Abstract：
To explore the effects of age and gender on the brain in children with autism spectrum disorder using magnetic resonance imaging. 185 patients with autism spectrum disorder and 110 typically developing children were enrolled. In terms of gender, boys with autism spectrum disorder had increased gray matter volumes in the insula and superior frontal gyrus and decreased gray matter volumes in the inferior frontal gyrus and thalamus. The brain regions with functional alterations are mainly distributed in the cerebellum, anterior cingulate gyrus, postcentral gyrus, and putamen. Girls with autism spectrum disorder only had increased gray matter volumes in the right cuneus and showed higher amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation in the paracentral lobule, higher regional homogeneity and degree centrality in the calcarine fissure, and greater right frontoparietal network-default mode network connectivity. In terms of age, preschool-aged children with autism spectrum disorder exhibited hypo-connectivity between and within auditory network, somatomotor network, and visual network. School-aged children with autism spectrum disorder showed increased gray matter volumes in the rectus gyrus, superior temporal gyrus, insula, and suboccipital gyrus, as well as increased amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation and regional homogeneity in the calcarine fissure and precentral gyrus and decreased in the cerebellum and anterior cingulate gyrus. The hyper-connectivity between somatomotor network and left frontoparietal network and within visual network was found. It is essential to consider the impact of age and gender on the neurophysiological alterations in autism spectrum disorder children when analyzing changes in brain structure and function.
摘要：
探讨年龄和性别对孤独症谱系障碍患儿脑功能的影响。纳入了185名自闭症谱系障碍患者和110名典型发育儿童。在性别方面,患有自闭症谱系障碍的男孩脑岛和额上回的灰质体积增加,额下回和丘脑的灰质体积减少.功能改变的脑区主要分布在小脑,前扣带回，中央后回,还有壳核.患有自闭症谱系障碍的女孩仅在右侧cuneus中增加了灰质体积，并且在中央旁小叶中显示出更高的低频波动幅度，钙质裂隙具有较高的区域同质性和程度中心性，和更大的右前端网络-默认模式网络连接。就年龄而言,患有自闭症谱系障碍的学龄前儿童表现出听觉网络之间和内部的低连通性，躯体运动网络，视觉网络。患有自闭症谱系障碍的学龄儿童显示直肌回的灰质体积增加，颞上回,脑岛,和枕下回,以及钙质裂隙和中央前回的低频波动幅度和区域均匀性增加，小脑和前扣带回的降低。发现了躯体运动网络与左额顶网络之间以及视觉网络内的超连通性。在分析大脑结构和功能的变化时，必须考虑年龄和性别对自闭症谱系障碍儿童神经生理改变的影响。
