Brain Imaging Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders
Brain Imaging Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders
There is substantial individual variation in all brain measures. Small control samples used in the majority of neuroimaging studies of ASD may not adequately represent the distribution of normal variation against which ASD measures are compared. Large variability in how a construct, such as theory of mind, is defined and operationalized and how its brain correlates are measured are also problematic. Different types of imaging, image analysis methods, and clinical measures applied within the same individuals may be essential to best understand what is going on in ASD. Tremendous biological complexity lies below what appear to be simple measures of brain structure and function. Increased consideration of the clinical heterogeneity of ASD has led to characterizing individuals in imaging studies along quantitative dimensions of specific behaviors in addition to diagnosis and diagnostic algorithm scores. The creation of large publically available ASD neuroimaging databases such as the Autism Brain Imaging Exchange (ABIDE) and the National Database for Autism Research (NDAR), support efforts to replicate results in independent samples.
Heterogeneity, Variability, and Multiple Perspectives
There is substantial individual variation in all brain measures. Small control samples used in the majority of neuroimaging studies of ASD may not adequately represent the distribution of normal variation against which ASD measures are compared. Large variability in how a construct, such as theory of mind, is defined and operationalized and how its brain correlates are measured are also problematic. Different types of imaging, image analysis methods, and clinical measures applied within the same individuals may be essential to best understand what is going on in ASD. Tremendous biological complexity lies below what appear to be simple measures of brain structure and function. Increased consideration of the clinical heterogeneity of ASD has led to characterizing individuals in imaging studies along quantitative dimensions of specific behaviors in addition to diagnosis and diagnostic algorithm scores. The creation of large publically available ASD neuroimaging databases such as the Autism Brain Imaging Exchange (ABIDE) and the National Database for Autism Research (NDAR), support efforts to replicate results in independent samples.
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