Diffusion tensor imaging findings in school-aged autistic children.
OBJECTIVE
To analyze and compare cerebral white matter tracts through diffusion tensor imaging in autistic and normal children.


METHODS
This is a case-control study on a sample of eight male, right-handed children diagnosed with autism according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-4th Edition criteria, and eight healthy age- and sex-matched controls. Imaging studies were performed on a 1.5-T scanner (Symphony Maestro Class, Siemens, Erlangen, Germany). Fractional anisotropy was calculated for the frontopontine and corticospinal tracts, frontal subcortical white matter, anterior cingulate, corpus callosum, striatum, internal capsule, optic radiation, superior and inferior longitudinal fascicles, and cerebellum. Analysis of significance was based on analysis of variance test for the mean fractional anisotropy values.


RESULTS
Median age of cases was 9.53 +/- 1.83 years, and of controls, 9.57 +/- 1.36 years. Diffusion tensor imaging findings included significant reduction of fractional anisotropy in the anterior corpus callosum (P= .008), right corticospinal tract (P= .044), posterior limb of right and left internal capsules (P= .003 and .049, respectively), left superior cerebellar peduncle (P= .031), and right and left middle cerebellar peduncles (P= .043 and .039, respectively) in autistic children.


CONCLUSIONS
The diffusion tensor imaging findings in children with autistic disorder suggest impairment of white matter microstructure, possibly associated with reduced connectivity in corpus callosum, internal capsule, and superior and middle cerebellar peduncles.
Brito
Adriana Rocha
AR
Departamento Materno-Infantil, Hospital Universitário Antônio Pedro, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, RJ, Brazil.
Vasconcelos
Marcio Moacyr
MM
Domingues
Romeu Cortes
RC
Hygino da Cruz
Luiz Celso
LC
Rodrigues
Leise de Souza
Lde S
Gasparetto
Emerson L
EL
Calçada
Carlos Adolfo B Pinto
CA
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016880:Anisotropy; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000473:pathology*; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009413:Nerve Fibers, Myelinated / Q000473:pathology; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000473:pathology; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000473:pathology