Quantitative susceptibility mapping shows alterations of brain iron content in children with autism spectrum disorder: a whole-brain analysis

Abstract

Background: Iron deficiency in subcortical structures has been reported in previous studies using manually drawn regions of interest (ROIs). However, no whole-brain iron content studies in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have been published. This study aimed to explore whole-brain iron content in ASD children using quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) and to examine relationships between clinical features of ASD and regional susceptibility values. Methods: A total of 30 ASD children and 28 typically developing (TD) individuals who were matched for age and sex were prospectively recruited. Brain MRI scans were performed on each participant. Each brain region’s susceptibility value was compared between groups, and correlations with clinical manifestations were examined. Results: The ASD patients showed significantly higher susceptibility values than TD children in the bilateral middle temporal gyrus, left inferior temporal gyrus, left inferior parietal gyrus, right lateral occipital gyrus, right insula, and bilateral rostral anterior cingulate gyrus. Conversely, significantly lower susceptibility was observed in the right cerebral white matter of ASD children. According to correlation analysis, susceptibility values in the left middle temporal gyrus, left inferior parietal gyrus, and right lateral occipital gyrus were negatively correlated with the Gesell Developmental Schedules (GDS) gross motor scores in the ASD group. Conclusions: ASD children had aberrant susceptibility values in cortical areas, and these abnormalities might be associated with their clinical features, which may provide new insights into understanding the pathophysiology of ASD.