Complex Network Measures in Autism Spectrum Disorders

Author(s)

Sato, Joao Ricardo ^[1] ; Vidal, Maciel Calebe ^[2] ; Santos, Suzana de Siqueira ^[2] ; Massirer, Katlin Brauer ^[3] ; Fujita, Andre ^[2]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Fed ABC, Ctr Math Computat & Cognit, Rua Santa Adaia 166, BR-09210170 Santo Andre, SP - Brazil

^[2] Univ Sao Paulo, Inst Math & Stat, Dept Comp Sci, Rua Mateio 1010 Cidade Univ, BR-05508090 Sao Paulo, SP - Brazil

^[3] Univ Estadual Campinas, Ctr Mol Biol & Genet Engn, Av Candido Rondon 400, BR-13083875 Campinas, SP - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: IEEE-ACM TRANSACTIONS ON COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY AND BIOINFORMATICS; v. 15, n. 2, p. 581-587, MAR-APR 2018.
• Web of Science Citations: 3

Abstract

Recent studies have suggested abnormal brain network organization in subjects with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Here we applied spectral clustering algorithm, diverse centrality measures (betweenness (BC), clustering (CC), eigenvector (EC), and degree (DC)), and also the network entropy (NE) to identify brain sub-systems associated with ASD. We have found that BC increases in the following ASD clusters: in the somatomotor, default-mode, cerebellar, and fronto-parietal. On the other hand, CC, EC, and DC decrease in the somatomotor, default-mode, and cerebellar clusters. Additionally, NE decreases in ASD in the cerebellar cluster. These findings reinforce the hypothesis of under-connectivity in ASD and suggest that the difference in the network organization is more prominent in the cerebellar system. The cerebellar cluster presents reduced NE in ASD, which relates to a more regular organization of the networks. These results might be important to improve current understanding about the etiological processes and the development of potential tools supporting diagnosis and therapeutic interventions. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 12/00195-3 - Post-transcriptional regulatory networks mediated by RNA binding proteins in human pluripotent stem cells
• Grantee: Katlin Brauer Massirer
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Young Investigators Grants
• FAPESP's process: 13/00506-1 - Time series, wavelets and functional data analysis
• Grantee: Pedro Alberto Morettin
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants
• FAPESP's process: 13/03447-6 - Combinatorial structures, optimization, and algorithms in theoretical Computer Science
• Grantee: Carlos Eduardo Ferreira
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants
• FAPESP's process: 14/09576-5 - Development of computational-statistical methods to construct, model and analyze biological networks associated with human diseases
• Grantee: André Fujita
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 13/10498-6 - Machine learning in neuroimaging: development of methods and clinical applications in psychiatric disorders
• Grantee: João Ricardo Sato
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants