Atypically rightward cerebral asymmetry in male adults with autism stratifies individuals with and without language delay.
In humans, both language and fine motor skills are associated with left-hemisphere specialization, whereas visuospatial skills are associated with right-hemisphere specialization. Individuals with autism spectrum conditions (ASC) show a profile of deficits and strengths that involves these lateralized cognitive functions. Here we test the hypothesis that regions implicated in these functions are atypically rightward lateralized in individuals with ASC and, that such atypicality is associated with functional performance. Participants included 67 male, right-handed adults with ASC and 69 age- and IQ-matched neurotypical males. We assessed group differences in structural asymmetries in cortical regions of interest with voxel-based analysis of grey matter volumes, followed by correlational analyses with measures of language, motor and visuospatial skills. We found stronger rightward lateralization within the inferior parietal lobule and reduced leftward lateralization extending along the auditory cortex comprising the planum temporale, Heschl's gyrus, posterior supramarginal gyrus, and parietal operculum, which was more pronounced in ASC individuals with delayed language onset compared to those without. Planned correlational analyses showed that for individuals with ASC, reduced leftward asymmetry in the auditory region was associated with more childhood social reciprocity difficulties. We conclude that atypical cerebral structural asymmetry is a potential candidate neurophenotype of ASC.
Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
Dorothea L
DL
Floris
Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.|Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.|Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
Meng-Chuan
MC
Lai
MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
Tibor
T
Auer
Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.|Department of Psychology and Center for Applied Neuroscience, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus.
Michael V
MV
Lombardo
Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopment, Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, United Kingdom.
Christine
C
Ecker
Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.|Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and Neurodynamics, School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, United Kingdom.
Bhismadev
B
Chakrabarti
Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
Sally J
SJ
Wheelwright
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, United Kingdom.|Brain Mapping Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.|National Institute of Health Research, Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, Cambridge, United Kingdom.|Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
Edward T
ET
Bullmore
Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopment, Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, United Kingdom.
Declan G M
DG
Murphy
Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.|Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, United Kingdom.|Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
Simon
S
Baron-Cohen
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, United Kingdom.|Brain Mapping Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.|National Institute of Health Research, Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, Cambridge, United Kingdom.|Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
John
J
Suckling
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000473:pathology*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007805:Language Development Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D013028:Space Perception; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D055815:Young Adult
autism; cortical asymmetry; language delay; lateralization; volumetric MRI