Impaired Language Pathways in Tuberous Sclerosis Complex Patients with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Overview

Journal Cereb Cortex

Publisher Oxford University Press

Specialty Neurology

Date 2012 Jun 5

PMID 22661408

Citations 42

Authors

William W Lewis

Mustafa Sahin

Benoit Scherrer

Jurriaan M Peters

Ralph O Suarez

Vanessa K Vogel-Farley

Shafali S Jeste

Matthew C Gregas

Sanjay P Prabhu

Charles A Nelson 3rd

Simon K Warfield

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between language pathways and autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) in patients with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC). An advanced diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed on 42 patients with TSC and 42 age-matched controls. Using a validated automatic method, white matter language pathways were identified and microstructural characteristics were extracted, including fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD). Among 42 patients with TSC, 12 had ASD (29%). After controlling for age, TSC patients without ASD had a lower FA than controls in the arcuate fasciculus (AF); TSC patients with ASD had even a smaller FA, lower than the FA for those without ASD. Similarly, TSC patients without ASD had a greater MD than controls in the AF; TSC patients with ASD had even a higher MD, greater than the MD in those without ASD. It remains unclear why some patients with TSC develop ASD, while others have better language and socio-behavioral outcomes. Our results suggest that language pathway microstructure may serve as a marker of the risk of ASD in TSC patients. Impaired microstructure in language pathways of TSC patients may indicate the development of ASD, although prospective studies of language pathway development and ASD diagnosis in TSC remain essential.

Citing Articles

Abnormality of Early White Matter Development in Tuberous Sclerosis Complex and Autism Spectrum Disorder: Longitudinal Analysis of Diffusion Tensor Imaging Measures.

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The role of TSC1 and TSC2 proteins in neuronal axons.

Karalis V, Wood D, Teaney N, Sahin M Mol Psychiatry. 2024; 29(4):1165-1178.

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Population Atlas Analysis of Emerging Brain Structural Connections in the Human Fetus.

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Morphological Features of Language Regions in Individuals with Tuberous Sclerosis Complex.

Ahtam B, Yun H, Vyas R, Pienaar R, Wilson J, Goswami C J Autism Dev Disord. 2023; 54(8):3155-3175.

PMID: 37222965 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-023-06004-8.

Epileptogenesis in tuberous sclerosis complex-related developmental and epileptic encephalopathy.

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