Analysis of brain functional connectivity in children with autism spectrum disorder and sleep disorders: a fNIRS observational study

作者：Feng Bi, Zhuting Jia, Lin Lv, Yanyan Zhang, Chuanhua Zhu, Chunxiao Wan · 发表于：Frontiers in Psychology · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1544798 · 被引用次数：7 · 研究领域：Optical Imaging and Spectroscopy Techniques、Sleep and related disorders、Functional Brain Connectivity Studies

Introduction Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is often associated with sleep disorders, although the neurophysiological reasons behind these issues are poorly understood. In this cross-sectional study, functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) was used to compare differences in brain functional connectivity (FC) in children with ASD and sleep disorders and those with ASD that was not complicated by sleep disorders. Methods A total of 88 children (4–9 years old, either sex) were included in the study. The children were divided into three groups: those with ASD and sleep disorders (ASD with sleep disorder group; n = 29), those with ASD and no sleep disorders (ASD without sleep disorder group; n = 29), and those with typical development (TD group; n = 30). All children with ASD met the diagnostic criteria for the “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5 (DSM-V).” The ASD group with sleep disorders showed typical sleep disorder symptoms, with a total score of ≥41 on the Children’s Sleep Habits Questionnaire. All children were assessed using the Autism Diagnostic Observation Scale, the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale, third edition, the Social Response Scale, and the Children’s Sleep Habits Questionnaire. The fNIRS detection was conducted in a quiet environment. Results The fNIRS data revealed that under resting-state conditions, the supramarginal gyrus [SMG:Cohen’s f = 0.981(L) f = 0.467(R)], inferior frontal gyrus [IFG:Cohen’s f = 0.415(L) f = 0.443(R)], front...