Analysis of The Characteristics of Brain Functional Activity in Gross Motor Tasks in Children With Autism Based on Functional Near-infrared Spectroscopy Technology
10.16476/j.pibb.2025.0165
- VernacularTitle:基于功能性近红外光谱技术分析孤独症儿童粗大动作任务的脑功能活动特征
- Author:
Wen-Hao ZONG
1
;
Qi LIANG
2
;
Shi-Yu YANG
3
;
Feng-Jiao WANG
4
;
Meng-Zhao WEI
4
;
Hong LEI
3
;
Gui-Jun DONG
1
;
Ke-Feng LI
5
Author Information
1. Department of Sports, Quzhou University, Quzhou 324000, China
2. Medical and Health College, Linyi Vocational College, Linyi 276023, China
3. College of Chemical and Material Engineering, Quzhou University, Quzhou 324000, China
4. Graduate School, Shandong Sport University, Jinan 250131, China
5. Department of Medicine, Quzhou College of Technology, Quzhou 324000, China
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
autism;
motor dysfunctions;
gross motor skills;
brain functional characteristics
- From:
Progress in Biochemistry and Biophysics
2025;52(8):2146-2162
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
ObjectiveBased on functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), we investigated the brain activity characteristics of gross motor tasks in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and motor dysfunctions (MDs) to provide a theoretical basis for further understanding the mechanism of MDs in children with ASD and designing targeted intervention programs from a central perspective. MethodsAccording to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 48 children with ASD accompanied by MDs were recruited into the ASD group and 40 children with typically developing (TD) into the TD group. The fNIRS device was used to collect the information of blood oxygen changes in the cortical motor-related brain regions during single-handed bag throwing and tiptoe walking, and the differences in brain activation and functional connectivity between the two groups of children were analyzed from the perspective of brain activation and functional connectivity. ResultsCompared to the TD group, in the object manipulative motor task (one-handed bag throwing), the ASD group showed significantly reduced activation in both left sensorimotor cortex (SMC) and right secondary visual cortex (V2) (P<0.05), whereas the right pre-motor and supplementary motor cortex (PMC&SMA) had significantly higher activation (P<0.01) and showed bilateral brain region activity; in terms of brain functional integration, there was a significant decrease in the strength of brain functional connectivity (P<0.05) and was mainly associated with dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and V2. In the body stability motor task (tiptoe walking), the ASD group had significantly higher activation in motor-related brain regions such as the DLPFC, SMC, and PMC&SMA (P<0.05) and showed bilateral brain region activity; in terms of brain functional integration, the ASD group had lower strength of brain functional connectivity (P<0.05) and was mainly associated with PMC&SMA and V2. ConclusionChildren with ASD exhibit abnormal brain functional activity characteristics specific to different gross motor tasks in object manipulative and body stability, reflecting insufficient or excessive compensatory activation of local brain regions and impaired cross-regions integration, which may be a potential reason for the poorer gross motor performance of children with ASD, and meanwhile provides data support for further unraveling the mechanisms underlying the occurrence of MDs in the context of ASD and designing targeted intervention programs from a central perspective.
