Cited by 65Autism Spectrum Disorder ResearchSuicide and Self-Harm StudiesChild Nutrition and Feeding Issues

Self-injurious behaviours are associated with alterations in the somatosensory system in children with autism spectrum disorder

Duerden, Emma G., Card, Dallas, Roberts, S. Wendy, Mak-Fan, Kathleen M., Chakravarty, M. Mallar, Lerch, Jason P., Taylor, Margot J.·2014·Brain Structure and Function

Abstract

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) frequently engage in self-injurious behaviours, often in the absence of reporting pain. Previous research suggests that altered pain sensitivity and repeated exposure to noxious stimuli are associated with morphological changes in somatosensory and limbic cortices. Further evidence from postmortem studies with self-injurious adults has indicated alterations in the structure and organization of the temporal lobes; however, the effect of self-injurious behaviour on cortical development in children with ASD has not yet been determined. Thirty children and adolescents (mean age = 10.6 ± 2.5 years; range 7-15 years; 29 males) with a clinical diagnosis of ASD and 30 typically developing children (N = 30, mean age = 10.7 ± 2.5 years; range 7-15 years, 26 males) underwent T1-weighted magnetic resonance and diffusion tensor imaging. No between-group differences were seen in cerebral volume, surface area or cortical thickness. Within the ASD group, self-injury scores negatively correlated with thickness in the right superior parietal lobule t = 6.3, p < 0.0001, bilateral primary somatosensory cortices (SI) (right: t = 4.4, p = 0.02; left: t = 4.48, p = 0.004) and the volume of the left ventroposterior (VP) nucleus of the thalamus (r = -0.52, p = 0.008). Based on these findings, we performed an atlas-based region-of-interest diffusion tensor imaging analysis between SI and the VP nucleus and found that children who engaged in self-injury had significantly lower fractional anisotropy (r = -0.4, p = 0.04) and higher mean diffusivity (r = 0.5, p = 0.03) values in the territory of the left posterior limb of the internal capsule. Additionally, greater incidence of self-injury was associated with increased radial diffusivity values in bilateral posterior limbs of the internal capsule (left: r = 0.5, p = 0.02; right: r = 0.5, p = 0.009) and corona radiata (left: r = 0.6, p = 0.005; right: r = 0.5, p = 0.009). Results indicate that self-injury is related to alterations in somatosensory cortical and subcortical regions and their supporting white-matter pathways. Findings could reflect use-dependent plasticity in the somatosensory system or disrupted brain development that could serve as a risk marker for self-injury.

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Crossref · 10.1007/s00429-013-0562-2

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Authors
Duerden, E. G., Card, D., Roberts, S. W., Mak-Fan, K. M., Chakravarty, M. M., Lerch, J. P., & Taylor, M. J.
Affiliations
  • Hospital for Sick Children (CA)
  • Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CA)
  • University of Toronto (CA)
Corresponding author
Duerden, Emma G.
Venue
Brain Structure and Function
Published
2013-05-05
Volume
219
Issue
4
Pages
1251-1261
ISSN
  • 1863-2653 (ISSN-L)
  • 1863-2661
OpenAlex
W2028034667
Cited by
65
References
81
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 11 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 1
FWCI
1.82
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Brain Structure and Function (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Scholarship@Western (Western University) (submittedVersion)
Funders
Canadian Institutes of Health Research (81161_1)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Suicide and Self-Harm Studies
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Child Nutrition and Feeding Issues
Keywords
self-harm, autism spectrum disorder, somatosensory system, pain sensitivity, primary somatosensory cortex, ventroposterior thalamic nucleus, internal capsule, corona radiata, fractional anisotropy, mean diffusivity, radial diffusivity, cortical thickness, children and adolescents, white matter microstructure, cortical development, limbic system, temporal lobe
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Child, Child Development Disorders, Pervasive, Female, Humans, Image Processing, Computer-Assisted, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Neuronal Plasticity, Parietal Lobe, Somatosensory Cortex, Thalamic Nuclei, Self-Injurious Behavior, Diffusion Tensor Imaging

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