Autism and unfavorable left-right asymmetries of the brain.
Utilizing computerized brain tomography, left-right morphologic asymmetries of the parietooccipital region were judged in 16 autistic patients, 44 mentally retarded patients, and 100 miscellaneous neurological patients. In 57% of the autistic patients the right parietooccipital region was wider than the left, while this pattern of cerebral asymmetry was found in only 23% of the mentally retarded patients and 25% of the neurological patients. It is suggested that unfavorable morphologic asymmetries of the brain near the posterior language zone may contribute to the difficulties autistic children experience in acquiring language.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004292:Dominance, Cerebral; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D009778:Occipital Lobe / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D010296:Parietal Lobe / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed