Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41543116›Full record

ArticleJournal of magnetic resonance imaging : JMRI2026

Evaluation of Brain Microstructural Alterations in Preschool Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Voxel-Wise Multimodal MRI Study.

Changhao Wang, Meiying Cheng, Yu Lu, Jinxia Guo, Xueyan Liu, Zhanqi Feng, Shipeng Liu, Xin Zhao

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of magnetic resonance imaging : JMRI, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Changhao WangDepartment of Radiology, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.ORCID 0009-0003-1952-5579
Meiying ChengDepartment of Radiology, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.ORCID 0000-0001-7139-2951
Yu LuDepartment of Radiology, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.ORCID 0009-0001-1515-1448
Jinxia GuoMR Research China, GE Healthcare, Beijing, China.
Xueyan LiuDepartment of Radiology, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.ORCID 0009-0003-5816-3662
Zhanqi FengDepartment of Radiology, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.
Shipeng LiuDepartment of Radiology, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.
Xin ZhaoDepartment of Radiology, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.ORCID 0000-0001-7525-4097

Funding

Henan Provincial Science and Technology Research Project 232102311091National Natural Science Foundation of China 82472046
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAutism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) presents with early neurodevelopmental alterations in preschool children, yet comprehensive characterization using multimodal quantitative MRI remains limited in this age group. PURPOSE: To investigate voxel-wise brain microstructural differences in preschool ASD through integrated analysis of cerebral perfusion, multiparametric relaxometry, and magnetic susceptibility. STUDY TYPE: Prospective case-control. POPULATION: Twenty nine-children with ASD (age 2-6 years; 23 males/6 females) and 25 age-/sex-matched healthy controls (HC). FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE: 3.0 T MRI; high-resolution 3D-T1WI, quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM), synthetic MRI (SyMRI), 3D pseudo-continuous arterial spin labeling (3D-pCASL). ASSESSMENT: Clinical assessments included the Gesell Developmental Schedules (GDS) and Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS). Imaging analysis consisted of voxel-wise whole-brain assessment of QSM, T1/T2/PD, and cerebral blood flow (CBF) maps. STATISTICAL TESTS: General linear models with cluster-based thresholding were applied for group comparison; Spearman's rank correlation with Bonferroni correction was used for clinical associations; and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis with Delong's test was performed to compare diagnostic performance based on the areas under the curve (AUCs).

resultsCompared to HC, children with ASD showed decreased QSM values in the left superior/middle frontal gyri (SFG/MFG; cluster = 212 voxels, peak T = 5.55, p < 0.001). They also had reduced T1 relaxation times in bilateral SFG/MFG/precentral/postcentral gyri (four clusters: 315-750 voxels, peak T = 5.11-5.88, all p < 0.001). QSM values in the left SFG/MFG correlated positively with fine motor scores (r = 0.630, p < 0.001), while T1 values in the bilateral precentral/postcentral gyri correlated with gross motor scores (right: r = 0.548, p = 0.002; left: r = 0.461, p = 0.012). ROC analysis showed high diagnostic accuracy for both QSM (left SFG/MFG AUC = 0.858) and T1 values (left SFG/MFG AUC = 0.905; bilateral precentral/postcentral gyri AUC = 0.892-0.908). DATA

conclusionPreschool ASD demonstrates prefrontal iron deficiency (reduced QSM) and sensorimotor myelination alterations (decreased T1), which correlate with motor deficits and show high diagnostic efficacy. EVIDENCE LEVEL: 2. TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 2.

Indexed as

Autism Spectrum DisorderBrainMagnetic Resonance ImagingCase-Control StudiesCerebrovascular CirculationChildChild, PreschoolFemaleHumansImage Processing, Computer-AssistedImaging, Three-DimensionalMaleMultimodal ImagingProspective StudiesROC Curveautism spectrum disordermagnetic resonance imagingpreschool childrenquantitative susceptibility mappingT1 mapping

Identifiers

PMID41543116
PMCPMC12963812

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.