BACKGROUND: Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD), including Asperger syndrome and autism, is a highly genetic neurodevelopmental disorder. There is a consensus that ASD has a biological basis, and it has been proposed that it is a "connectivity" disorder. Diffusion Tensor Magnetic Resonance Imaging (DT-MRI) allows measurement of the microstructural integrity of white matter (a proxy measure of "connectivity"). However, nobody has investigated the microstructural integrity of whole brain white matter in people with Asperger syndrome. METHODS: We measured the fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD) and radial diffusivity (RD) of white matter, using DT-MRI, in 13 adults with Asperger syndrome and 13 controls. The groups did not differ significantly in overall intelligence and age. FA, MD and RD were assessed using whole brain voxel-based techniques. RESULTS: Adults with Asperger syndrome had a significantly lower FA than controls in 13 clusters. These were largely bilateral and included white matter in the internal capsule, frontal, temporal, parietal and occipital lobes, cingulum and corpus callosum. CONCLUSIONS: Adults with Asperger syndrome have widespread significant differences from controls in white matter microstructural integrity.
BACKGROUND:Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD), including Asperger syndrome and autism, is a highly genetic neurodevelopmental disorder. There is a consensus that ASD has a biological basis, and it has been proposed that it is a "connectivity" disorder. Diffusion Tensor Magnetic Resonance Imaging (DT-MRI) allows measurement of the microstructural integrity of white matter (a proxy measure of "connectivity"). However, nobody has investigated the microstructural integrity of whole brain white matter in people with Asperger syndrome. METHODS: We measured the fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD) and radial diffusivity (RD) of white matter, using DT-MRI, in 13 adults with Asperger syndrome and 13 controls. The groups did not differ significantly in overall intelligence and age. FA, MD and RD were assessed using whole brain voxel-based techniques. RESULTS: Adults with Asperger syndrome had a significantly lower FA than controls in 13 clusters. These were largely bilateral and included white matter in the internal capsule, frontal, temporal, parietal and occipital lobes, cingulum and corpus callosum. CONCLUSIONS: Adults with Asperger syndrome have widespread significant differences from controls in white matter microstructural integrity.
Authors: Laura Pina-Camacho; Sonia Villero; David Fraguas; Leticia Boada; Joost Janssen; Francisco J Navas-Sánchez; Maria Mayoral; Cloe Llorente; Celso Arango; Mara Parellada Journal: J Autism Dev Disord Date: 2012-07
Authors: Brittany G Travers; Nagesh Adluru; Chad Ennis; Do P M Tromp; Dan Destiche; Sam Doran; Erin D Bigler; Nicholas Lange; Janet E Lainhart; Andrew L Alexander Journal: Autism Res Date: 2012-07-11 Impact factor: 5.216
Authors: Leonardo Emberti Gialloreti; Matteo Pardini; Francesca Benassi; Sara Marciano; Mario Amore; Maria Giulia Mutolo; Maria Cristina Porfirio; Paolo Curatolo Journal: J Autism Dev Disord Date: 2014-04
Authors: René C W Mandl; Martijn P van den Heuvel; Dennis W J Klomp; Vincent O Boer; Jeroen C W Siero; Peter R Luijten; Hilleke E Hulshoff Pol Journal: Hum Brain Mapp Date: 2011-06-14 Impact factor: 5.038
Authors: Brittany G Travers; Erin D Bigler; Do P M Tromp; Nagesh Adluru; Dan Destiche; Danica Samsin; Alyson Froehlich; Molly D B Prigge; Tyler C Duffield; Nicholas Lange; Andrew L Alexander; Janet E Lainhart Journal: J Autism Dev Disord Date: 2015-09
Authors: Karmen Schmidt; Andrew Zimmerman; Margaret Bauman; Christine Ferrone; Jacob Venter; Jessaca Spybrook; Charles Henry Journal: J Autism Dev Disord Date: 2013-04