Background
Methods
Systematic review
Data sources
Study selection
Dividing studies into WBA and ROI studies
Demographic character | Methodological character | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Study | ASD | TD | Value | Multiple comparison correction | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
N
a
| Males | Mean age (years) | IQb |
N
c
| Males | Mean age (years) | IQb | Diagnostic tools | Medication / comorbidity | Tesla | B factor | Number of direction | NEX | TE/TR (ms) | Type of WBA | Software | FA | MD | RD | AD | ADC | Threshold | FWE | FDR | TFCE | Permutation | Main results | |
Whole brain voxel-wise analysis study
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ameis and colleagues [43] | 19 | 16 | 12.4 | 99 | 16 | 8 | 12.3 | 101 | DSM-IV/ADI-R/ADOs | No/No | 3 | 1,250 | 12 | 5 | 80/4,100 | TBSS | FSL4.1 | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ | P <0.05 | ○ |
×
| ○ |
×
| MD↓ in UF, IFOF, CC, SLF, in ASD children |
Barnea-Goraly and colleagues [44] | 7 | 7 | 14.6 | 101 | 9 | 9 | 13.4 | 107 | ADI-R/ADOS | NA/Na | 3 | 900 | 6 | 4 | 106/6,000 | Voxel Based Whole Brain | SPM99 | ○ |
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
| P <0.05 |
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
| FA↓ in Cg, UF, in ASD |
Barnea-Goraly and colleagues [18] | 13 | 11 | 10.5 | 86 | 11 | 9 | 9.6 | 120 | ADI-R/ADOS | NA/No | 1.5 | 900 | 6 | 4 | 106/6,000 | TBSS | FSL4.1 | ○ |
×
| ○ | ○ |
×
| P <0.05 | ○ |
×
| ○ | ○ | FA↓ in CC, SLF, in ASD |
Bloemen and colleagues [45] | 13 | 113 | 39 | 110 | 13 | 13 | 37 | 115 | ICD-10/ADI-R/ADOS | NA/No | NA | 1,300 | 4 | NA | 107/15,000 | Voxel Based Whole Brain | SPM2 | ○ | ○ | ○ |
×
|
×
| P <0.05 | NA | NA |
×
| ○ | FA↓ in IFOF, ILF, CC, SLF, Cg, in ASD |
Bode and colleagues [46] | 27 | 20 | 14.7 | NA | 26 | 17 | 14.5 | NA | ADI-R/ADOS | NA/No | NA | 100 | NA | 1 | 90/8,000 | TBSS | FSL | ○ | ○ |
×
|
×
|
×
| P <0.0005 | NA | NA |
×
|
×
| FA↓ in IFOF |
Cheung and colleagues [48] | 13 | 12 | 9.3 | 100 | 14 | 13 | 9.9 | 112 | ICD-10/ADI-R | No/No | 1.5 | 1,200 | 25 | NA | 100/10,000 | Voxel Based Whole Brain | SPM2 | ○ |
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
| P <0.0005 |
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
| FA↓ in SLF, FA, in ASD |
Groen and colleagues [49] | 17 | 14 | 14.4 | 98 | 25 | 22 | 15.5 | 105 | ADI-R | No/No | 1.5 | 900 | 30 | 4 | 93/10,100 | Voxel Based Whole Brain | SPM5 | ○ | ○ |
×
|
×
|
×
| P <0.05 |
×
| ○ |
×
|
×
| FA↓ in SLF, ILF, in ASD |
Jeong and colleagues [50] | 32 | 29 | 439 | NA | 14 | 11 | 5.61 | NA | DSM-IV | NA/No | 3 | 1,000 | 6 | 6 | NA/1,250 | Whole Brain Tractography | FSL | ○ | ○ |
×
|
×
|
×
| Various |
×
| ○ |
×
|
×
| FA↓ in, AF <UF, CC in ASD |
Jou and colleagues [51] | 15 | 15 | 10.9 | NA | 8 | 8 | 11.5 | NA | DSM-IV/ADI-ADOS | NA/NA | 3 | NA | 30 | 3 | 85/6,200 | TBSS | FSL | ○ |
×
| ○ | ○ |
×
| P <0.05 | NA | NA | ○ |
×
| FA↓ in IFOF, SLF, UF, Cg, in ASD |
Jou and colleagues [52] | 10 | 10 | 13.5 | 91 | 10 | 10 | 13.5 | 105 | DSM-IV/ADI-R/ADOS | NA/NA | 1.5 | 1,000 | 6 | 6 | 92/1,1200 | Voxel Based Whole Brain | Biolmage Suite | ○ |
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
| p<0.05 |
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
| FA↓ in CC, CG, SLF, IFOF, ILF, in ASD |
Ke and colleagues [53] | 12 | 12 | 8375 | 101 | 12 | 12 | 9.4 | 100 | DSM-IV/ADI-R | NA/No | 1.5 | 1,000 | 15 | 2 | 104.4/8,000 | Voxel Based Whole Brain | SPMS | ○ |
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
| p<0.05 |
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
| No peak coordinates reported in cortical fibers |
Kumar and colleagues [26] | 32 | 29 | 5 | NA | 16 | 12 | 5.5 | NA | DSM-IV | NA/No | 3 | 1,000 | 6 | 6 | 79/1,0000 | TBSS | FSL | ○ |
×
|
×
|
×
| ○ | p<0.05 |
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
| FA↓ in rt UF, IFO, AF, rt Cg, CC in ASD |
Noriuchi and colleagues [54] | 7 | 6 | 14 | 93 | 7 | 6 | 13.4 | 116 | DSM-IV | NA/NA | 3 | 800 | 32 | NA | 88/7,420 | Voxel Based Whole Brain | SPM2 | ○ |
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
| p<0.05 | ○ |
×
|
×
|
×
| FA↓ in SLF, CC, Cg, in ASD |
Sahyoun and colleagues [55] | 12 | 9 | 12.8 | 101 | 12 | 9 | 13.3 | 106 | DSM-IV/ADI-R | No/NA | 3 | 700 | 60 | NA | 84/7,980 | TBSS | FSL | ○ | ○ |
×
|
×
|
×
| p<0.05 | NA | NA |
×
| ○ | FA↑ in bl UF, rt SLF, FA↓ in bl, SLF, bl FOF in ASD |
Thakkar and colleagues [56] | 12 | 10 | 30 | 116 | 14 | 8 | 27 | 114 | DSM-IV/ADI-R/ADOS | Yes/No | 3 | 700 | 60 | NA | 82/8,400 | Voxel Based Whole Brain | FSL | ○ |
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
| p<0.05 | NA | NA |
×
|
×
| FA↓ in Cg in ASO |
Weinstein and colleagues [27] | 21 | NA | 3.3 | NA | 26 | NA | 3.3 | NA | DSM-IV/ADI-R/ADOS | NA/No | 1.5 | 1,000 | 15 | 2 | 94/1,1000 | TBSS | FSL 0 | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
×
| p<0.05 | NA | NA | ○ |
×
| FA↑ in lt SLF, bl Cg, CC in ASD |
Meta-analyses
Data extraction
Analyses
Assessing between-study heterogeneity
Sensitivity analyses
Publication bias
Results
Systematic review
Study selection
Demographic character | Methodological character | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Study | ASD group | TD group | Value | ROI tract | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
N
a
| Males | Mean age (years) | IQb |
N
c
| Males | Mean age (years) | IQb | Diagnostic tools | Medication / comorbidity | Tesla | B factor | Number of direction | NEX | TE/TR (ms) | Type of WBA | FA | MD | RD | AD | ADC | CC | UF | Cg | SLF | ILF | IFOF | Fo | AF | |
Whole brain voxel-wise analysis study
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Alexander and colleagues [24] | 43 | 43 | 16.2 | 107 | 34 | 34 | 16.4 | 113 | DSM-IV/ICD-10/ADI-R/ADOS-G | Yes/Yes | 3 | 1,000 | 12 | 4 | 84/7,000 | ROI | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
×
| ○ |
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
Ameis and colleagues [43] | 19 | 16 | 12.4 | 98.5 | 16 | 8 | 12.3 | 101 | DSM-IV/ADI-R/ADOS | No/No | 3 | 1,250 | 12 | 5 | 80/4,100 | ROI | ○ | ○ |
×
|
×
|
×
| ○ |
×
| ○ | ○ |
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
Beacher and colleagues [58] | 28 | 15 | 32 | NA | 30 | 15 | 30 | NA | DSM-IV | Yes/No | 1.5 | 1,000 | 64 | NA | 95/8,000 | ROI | ○ |
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
| ○ |
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
Ben Bashat and colleagues [64] | 17 | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA | 9.6 | NA | DSM-IV/ADI-R/ADOS | NA/NA | 1.5 | 6,000 | 6 | 4 | 128/1,800 | ROI | ○ | ○ |
×
|
×
|
×
| ○ |
×
| ○ | ○ |
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
Brito and colleagues [32] | 8 | 8 | 9.53 | NA | 8 | 8 | 9.57 | NA | DSM-IV | Yes/No | 1.5 | 100 | 12 | 3 | 90/3,100 | ○ |
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
| ○ |
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
| |
Catani and colleagues [67] | 15 | 15 | 31 | 109 | 16 | 16 | 35 | 120 | ICD-10/ADI/ADOS | NA/No | 1.5 | 1,300 | 64 | NA | 107/1,500 | Tractography | ○ | ○ |
×
|
×
|
×
| ○ |
×
| ○ |
×
| ○ |
×
|
×
|
×
|
Cheon and colleagues [62] | 17 | 17 | 11 | 112 | 17 | 17 | 10.2 | 114 | DSM-IV/ ADI-R/ADOS | Yes/No | 1.5 | 900 | 30 | 2 | 86/6500 | ROI | ○ | ○ |
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
Conturo and colleagues [74] | 17 | 14 | 26.5 | 104 | 17 | 14 | 26.1 | 105 | ADI-R/ADOS | Yes/No | 1.5 | NA | 7 | 10 | 94/1,51750 | Tractography | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
×
| ○ | ○ |
×
|
×
| ○ |
×
|
×
|
×
|
Fletcher and colleagues [59] | 10 | 10 | 14.3 | 106 | 10 | 10 | 13.4 | 108 | DSM-IV/ICD-10/ADI-R/ADOS | NA/NA | 3 | 1,000 | 12 | 4 | 84/700 | ROI |
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
Hong and colleagues [60] | 18 | 18 | 8.69 | 105 | 16 | 16 | 9.81 | 106 | DSM-IV/ADI-R | No/No | 1.5 | 1,000 | 15 | 2 | 104.4/8,000 | ROI | ○ |
×
|
×
|
×
| ○ | ○ |
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
Ingalhalikar and colleagues [69] | 45 | 42 | 10.5 | NA | 30 | 14 | 10.3 | NA | NA | NA/NA | 3 | 1,000 | 15 | NA | 70/16,900 | ROI | ○ |
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
| ○ |
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
Knaus and colleagues [66] | 14 | 14 | 16.1 | 103 | 20 | 20 | 14.1 | 116 | DSM-IV/ADI-ADOS | NA/No | 3 | 1,000 | 15 | NA | N/A | Tractography | ○ |
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
| ○ |
Kumar and colleagues [26] | 32 | 29 | 5 | NA | 16 | 12 | 5.5 | Na | DSM-IV | NA/No | 3 | 1,000 | 6 | 6 | 79/10,000 | Tractography | ○ |
×
|
×
|
×
| ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
×
|
×
| ○ |
×
| ○ |
Langen and colleagues [73] | 21 | 21 | 25.6 | 107 | 22 | 22 | 28.5 | 110 | ICD-10/ADI-R/ADOS | No/No | 3 | 1,300 | 32 | NA | 107/10,000 | Tractography | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
Leemans and Jones [78] | 43 | 43 | 16.2 | 108 | 34 | 34 | 16.4 | 113 | DSM-IV/ICD-10/ADI-R/ADOS-G | NA/No | 3 | 1,000 | 12 | 3 | 84/7,000 | ROI | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
Lo and colleagues [25] | 15 | 15 | 15.2 | 108 | 15 | NA | 15 | 111 | DSM-IV/ICD-10/ADI-R | NA/No | 3 | 6,000/4,000 | 102 | NA | 142/9,100, 130/9,600 | ROI | ○ |
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
| ○ | ○ | ○ |
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
| ○ |
Poustka and colleagues [63] | 18 | 16 | 19.7 | 111 | 18 | 16 | 9.7 | 113 | ICD-10/ADI/ADOS | NA/No | 1.5 | 1,000 | 6 | 15 | 78/4,700 | ROI | ○ |
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
| ○ | ○ |
×
| ○ |
×
|
×
| ○ |
×
|
Pugliese and colleagues [57] | 24 | 24 | 23.3 | 105 | 24 | 24 | 25.3 | 121 | ICD-10/ADI-R | No/No | NA | 1,300 | 32 | NA | 107/15,000 | Tractography | ○ | ○ |
