An MRI study of increased cortical thickness in autism.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to examine cortical thickness in autism in light of the postmortem evidence of cortical abnormalities of the disorder.


METHODS
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans were acquired from 17 children with autism and 14 healthy comparison subjects, and sulcal and gyral thickness were measured for the total brain and for all lobes.


RESULTS
Increases in total cerebral sulcal and gyral thickness were observed in children with autism relative to comparison subjects. Similar findings were noted in the temporal and parietal lobes but not in the frontal and occipital lobes.


CONCLUSIONS
These preliminary findings indicate that increased cortical thickness may contribute to the increased gray matter volume and total brain size that have been observed in autism and may also be related to anomalies in cortical connectivity.
Hardan
Antonio Y
AY
Stanford University, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, 401 Quarry Rd., Stanford, CA 94305, USA. hardanay@stanford.edu
Muddasani
Sri
S
Vemulapalli
Madhuri
M
Keshavan
Matcheri S
MS
Minshew
Nancy J
NJ
D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000473:pathology*; D002648:Child; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D006984:Hypertrophy / Q000473:pathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009778:Occipital Lobe / Q000473:pathology; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000473:pathology; D014888:Wechsler Scales