Similar white matter but opposite grey matter changes in schizophrenia and high-functioning autism.
High-functioning autism (HFA) and schizophrenia (SZ) are two of the main neurodevelopmental disorders, sharing several clinical dimensions and risk factors. Their exact relationship is poorly understood, and few studies have directly compared both disorders. Our aim was thus to directly compare neuroanatomy of HFA and SZ using a multimodal MRI design.



We scanned 79 male adult subjects with 3T MRI (23 with HFA, 24 with SZ and 32 healthy controls, with similar non-verbal IQ). We compared them using both diffusion-based whole-brain tractography and T1 voxel-based morphometry.



HFA and SZ groups exhibited similar white matter alterations in the left fronto-occipital inferior fasciculus with a decrease in generalized fractional anisotropy compared with controls. In grey matter, the HFA group demonstrated bilateral prefrontal and anterior cingulate increases in contrast with prefrontal and left temporal reductions in SZ.



HFA and SZ may share common white matter deficits in long-range connections involved in social functions, but opposite grey matter abnormalities in frontal regions that subserve complex cognitive functions. Our results are consistent with the fronto-occipital underconnectivity theory of HFA and the altered connectivity hypothesis of SZ and suggest the existence of both associated and diametrical liabilities to these two conditions.
AP-HP, Pôle de Psychiatrie, DHU PePsy, Hôpitaux Universitaires Mondor, Créteil, France.|Faculté de médecine, Université Paris Est, Créteil, France.|Fondation FondaMental, Créteil, France.|UNIACT Lab, Psychiatry Team, Neurospin, CEA Saclay, Gif sur Yvette, France.|INSERM, U955 Equipe 15 «Psychiatrie Translationnelle», IMRB, Créteil, France.
J
J
Katz
AP-HP, Pôle de Psychiatrie, DHU PePsy, Hôpitaux Universitaires Mondor, Créteil, France.|Faculté de médecine, Université Paris Est, Créteil, France.|Fondation FondaMental, Créteil, France.|UNIACT Lab, Psychiatry Team, Neurospin, CEA Saclay, Gif sur Yvette, France.|INSERM, U955 Equipe 15 «Psychiatrie Translationnelle», IMRB, Créteil, France.
M-A
MA
d'Albis
Faculté de médecine, Université Paris Est, Créteil, France.|Fondation FondaMental, Créteil, France.|UNIACT Lab, Psychiatry Team, Neurospin, CEA Saclay, Gif sur Yvette, France.|INSERM, U955 Equipe 15 «Psychiatrie Translationnelle», IMRB, Créteil, France.
J
J
Boisgontier
UNIRS Lab, Neurospin, CEA Saclay, Gif sur Yvette, France.
C
C
Poupon
UNATI Lab, Neurospin, CEA Saclay, Gif sur Yvette, France.
J-F
JF
Mangin
Department of Electrical Engineering, Universidad de Concepcion, Concepcion, Chile.
P
P
Guevara
UNIRS Lab, Neurospin, CEA Saclay, Gif sur Yvette, France.
D
D
Duclap
AP-HP, Pôle de Psychiatrie, DHU PePsy, Hôpitaux Universitaires Mondor, Créteil, France.|Faculté de médecine, Université Paris Est, Créteil, France.|Fondation FondaMental, Créteil, France.|INSERM, U955 Equipe 15 «Psychiatrie Translationnelle», IMRB, Créteil, France.
N
N
Hamdani
AP-HP, Pôle de Psychiatrie, DHU PePsy, Hôpitaux Universitaires Mondor, Créteil, France.|Fondation FondaMental, Créteil, France.
J
J
Petit
AP-HP, Pôle de Psychiatrie, DHU PePsy, Hôpitaux Universitaires Mondor, Créteil, France.|Fondation FondaMental, Créteil, France.
D
D
Monnet
Centre d'Investigation Clinique 1430, INSERM, Créteil, France.|APHP, GH Henri Mondor, Créteil, France.
P
P
Le Corvoisier
AP-HP, Pôle de Psychiatrie, DHU PePsy, Hôpitaux Universitaires Mondor, Créteil, France.|Faculté de médecine, Université Paris Est, Créteil, France.|Fondation FondaMental, Créteil, France.|INSERM, U955 Equipe 15 «Psychiatrie Translationnelle», IMRB, Créteil, France.
M
M
Leboyer
Human Genetics and Cognitive Functions, CNRS URA 2182 'Genes, Synapses and Cognition', Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.|APHP, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Robert Debré Hospital, Paris, France.
R
R
Delorme
AP-HP, Pôle de Psychiatrie, DHU PePsy, Hôpitaux Universitaires Mondor, Créteil, France.|Faculté de médecine, Université Paris Est, Créteil, France.|Fondation FondaMental, Créteil, France.|UNIACT Lab, Psychiatry Team, Neurospin, CEA Saclay, Gif sur Yvette, France.|INSERM, U955 Equipe 15 «Psychiatrie Translationnelle», IMRB, Créteil, France.
J
J
Houenou
D000328:Adult; D016880:Anisotropy; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D066128:Gray Matter / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D064847:Multimodal Imaging / Q000379:methods; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D066127:White Matter / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D055815:Young Adult
MRI; autism; connectivity; neuroimaging; schizophrenia