BACKGROUND: Autism-spectrum disorder is increasingly recognised, with recent studies estimating that 1% of children in South London are affected. However, the biology of comorbid mental health problems in people with autism-spectrum disorder is poorly understood. AIMS: To investigate the brain anatomy of people with autism-spectrum disorder with and without psychosis. METHOD: We used in vivo magnetic resonance imaging and compared 30 adults with autism-spectrum disorder (14 with a history psychosis) and 16 healthy controls. RESULTS: Compared with controls both autism-spectrum disorder groups had significantly less grey matter bilaterally in the temporal lobes and the cerebellum. In contrast, they had increased grey matter in striatal regions. However, those with psychosis also had a significant reduction in grey matter content of frontal and occipital regions. Contrary to our expectation, within autism-spectrum disorder, comparisons revealed that psychosis was associated with a reduction in grey matter of the right insular cortex and bilaterally in the cerebellum extending into the fusiform gyrus and the lingual gyrus. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of neurodevelopmental abnormalities normally associated with autism-spectrum disorder might represent an alternative 'entry-point' into a final common pathway of psychosis.
BACKGROUND:Autism-spectrum disorder is increasingly recognised, with recent studies estimating that 1% of children in South London are affected. However, the biology of comorbid mental health problems in people with autism-spectrum disorder is poorly understood. AIMS: To investigate the brain anatomy of people with autism-spectrum disorder with and without psychosis. METHOD: We used in vivo magnetic resonance imaging and compared 30 adults with autism-spectrum disorder (14 with a history psychosis) and 16 healthy controls. RESULTS: Compared with controls both autism-spectrum disorder groups had significantly less grey matter bilaterally in the temporal lobes and the cerebellum. In contrast, they had increased grey matter in striatal regions. However, those with psychosis also had a significant reduction in grey matter content of frontal and occipital regions. Contrary to our expectation, within autism-spectrum disorder, comparisons revealed that psychosis was associated with a reduction in grey matter of the right insular cortex and bilaterally in the cerebellum extending into the fusiform gyrus and the lingual gyrus. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of neurodevelopmental abnormalities normally associated with autism-spectrum disorder might represent an alternative 'entry-point' into a final common pathway of psychosis.
Authors: Fay Y Womer; Lei Wang; Kathryn I Alpert; Matthew J Smith; John G Csernansky; Deanna M Barch; Daniel Mamah Journal: Psychiatry Res Date: 2014-06-06 Impact factor: 3.222
Authors: Krissy A R Doyle-Thomas; Emma G Duerden; Margot J Taylor; Jason P Lerch; Latha V Soorya; A Ting Wang; Jin Fan; Eric Hollander; Evdokia Anagnostou Journal: Res Autism Spectr Disord Date: 2013-01
Authors: Abdul Noor; Annabel Whibley; Christian R Marshall; Peter J Gianakopoulos; Amelie Piton; Andrew R Carson; Marija Orlic-Milacic; Anath C Lionel; Daisuke Sato; Dalila Pinto; Irene Drmic; Carolyn Noakes; Lili Senman; Xiaoyun Zhang; Rong Mo; Julie Gauthier; Jennifer Crosbie; Alistair T Pagnamenta; Jeffrey Munson; Annette M Estes; Andreas Fiebig; Andre Franke; Stefan Schreiber; Alexandre F R Stewart; Robert Roberts; Ruth McPherson; Stephen J Guter; Edwin H Cook; Geraldine Dawson; Gerard D Schellenberg; Agatino Battaglia; Elena Maestrini; Linda Jeng; Terry Hutchison; Evica Rajcan-Separovic; Albert E Chudley; Suzanne M E Lewis; Xudong Liu; Jeanette J Holden; Bridget Fernandez; Lonnie Zwaigenbaum; Susan E Bryson; Wendy Roberts; Peter Szatmari; Louise Gallagher; Michael R Stratton; Jozef Gecz; Angela F Brady; Charles E Schwartz; Russell J Schachar; Anthony P Monaco; Guy A Rouleau; Chi-Chung Hui; F Lucy Raymond; Stephen W Scherer; John B Vincent Journal: Sci Transl Med Date: 2010-09-15 Impact factor: 17.956