science
Brain Scans Find Two Connectivity Patterns but Most Autism Cases Fit Neither
A study of mice and human fMRI data found distinct hypoconnectivity and hyperconnectivity subtypes linked to different biological mechanisms. Most participants did not fit either pattern.
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Alessandro Gozzi at the Italian Institute of Technology in Rovereto led a study that identified two distinct patterns of brain connectivity in autism. The work examined 20 strains of mice, each carrying a mutation in a different gene associated with autism in humans. fMRI scans showed that 11 strains displayed mostly hypoconnectivity and nine strains displayed mostly hyperconnectivity.
In the hypoconnectivity mice, the mutated genes interacted with proteins involved in synapses. Gozzi said the two opposing signatures are associated with different mechanisms.
The team then analyzed fMRI data from 940 autistic people and 1036 age-matched controls. Among the autistic participants, 24 percent showed hypoconnectivity and 17 percent showed hyperconnectivity. Fifty-nine percent did not fit either category.
Autism prevalence is estimated at about 780 individuals per 100,000 people. Natalie Sauerwald at the Flatiron Institute in New York said the study helps explain the heterogeneity of the condition and the biology behind it. 1038/s41593-026-02287-z.
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