Diffusion radiomics for subtyping and clustering in autism spectrum disorder: A preclinical study

Magn Reson Imaging. 2023 Feb:96:116-125. doi: 10.1016/j.mri.2022.12.003. Epub 2022 Dec 7.

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a highly prevalent, heterogenous neurodevelopmental disorder. Neuroimaging methods such as functional, structural, and diffusion MRI have been used to identify candidate imaging biomarkers for ASD, but current findings remain non-specific and likely arise from the heterogeneity present in ASD. To account for this, efforts to subtype ASD have emerged as a potential strategy for both the study of ASD and advancement of tailored behavioral therapies and therapeutics. Towards these ends, to improve upon current neuroimaging methods, we propose combining biologically sensitive neurite orientation dispersion and density index (NODDI) diffusion MR imaging with radiomics image processing to create a new methodological approach that, we hypothesize, can sensitively and specifically capture neurobiology. We demonstrate this method can sensitively distinguish differences between four genetically distinct rat models of ASD (Fmr1, Pten, Nrxn1, Disc1). Further, we demonstrate diffusion radiomic analyses hold promise for subtyping in ASD as we show unsupervised clustering of NODDI radiomic data generates clusters specific to the underlying genetic differences between the animal models. Taken together, our findings suggest the unique application of radiomic analysis on NODDI diffusion MRI may have the capacity to sensitively and specifically disambiguate the neurobiological heterogeneity present in the ASD population.

Keywords: Autism spectrum disorder; Diffusion MRI; NODDI; Radiomics; Subtyping.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder* / diagnostic imaging
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder* / genetics
  • Brain / diagnostic imaging
  • Cluster Analysis
  • Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins
  • Neuroimaging / methods
  • Rats

Substances

  • Disc1 protein, rat
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins