Oscillatory neural network alterations in young people with tuberous sclerosis complex and associations with co-occurring symptoms of autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Author(s)

Shephard, Elizabeth ^{[1, 2]} ; McEwen, Fiona S. ^{[2, 3]} ; Earnest, Thomas ^[2] ; Friedrich, Nina ^[2] ; Mortl, Isabelle ^[2] ; Liang, Holan ^[4] ; Woodhouse, Emma ^[5] ; Tye, Charlotte ^{[2, 6]} ; Bolton, Patrick F. ^{[7, 2, 8]} ; Team, Ts2000 Study

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Dept Psychiat, Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[2] Kings Coll London, Inst Psychiat Psychol & Neurosci IoPPN, Dept Child & Adolescent Psychiat, London - England

^[3] Queen Mary Univ London, Dept Psychol, London - England

^[4] UCL Great Ormond St Inst Child Hlth, Populat Policy & Practice Dept, London - England

^[5] Kings Coll London, Inst Psychiat Psychol & Neurosci IoPPN, Dept Forens & Neurodev Sci, London - England

^[6] Kings Coll London, Inst Psychiat Psychol & Neurosci IoPPN, Dept Psychol, London - England

^[7] South London & Maudsley NHS Fdn Trust, London - England

^[8] Kings Coll London, Maudsley NIHR Biomed Res Ctr Mental Hlth, London - England

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: CORTEX; v. 146, p. 50-65, JAN 2022.
• Web of Science Citations: 0

Abstract

Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is a genetic disorder caused by mutations on the TSC1/TSC2 genes, which result in alterations in molecular signalling pathways involved in neurogenesis and hamartomas in the brain and other organs. TSC carries a high risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), although the reasons for this are unclear. One proposal is that TSC-related alterations in molecular signalling during neurogenesis lead to atypical development of neural networks, which are involved in the occurrence of ASD and ADHD in TSC. We investigated this proposal in young people with TSC who have been studied longitudinally since their diagnosis in childhood. Electroencephalography (EEG) was used to examine oscillatory connectivity in functional neural networks and local and global network organisation during three tasks (resting-state, attentional and inhibitory control Go/Nogo task, upright and inverted face processing task) in participants with TSC (n 1/4 48) compared to an age and sex-matched group of typically developing Controls (n = 20). Compared to Controls, the TSC group showed hypoconnected neural networks in the alpha frequency during the resting-state and in the theta and alpha frequencies during the Go/Nogo task (P < .008), as well as reduced local network organisation in the theta and alpha frequencies during the Go/Nogo task (F = 3.95, P = .010). There were no significant group differences in network metrics during the face processing task. Increased connectivity in the hypoconnected alpha-range resting-state network was associated with greater ASD and inattentive ADHD symptoms (rho >= .40, P <= .036). Reduced local network organisation in the theta-range during the Go/Nogo task was significantly associated with higher hyperactive/impulsive ADHD symptoms (rho =-.43, P = .041). These findings suggest that TSC is associated with widespread hypoconnectivity in neural networks and support the proposal that altered network function may be involved in the co-occurrence of ASD and ADHD in TSC. (C) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 18/22396-7 - A multimodal neuroimaging investigation of changes in neural circuitry during early interventions for neurodevelopmental disorders
• Grantee: Elizabeth Shephard
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral