Less white matter concentration in autism: 2D voxel-based morphometry.
Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder affecting behavioral and social cognition, but there is little understanding about the link between the functional deficit and its underlying neuroanatomy. We applied a 2D version of voxel-based morphometry (VBM) in differentiating the white matter concentration of the corpus callosum for the group of 16 high functioning autistic and 12 normal subjects. Using the white matter density as an index for neural connectivity, autism is shown to exhibit less white matter concentration in the region of the genu, rostrum, and splenium removing the effect of age based on the general linear model (GLM) framework. Further, it is shown that the less white matter concentration in the corpus callosum in autism is due to hypoplasia rather than atrophy.
Chung
Moo K
MK
Department of Statistics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA. mchung@stat.wisc.edu
Dalton
Kim M
KM
Alexander
Andrew L
AL
Davidson
Richard J
RJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D002648:Child; D003337:Corpus Callosum / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D016014:Linear Models; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008432:Mathematical Computing; D012016:Reference Values; D012984:Software