Altered Positive Coupling of gBOLD and CSF Oscillations Correlates with Social Dysfunction in ASD Children

Motivation: This research aimemd to reveal physiological markers in ASD, particularly in capturing neurovascular and CSF dynamics associated with social dysfunction. Goal(s): To determine whether gBOLD-CSF coupling indices differ in ASD and relate to social impairment, potentially indicating abnormal neurovascular mechanisms. Approach: gBOLD-CSF coupling analysis was conducted on C-PAC minimally-preprocessed fMRI data in 39 children (15 ASD, 24 controls). Significant peaks were identified and compared across groups; correlation with ADOS_Social scores was assessed in ASD participants. Results: Positive peak coupling was significantly associated with ADOS_Social scores. Group comparisons revealed no significant differences, but a trend of decreased positive coupling in ASD was observed. Impact: Our findings contribute a novel physiological marker linked to social impairment in ASD, potentially guiding future neurovascular research in ASD. This work opens avenues for identifying neurovascular and CSF biomarkers applicable to other neurodevelopmental disorders.