title: Outcome classification of preschool children with autism spectrum disorders using MRI brain measures.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To test the hypothesis that a combination of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain measures obtained during early childhood distinguish children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) from typically developing children and is associated with functional outcome.
  
  
  METHODS
  Quantitative MRI technology was used to measure gray and white matter volumes (cerebrum and cerebellum), total brain volume, and the area of the cerebellar vermis in 52 boys with a provisional diagnosis of autism (aged 1.9-5.2 years) and 15 typically developing young children (aged 1.7-5.2 years). Diagnostic confirmation and cognitive outcome data were obtained after the children reached 5 years of age.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A discriminant function analysis of the MRI brain measures correctly classified 95.8% of the ASD cases and 92.3% of the control cases. This set of variables also correctly classified 85% of the ASD cases as lower functioning and 68% of the ASD cases as higher functioning.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results indicate that variability in cerebellar and cerebral size is correlated with diagnostic and functional outcome in very young children with ASD.
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital Research Center, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA. natacha@ucsd.edu
authors.forename: Natacha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Akshoomoff
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lord
authors.forename: Alan J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Lincoln
authors.forename: Rachel Y
authors.initials: RY
authors.lastname: Courchesne
authors.forename: Ruth A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Carper
authors.forename: Jeanne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Townsend
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Courchesne
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000254:growth & development / Q000473:pathology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016002:Discriminant Analysis; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D013687:Telencephalon / Q000254:growth & development / Q000473:pathology*