accelerate the pace of discovery setting the stage for the next generation of ASD studies.

SUBMITTER: Di Martino A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4162310 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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The autism brain imaging data exchange: towards a large-scale evaluation of the intrinsic brain architecture in autism.

Di Martino A A Yan C-G CG Li Q Q Denio E E Castellanos F X FX Alaerts K K Anderson J S JS Assaf M M Bookheimer S Y SY Dapretto M M Deen B B Delmonte S S Dinstein I I Ertl-Wagner B B Fair D A DA Gallagher L L Kennedy D P DP Keown C L CL Keysers C C Lainhart J E JE Lord C C Luna B B Menon V V Minshew N J NJ Monk C S CS Mueller S S Müller R-A RA Nebel M B MB Nigg J T JT O'Hearn K K Pelphrey K A KA Peltier S J SJ Rudie J D JD Sunaert S S Thioux M M Tyszka J M JM Uddin L Q LQ Verhoeven J S JS Wenderoth N N Wiggins J L JL Mostofsky S H SH Milham M P MP

Molecular psychiatry 20130618 6

Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) represent a formidable challenge for psychiatry and neuroscience because of their high prevalence, lifelong nature, complexity and substantial heterogeneity. Facing these obstacles requires large-scale multidisciplinary efforts. Although the field of genetics has pioneered data sharing for these reasons, neuroimaging had not kept pace. In response, we introduce the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange (ABIDE)-a grassroots consortium aggregating and openly sharing 1 ...[more]

PMID: 23774715

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Project description:BackgroundMarked sex differences in autism prevalence accentuate the need to understand the role of biological sex-related factors in autism. Efforts to unravel sex differences in the brain organization of autism have, however, been challenged by the limited availability of female data.MethodsWe addressed this gap by using a large sample of males and females with autism and neurotypical (NT) control individuals (ABIDE; Autism: 362 males, 82 females; NT: 409 males, 166 females; 7-18 years). Discovery analyses examined main effects of diagnosis, sex and their interaction across five resting-state fMRI (R-fMRI) metrics (voxel-level Z > 3.1, cluster-level P < 0.01, gaussian random field corrected). Secondary analyses assessed the robustness of the results to different pre-processing approaches and their replicability in two independent samples: the EU-AIMS Longitudinal European Autism Project (LEAP) and the Gender Explorations of Neurogenetics and Development to Advance Autism Research.ResultsDiscovery analyses in ABIDE revealed significant main effects of diagnosis and sex across the intrinsic functional connectivity of the posterior cingulate cortex, regional homogeneity and voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity (VMHC) in several cortical regions, largely converging in the default network midline. Sex-by-diagnosis interactions were confined to the dorsolateral occipital cortex, with reduced VMHC in females with autism. All findings were robust to different pre-processing steps. Replicability in independent samples varied by R-fMRI measures and effects with the targeted sex-by-diagnosis interaction being replicated in the larger of the two replication samples-EU-AIMS LEAP.LimitationsGiven the lack of a priori harmonization among the discovery and replication datasets available to date, sample-related variation remained and may have affected replicability.ConclusionsAtypical cross-hemispheric interactions are neurobiologically relevant to autism. They likely result from the combination of sex-dependent and sex-independent factors with a differential effect across functional cortical networks. Systematic assessments of the factors contributing to replicability are needed and necessitate coordinated large-scale data collection across studies.

Project description:ObjectiveDissociative experiences commonly occur in response to trauma, and while their presence strongly affects treatment approaches in posttraumatic spectrum disorders, their etiology remains poorly understood and their phenomenology incompletely characterized. Methods to reliably assess the severity of dissociation symptoms, without relying solely on self-report, would have tremendous clinical utility. Brain-based measures have the potential to augment symptom reports, although it remains unclear whether brain-based measures of dissociation are sufficiently sensitive and robust to enable individual-level estimation of dissociation severity based on brain function. The authors sought to test the robustness and sensitivity of a brain-based measure of dissociation severity.MethodsAn intrinsic network connectivity analysis was applied to functional MRI scans obtained from 65 women with histories of childhood abuse and current posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The authors tested for continuous measures of trauma-related dissociation using the Multidimensional Inventory of Dissociation. Connectivity estimates were derived with a novel machine learning technique using individually defined homologous functional regions for each participant.ResultsThe models achieved moderate ability to estimate dissociation, after controlling for childhood trauma and PTSD severity. Connections that contributed the most to the estimation mainly involved the default mode and frontoparietal control networks. By contrast, all models performed at chance levels when using a conventional group-based network parcellation.ConclusionsTrauma-related dissociative symptoms, distinct from PTSD and childhood trauma, can be estimated on the basis of network connectivity. Furthermore, between-network brain connectivity may provide an unbiased estimate of symptom severity, paving the way for more objective, clinically useful biomarkers of dissociation and advancing our understanding of its neural mechanisms.

Dataset Information

The autism brain imaging data exchange: towards a large-scale evaluation of the intrinsic brain architecture in autism.

Publications

The autism brain imaging data exchange: towards a large-scale evaluation of the intrinsic brain architecture in autism.

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