Measuring robustness of brain networks in autism spectrum disorder with Ricci curvature

Anish K Simhal,Allen Tannenbaum,Geraldine Dawson,Joanne Kurtzberg,Guillermo Sapiro,Allen Song,Kimberly L H Carpenter,Saad Nadeem

doi:10.1038/s41598-020-67474-9

Abstract

Ollivier–Ricci curvature is a method for measuring the robustness of connections in a network. In this work, we use curvature to measure changes in robustness of brain networks in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In an open label clinical trials, participants with ASD were administered a single infusion of autologous umbilical cord blood and, as part of their clinical outcome measures, were imaged with diffusion MRI before and after the infusion. By using Ricci curvature to measure changes in robustness, we quantified both local and global changes in the brain networks and their potential relationship with the infusion. Our results find changes in the curvature of the connections between regions associated with ASD that were not detected via traditional brain network analysis.

Highlights

Ollivier–Ricci curvature is a method for measuring the robustness of connections in a network
Infants who later are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have atypical white matter developmental patterns compared to those typically developing infants and this difference is linked to the severity of ASD s ymptoms[3,4,5]
These changes in both white matter volume and connectivity are usually measured via diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), a form of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) which measures the diffusion of water molecules throughout the brain, a correlate for brain connectivity

Summary

Methods

The current study is a secondary data analysis of DTI data collected as part of a phase 1 open-label trial of a single intravenous infusion of autologous umbilical cord blood in 25 children with ASD who were between 24-72 months of age at baseline. The methods of this trial and the accompanying DTI analyses have been described in detail elsewhere[15,16,50,51]. The change in the VABS-SS (6 month-baseline) was used to measure change in social behavior. Individual correlations between behavioral scores and change in curvature were examined using a false discovery rate (Benjamini–Hochberg) correction[22] with an alpha value of 0.05

Author contributions

Findings

Additional information