Mapping early corpus callosum development to identify neurodevelopmental risk

This study investigated early childhood corpus callosum development, a critical process for cognitive maturation and implicated in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), using sex-specific growth curve models. Structural MRI data from 295 typically developing children (TDC; aged 1–6 years) were used to mod...

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Main Authors: Boyang Mao, Hongxi Zhang, Haitao Wang, Zhi Yang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-10-01
Series:Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1878929325001008
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author Boyang Mao
Hongxi Zhang
Haitao Wang
Zhi Yang
author_facet Boyang Mao
Hongxi Zhang
Haitao Wang
Zhi Yang
author_sort Boyang Mao
collection DOAJ
description This study investigated early childhood corpus callosum development, a critical process for cognitive maturation and implicated in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), using sex-specific growth curve models. Structural MRI data from 295 typically developing children (TDC; aged 1–6 years) were used to model age- and sex-dependent changes in ten morphometric parameters, including subregion volumes and midsagittal plane features. Analyses revealed nonlinear developmental trajectories, region-specific growth rates, and earlier developmental peaks in females. We applied these normative models to an independent dataset of 41 TDC and 26 children with ASD, acquired on a different scanner. Classifiers trained on deviations from the growth curves accurately distinguished children with ASD from TDC (mean Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve [AUC] = 0.95), demonstrating model generalizability. These findings establish sex-specific corpus callosum growth curve models as a quantitative, generalizable tool for characterizing typical development and detecting atypical morphometry, offering a promising approach for early, objective ASD diagnosis and potentially facilitating timely intervention. Further study of model generalizability across more diverse populations is warranted.
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spelling doaj-art-15d4b090787b4b0ab67c9566796e2c8e2025-08-22T04:56:00ZengElsevierDevelopmental Cognitive Neuroscience1878-92932025-10-017510160510.1016/j.dcn.2025.101605Mapping early corpus callosum development to identify neurodevelopmental riskBoyang Mao0Hongxi Zhang1Haitao Wang2Zhi Yang3Beijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders & National Center for Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China; School of Psychology and Mental Health, North China University of Science and Technology, Hebei, China; Hebei Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Brain Science, ChinaDepartment of Radiology, Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, ChinaSchool of Psychology and Mental Health, North China University of Science and Technology, Hebei, China; Hebei Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Brain Science, ChinaBeijing Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders & National Center for Mental Disorders, Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China; School of Psychology and Mental Health, North China University of Science and Technology, Hebei, China; Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China; Correspondence to: 5 Ankang Lane, Xicheng District, Beijing, China.This study investigated early childhood corpus callosum development, a critical process for cognitive maturation and implicated in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), using sex-specific growth curve models. Structural MRI data from 295 typically developing children (TDC; aged 1–6 years) were used to model age- and sex-dependent changes in ten morphometric parameters, including subregion volumes and midsagittal plane features. Analyses revealed nonlinear developmental trajectories, region-specific growth rates, and earlier developmental peaks in females. We applied these normative models to an independent dataset of 41 TDC and 26 children with ASD, acquired on a different scanner. Classifiers trained on deviations from the growth curves accurately distinguished children with ASD from TDC (mean Area Under the Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve [AUC] = 0.95), demonstrating model generalizability. These findings establish sex-specific corpus callosum growth curve models as a quantitative, generalizable tool for characterizing typical development and detecting atypical morphometry, offering a promising approach for early, objective ASD diagnosis and potentially facilitating timely intervention. Further study of model generalizability across more diverse populations is warranted.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1878929325001008AutismNeurodevelopmentalCorpus CallosumGrowth CurvesAnd Early DetectionGrowth Curve Model
spellingShingle Boyang Mao
Hongxi Zhang
Haitao Wang
Zhi Yang
Mapping early corpus callosum development to identify neurodevelopmental risk
Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience
Autism
Neurodevelopmental
Corpus Callosum
Growth Curves
And Early Detection
Growth Curve Model
title Mapping early corpus callosum development to identify neurodevelopmental risk
title_full Mapping early corpus callosum development to identify neurodevelopmental risk
title_fullStr Mapping early corpus callosum development to identify neurodevelopmental risk
title_full_unstemmed Mapping early corpus callosum development to identify neurodevelopmental risk
title_short Mapping early corpus callosum development to identify neurodevelopmental risk
title_sort mapping early corpus callosum development to identify neurodevelopmental risk
topic Autism
Neurodevelopmental
Corpus Callosum
Growth Curves
And Early Detection
Growth Curve Model
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1878929325001008
work_keys_str_mv AT boyangmao mappingearlycorpuscallosumdevelopmenttoidentifyneurodevelopmentalrisk
AT hongxizhang mappingearlycorpuscallosumdevelopmenttoidentifyneurodevelopmentalrisk
AT haitaowang mappingearlycorpuscallosumdevelopmenttoidentifyneurodevelopmentalrisk
AT zhiyang mappingearlycorpuscallosumdevelopmenttoidentifyneurodevelopmentalrisk