iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Katherine Lawrence @kelawrence.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

Our main takeaway: combining large samples with voxel-level resolution provides complementary insights into neuroanatomical differences that large ROIs can miss. A huge thanks to everyone involved in this effort and all the participants who made this study possible! 🎉

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Katherine Lawrence @kelawrence.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

Together, the implicated regions and pathways include circuitry involved in reward processing, sensory integration, and motor functioning, providing large-scale neuroanatomical support for reward, sensory, and motor theories of autism.

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Katherine Lawrence @kelawrence.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

We also found that autism was associated with widespread lower white matter volumes, on average. Widespread white matter differences were observed across major projection, commissural, and association pathways, as well as cerebellar and brainstem white matter.

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Katherine Lawrence @kelawrence.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

Importantly, the voxel-wise approach allowed us to identify focal gray matter differences that had not emerged in previous large-scale ROI analyses, revealing localized effects that were obscured when averaging across larger anatomical regions.

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Katherine Lawrence @kelawrence.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

We found that autism was associated with lower gray matter volumes, on average, across many areas of the brain. Particularly extensive differences were observed in the OFC, amygdala, thalamus, and posterior cerebellum.

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Katherine Lawrence @kelawrence.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

Previous large-scale structural MRI studies of autism have largely used ROIs based on gross anatomical regions. But averaging across large regions can obscure focal differences. So we went voxel by voxel, across gray AND white matter, and completed extensive sensitivity analyses.

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Katherine Lawrence @kelawrence.bsky.social · 12/03/2026

I'm excited to be presenting my research on neural heterogeneity in autism tomorrow at 9am Pacific Time! Tune in to it live at the link below👇

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Reposted by Katherine Lawrence

USC INI @uscini.bsky.social · 25/11/2025

🚨 We're thrilled to share NEW findings from @kelawrence.bsky.social on how brain wiring differs in children & young adults with autism. By mapping white matter pathways in unprecedented detail, we identified structural differences that earlier methods often overlooked 🧠 👉 bit.ly/3XUGyrH

bit.ly

USC study maps brain wiring differences in youth with autism

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Katherine Lawrence @kelawrence.bsky.social · 05/04/2025

These tracts connected frontal, parietal, temporal, and occipital regions—suggesting that white matter microstructure differences in autism may be greater within specific regions of individual tracts, and that the implicated tracts are distributed across the brain. (4/5)

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Katherine Lawrence @kelawrence.bsky.social · 05/04/2025

We analyzed dMRI data from 365 participants (ages 5–24, 34% female) across 10 cohorts. Our findings? 🧠 Autism was linked to lower FA and higher diffusivity 📍 But not uniformly—alterations were localized to specific subregions of commissural & association tracts (3/5)

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Katherine Lawrence @kelawrence.bsky.social · 05/04/2025

Prior dMRI studies in autism have found inconsistent results across tracts—partly due to limitations in conventional analysis methods. We took a different approach: ✅BUAN (along-tract analytics) ✅TDF (advanced microstructure modeling) = sharper, more reliable insights (2/5)

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Katherine Lawrence @kelawrence.bsky.social · 05/04/2025

🚨New preprint!🚨 Excited to share our latest work using cutting-edge diffusion MRI methods to map white matter microstructure alterations in autism with unprecedented spatial precision! Read the paper here 👉 biorxiv.org/content/10.1... w/ @gaonskim @PTenigma @BramshQ (1/5)

biorxiv.org

Mapping Along-Tract White Matter Microstructural Differences in Autism

Previous diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) research has indicated altered white matter microstructure in autism, but the implicated regions are highly inconsistent across studies. Such prior...

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Katherine Lawrence @kelawrence.bsky.social · 12/12/2024

ENIGMA Autism is always accepting new sites. If you have neuroimaging data from autistic participants and are interested in joining or learning more, just reach out!

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Katherine Lawrence @kelawrence.bsky.social · 12/12/2024

Had a fantastic time at @radboudumc.bsky.social in the Netherlands last week, where I had the opportunity to present neuroimaging research from ENIGMA Autism! 🧠The visit was inspiring, the team is brilliant, and the discussions were rich. Here’s to more collaboration ahead!

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Reposted by Katherine Lawrence

Dr. Jennifer Pfeifer @jenndsn.bsky.social · 16/11/2024

My first starter pack! Adolescence is all about exploration and learning, right? 😅 For researchers studying #adolescence from all angles (biology, brain, mental/physical/global health, cognitive/social/identity development, YPAR, PYD, education, etc.)! Reply if you want to join! go.bsky.app/HzkrXH8

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Katherine Lawrence @kelawrence.bsky.social · 17/11/2024

It'd be great if I could be added, thank you!

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Reposted by Katherine Lawrence

Arielle Keller @ariellekeller.bsky.social · 16/11/2024

Starting a Human Neuroimaging pack, let me know if you’d like to be added! 🧠 go.bsky.app/8xs6oWw

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Katherine Lawrence @kelawrence.bsky.social · 16/11/2024

Hope you've been doing well Arielle! I'd like to be added please, thank you.

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