Altered patterns of brain dynamics linked with body mass index in youth with autism.
Extra weight is linked to fast-switching brain states and weaker executive skills in youth with autism.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Kupis et al. (2021) scanned kids with autism and typical kids while they rested.
They tracked how long each brain state stayed active.
They also recorded height and weight to get BMI.
Then they tested how well kids could stop, shift, and plan.
What they found
Kids with autism who carried more weight had brain states that flipped faster.
The same kids scored lower on stop-and-shift games.
Typical kids showed no link between weight and brain or test scores.
How this fits with other research
Hwang et al. (2022) also saw BMI matter only in autism.
They found extra weight changed the size of the caudate, a spot tied to habit learning.
Together the two papers warn: if you scan kids with autism and ignore BMI, your data may be off.
Ludyga et al. (2021) looked at muscle instead of fat.
Stronger kids with autism had better executive scores, the opposite of Lauren’s high-BMI pattern.
The pair shows both fitness and fatness shape thinking in autism.
Why it matters
When you test planning or inhibition, note the child’s BMI.
A high number may flag weaker self-control and faster-shifting brain states.
Build movement breaks or motor games into sessions.
Stronger bodies and lower BMI could sharpen the very skills you are teaching.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have higher rates of overweight and obesity (OWOB) compared with typically developing (TD) children. Brain functional connectivity differences have been shown in both ASD and OWOB. However, only one study to date has examined ASD and OWOB concurrently, so little is known regarding the neural mechanisms associated with the higher prevalence of OWOB and its behavioral impacts in ASD. We investigated co-activation patterns (CAPs) of brain regions identified by independent component analysis in 129 children and adolescents between 6 and 18 years of age (n = 68 ASD). We examined the interaction between body mass index (BMI) and diagnosis in predicting dynamic brain metrics (dwell time, DT; frequency of occurrence, and transitions between states) as well as dimensional brain-behavior relationships. The relationship between BMI and brain dynamics was moderated by diagnosis (ASD, TD), particularly among the frequency of CAP 4, characterized by co-activation of lateral frontoparietal, temporal, and frontal networks. This pattern was negatively associated with parent-reported inhibition skills. Children with ASD had shorter CAP 1, characterized by co-activation of the subcortical, temporal, sensorimotor, and frontal networks, and CAP 4 DTs compared with TD children. CAP 1 DT was negatively associated with cognitive flexibility, inhibition, social functioning, and BMI. Cognitive flexibility moderated the relationship between BMI and brain dynamics in the visual network. Our findings provide novel evidence of neural mechanisms associated with OWOB in children with ASD. Further, poorer cognitive flexibility may result in increased vulnerability for children with ASD and co-occurring OWOB. LAY SUMMARY: Obesity is a societal epidemic and is common in autism, however, little is known about the neural mechanisms associated with the higher rates of obesity in autism. Here, we find unique patterns of brain dynamics associated with obesity in autism that were not observed in typically developing children. Further, the relationship between body mass index and brain dynamics depended on cognitive flexibility. These findings suggest that individuals with autism may be more vulnerable to the effects of obesity on brain function. Autism Res 2021, 14: 873-886. © 2021 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals LLC.
Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism Research, 2021 · doi:10.1002/aur.2488