OBJECTIVE: The authors investigated the metabolic maturation of the frontal cortex in pre-school autistic children. METHOD: Regional cerebral blood flow (CBF) in five children with primary autism diagnosed according to the DSM-III-R criteria was studied longitudinally. Regional CBF in each of the autistic children was measured with single photon emission computed tomography twice during their development: at the age of 3-4 years and 3 years later. At each stage, the autistic children were compared to an age-matched comparison group of five nonautistic children with normal development. RESULTS: A transient frontal hypoperfusion was found in the autistic children at ages 3-4 years; this corresponded to the pattern of perfusion observed in much younger normal children. By the ages of 6-7, the autistic children's frontal perfusion had attained normal values. CONCLUSIONS: Since CBF patterns in children are related to maturational changes in brain function, these results indicate a delayed frontal maturation in childhood autism. Such a delayed brain maturational process is consistent with the clinical data and cognitive performance of autistic children.
OBJECTIVE: The authors investigated the metabolic maturation of the frontal cortex in pre-school autisticchildren. METHOD: Regional cerebral blood flow (CBF) in five children with primary autism diagnosed according to the DSM-III-R criteria was studied longitudinally. Regional CBF in each of the autisticchildren was measured with single photon emission computed tomography twice during their development: at the age of 3-4 years and 3 years later. At each stage, the autisticchildren were compared to an age-matched comparison group of five nonautistic children with normal development. RESULTS: A transient frontal hypoperfusion was found in the autisticchildren at ages 3-4 years; this corresponded to the pattern of perfusion observed in much younger normal children. By the ages of 6-7, the autisticchildren's frontal perfusion had attained normal values. CONCLUSIONS: Since CBF patterns in children are related to maturational changes in brain function, these results indicate a delayed frontal maturation in childhood autism. Such a delayed brain maturational process is consistent with the clinical data and cognitive performance of autisticchildren.
Authors: Melissa C Goldberg; Allison J Mostow; Shaun P Vecera; Jennifer C Gidley Larson; Stewart H Mostofsky; E Mark Mahone; Martha B Denckla Journal: J Autism Dev Disord Date: 2007-12-12
Authors: Sungheon Kim; Stephen Pickup; Andrew H Fairless; Ranjit Ittyerah; Holly C Dow; Ted Abel; Edward S Brodkin; Harish Poptani Journal: NMR Biomed Date: 2011-05-25 Impact factor: 4.044