Impaired motor skills and atypical functional connectivity of the sensorimotor system in 40-65 year old adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Abstract Background Impairments in fine and gross motor function, coordination, and balance early in development are common in autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). It is unclear whether these deficits persist into adulthood, and whether they may be exacerbated by additional motor problems that often emerge in typical aging. Methods: We assessed motor skills and used resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to study intrinsic functional connectivity of the sensorimotor network in 40-65 year-old adults with ASDs (n=17) and typically developing matched adults (n=19). Results: Adults with ASDs scored significantly lower on assessments of motor skills compared to an age-matched group of typical control (TC) adults. Additionally, functional connectivity of the sensorimotor system was reduced, and the pattern of connectivity was more heterogeneous in adults with ASDs. A negative correlation between functional connectivity of the motor system and motor skills, however, was only found in the TC group. Conclusions: Findings suggest behavioral impairment and atypical brain organization of the motor system in middle-age adults with ASDs, accompanied by pronounced heterogeneity.