title: Magnetic resonance imaging studies on autism and childhood-onset schizophrenia in children and adolescents - a review.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To find out whether the neurodevelopmental disorders autism and childhood-onset schizophrenia have a common developmental pathway and whether the abnormalities detected are 'disorder-specific', by reviewing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies.
  
  
  METHODS
  As a result of a Medline search, we were able to access 28 studies on autism and 12 studies on childhood-onset schizophrenia, which focused on children and adolescents.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Larger lateral ventricles were found to be a common abnormality in both disorders. 'Disorder-specific' abnormalities in patients with autism were larger brains, a larger thalamic area, and a smaller right cingulate gyrus. Subjects with childhood-onset schizophrenia were found to have smaller brains, a smaller amygdalum and thalamus, and a larger nucleus caudatus. In subjects with childhood-onset schizophrenia, abnormalities appeared to progress over a limited period of time.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Because the study designs varied so much, the results should be interpreted cautiously. Before abnormalities found in the disorders can be designated as equal or 'disorder-specific', it will be essential to perform large longitudinal and cross-sectional follow-up studies.
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Utrecht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Bertine
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lahuis
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Utrecht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Chantal
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kemner
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Utrecht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Herman
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Van Engeland