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
| ○ | ○ |
×
| ○ | ○ | ○ |
×
|
Sahyoun and colleagues [71] | 9 | 7 | 12.8 | 101 | 12 | 9 | 13.3 | 106 | ADIM-IV/ADI-R | No/No | 3 | 700 | 60 | Na | 84/7,980 | ROI | ○ |
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
Shukla and colleagues [65] | 24 | 24 | 5 | NA | 16 | 12 | 5.9 | NA | ADI-R/ADOS | Yes/No | 3 | 200 | 15 | 4 | 99.4/1,0000 | ROI | ○ | ○ | ○ |
×
| ○ |
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
| |
Sivaswamy and colleagues [68] | 27 | 24 | 5 | NA | 16 | 12 | 5.9 | NA | DSM-IV | Yes/No | 3 | 1,000 | 6 | 6 | 160/11000 | ROI | ○ |
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
Sundaram and colleagues [72] | 50 | 43 | 4.79 | NA | 16 | 11 | 6.84 | NA | DSM-IV0 | Yes/No | 3 | 1,000 | 6 | 6 | 79/10,000 | Tractography | ○ |
×
|
×
|
×
| ○ |
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
Thomas and colleagues [28] | 12 | 12 | 28.5 | 107 | 18 | 18 | 22.4 | 112 | DSM-IV/ ADI-R/ADOS | NA/No | 3 | 850 | 6 | 12 | 82/4,900 | ROI | ○ |
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
| ○ |
×
|
×
| ○ | ○ |
×
|
×
|
Verhoeven and colleagues [61] | 19 | 16 | 13.8 | NA | 33 | 24 | 12.9 | NA | DSM-IV | Yes/No | 3 | 800 | 45 | 2 | 55/11,043 | Tractography | ○ |
×
|
×
|
×
| ○ |
×
|
×
|
×
| ○ |
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
Weinstein and colleagues [27] | 22 | NA | 3.2 | NA | 28 | NA | 3.6 | NA | DSM-IV ADI-R/ADOS | NA/Yes | 1.5 | 1,000 | 15 | 2 | 94/11,043 | Tractography | ○ | ○ | ○ | ○ |
×
| ○ |
×
| ○ | ○ |
×
|
×
|
×
|
×
|
Characteristics of WBA DTI studies
Meta-analyses
Selection of studies
Meta-analyses
Corpus callosum
Tract | Laterality | Value | Number of dataset |
N
a
|
N
b
| Lower 95% CI | Upper 95% CI | Z value | P value | HeterogeneityI2 | Publication bias |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Corpus callosum | NA | FA | 9 | 208 | 179 | −1.087 | −0.081 | −2.275 | 0.023 | 81.91 | 0.541 |
MD | 6 | 129 | 125 | 0.163 | 0.950 | 2.770 | 0.006 | 53.81 | 0.650 | ||
Urinate fasciculus | Left | FA | 6 | 117 | 125 | −0.872 | −0.115 | −2.553 | 0.011 | 49.76 | 0.279 |
MD | 4 | 60 | 75 | −0.148 | 1.300 | 1.584 | 0.113 | 73.96 | 0.682 | ||
Right | FA | 6 | 116 | 124 | −0.998 | 0.203 | −1.237 | 0.216 | 75.81 | 0.027 | |
MD | 4 | 60 | 75 | 0.123 | −0.410 | 0.963 | 0.790 | 69.11 | 0.636 | ||
Cingulum | Left | FA | 5 | 101 | 109 | −0.846 | 0.224 | −1.139 | 0.255 | 69.80 | 0.633 |
Right | FA | 5 | 101 | 109 | −00.475 | 0.525 | 0.099 | 0.921 | 65.94 | 0.857 | |
Superior longitudinal fasciculus | Left | FA | 5 | 96 | 86 | −0.954 | −0.097 | −2.404 | 0.016 | 48.34 | 0.707 |
MD | 4 | 51 | 58 | 0.062 | 1.256 | 2.163 | 0.031 | 49.66 | 0.950 | ||
Right | FA | 5 | 92 | 82 | −0.682 | 0.158 | −1.229 | 0.219 | 43.99 | 0.462 | |
MD | 4 | 51 | 58 | 0.140 | 1.100 | 2.534 | 0.011 | 26.11 | 0.499 | ||
Inferior longitudinal fasciculus | Left | FA | 4 | 61 | 85 | −1.491 | 0.313 | −1.279 | 0.201 | 83.19 | 0.907 |
Right | FA | 4 | 61 | 85 | −0.775 | 0.000 | −1.959 | 0.050 | 20.15 | 0.207 | |
Inferior frontal occipital fasciculus | Left | FA | 3 | 68 | 76 | −0.979 | 0.195 | −1.309 | 0.191 | 63.22 | 0.690 |
Right | FA | 3 | 68 | 76 | −0.735 | 0.152 | −1.287 | 0.198 | 37.41 | 0.528 |