title: Functional morphological imaging of autism spectrum disorders: current position and theories proposed.
abstract: Autism is a pervasive disorder of childhood development. Polymorphous clinical profiles combining various degrees of communication and social interaction with restricted and stereotyped behaviour are grouped under the heading of 'autism spectrum disorders' (ASD). Many teams are trying to pick out the underlying cerebral abnormalities in order to understand the neuronal networks involved in relationships with others. Here we review the morphological, spectroscopic and functional abnormalities in the amygdala-hippocampal circuit, the caudate nuclei, the cerebellum, and the frontotemporal regions, which have been described in subjects with ASD. White matter abnormalities have also been described in diffusion tensor imaging, leading to suspected damage to the subjacent neural networks, such as mirror neurones or the social brain.
authors.affiliation: Service of Neuroradiology, hôpital Bretonneau, CHRU de Tours, Tours, France. marieagnes.lauvin@gmail.com
authors.forename: M-A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Lauvin
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Martineau
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Destrieux
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Andersson
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bonnet-Brilhault
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gomot
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: El-Hage
authors.forename: J-P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Cottier
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002648:Child; D002659:Child Development Disorders, Pervasive / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D004292:Dominance, Cerebral / Q000502:physiology; D005149:Facial Expression; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D059167:Mirror Neurons / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D010348:Patient Care Team; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual / Q000502:physiology; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon