title: White matter integrity in Asperger syndrome: a preliminary diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging study in adults.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD), including Asperger syndrome and autism, is a highly genetic neurodevelopmental disorder. There is a consensus that ASD has a biological basis, and it has been proposed that it is a "connectivity" disorder. Diffusion Tensor Magnetic Resonance Imaging (DT-MRI) allows measurement of the microstructural integrity of white matter (a proxy measure of "connectivity"). However, nobody has investigated the microstructural integrity of whole brain white matter in people with Asperger syndrome.
  
  
  METHODS
  We measured the fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD) and radial diffusivity (RD) of white matter, using DT-MRI, in 13 adults with Asperger syndrome and 13 controls. The groups did not differ significantly in overall intelligence and age. FA, MD and RD were assessed using whole brain voxel-based techniques.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Adults with Asperger syndrome had a significantly lower FA than controls in 13 clusters. These were largely bilateral and included white matter in the internal capsule, frontal, temporal, parietal and occipital lobes, cingulum and corpus callosum.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Adults with Asperger syndrome have widespread significant differences from controls in white matter microstructural integrity.
authors.affiliation: Section of Brain Maturation, Division of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK. O.J.N.Bloemen@amc.nl
authors.forename: Oswald J N
authors.initials: OJ
authors.lastname: Bloemen
authors.forename: Quinton
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Deeley
authors.forename: Fred
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sundram
authors.forename: Eileen M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Daly
authors.forename: Gareth J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Barker
authors.forename: Derek K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Therese A M J
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: van Amelsvoort
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Schmitz
authors.forename: Dene
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Robertson
authors.forename: Kieran C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.forename: Declan G M
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Murphy
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016880:Anisotropy; D020817:Asperger Syndrome / Q000473:pathology*; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009186:Myelin Sheath / Q000473:pathology*; D055815:Young Adult