Cortical folding abnormalities in autism revealed by surface-based morphometry.

Full Abstract

We tested for cortical shape abnormalities using surface-based morphometry across a range of autism spectrum disorders (7.5-18 years of age). We generated sulcal depth maps from structural magnetic resonance imaging data and compared typically developing controls to three autism spectrum disorder subgroups: low-functioning autism, high-functioning autism, and Asperger's syndrome. The low-functioning autism group had a prominent shape abnormality centered on the pars opercularis of the inferior frontal gyrus that was associated with a sulcal depth difference in the anterior insula and frontal operculum. The high-functioning autism group had bilateral shape abnormalities similar to the low-functioning group, but smaller in size and centered more posteriorly, in and near the parietal operculum and ventral postcentral gyrus. Individuals with Asperger's syndrome had bilateral abnormalities in the intraparietal sulcus that correlated with age, intelligence quotient, and Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised social and repetitive behavior scores. Because of evidence suggesting age-related differences in the developmental time course of neural alterations in autism, separate analyses on children (7.5-12.5 years of age) and adolescents (12.75-18 years of age) were also carried out. All of the cortical shape abnormalities identified across all ages were more pronounced in the children. These findings are consistent with evidence of an altered trajectory of early brain development in autism, and they identify several regions that may have abnormal patterns of connectivity in individuals with autism.

Author information

Author/s: Nordahl, Christine Wu (CW); Dierker, Donna (D); Mostafavi, Iman (I); Schumann, Cynthia M (CM); Rivera, Susan M (SM); Amaral, David G (DG); Van Essen, David C (DC);

Affiliation: The Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders Institute and the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, California 95817, USA. crswu(-atsign-)ucdavis.edu

Grants: R01 MH41479 (Agency:NIMH NIH HHS) ; R01 MH60974 (Agency:NIMH NIH HHS) ; T32 MH073124 (Agency:NIMH NIH HHS)

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Comparative Study; Journal Article; Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

Journal: The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience (J Neurosci), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2007-Oct; vol 27 (issue 43) : pp 11725-35

Dates: Created 2007/10/25; Completed 2007/11/08; Revised 2007/12/03;

PMID: 17959814, status: MEDLINE (last retrieved date: 2/18/2009)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

External Links for this article
(including full text providers, if available):

Click Electronic Full-text Provider Links to see options for finding the electronic full text links to this article. Note there may be a subscription or fee required for access to the full text. See our FAQ for information on finding FREE full text articles.

This article may also be located in paper journal collections available in many libraries. Use the Journal and Publication Information above to find the full article.