title: Spherical harmonic analysis of cortical complexity in autism and dyslexia.
abstract: Alterations in gyral form and complexity have been consistently noted in both autism and dyslexia. In this present study, we apply spherical harmonics, an established technique which we have exapted to estimate surface complexity of the brain, in order to identify abnormalities in gyrification between autistics, dyslexics, and controls. On the order of absolute surface complexity, autism exhibits the most extreme phenotype, controls occupy the intermediate ranges, and dyslexics exhibit lesser surface complexity. Here, we synthesize our findings which demarcate these three groups and review how factors controlling neocortical proliferation and neuronal migration may lead to these distinctive phenotypes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA.
authors.forename: Emily L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Ayman
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: El-Baz
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nitzken
authors.forename: Andrew E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Switala
authors.forename: Manuel F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Casanova