Numerous neuropathologic and imaging studies have reported different structural abnormalities in the brains of autistic subjects. However, whether or not the degree of brain abnormality is correlated with the severity of developmental impairment in autistic disorder is still unknown. The midsagittal area of the cerebrum, corpus callosum, midbrain, cerebellar vermis, and vermal lobules VI and VII was measured by means of magnetic resonance imaging in 22 boys with low-functioning autistic disorder and in 11 age-matched normal controls. Morphometric measures were statistically compared between groups and correlated with age and scores on the Psychoeducational Profile-Revised and the Childhood Autism Rating Scale. A significant negative correlation was found between midsagittal area of the cerebrum and age in patients with autistic disorder, and a positive correlation was found between the midsagittal area of the midbrain and some sub-scales of the Psychoeducational Profile—Revised. (J Child Neurol 2000;15:504—508).
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Williams RS, Hauser SL, Purpura DP, et al: Autism and mental retardation. Neuropathologic studies performed in four retarded persons with autistic behavior. Arch Neurol1980;37:749-753.
2.
Bauman ML, Kemper TL: Histoanatomic observations of the brain in early infantile autism . Neurology1985;35:866-874.
3.
Bauman ML, Kemper TL: Developmental cerebellar abnormalities: A consistent finding in early infantile autism, abstract. Neurology1986 ; 36(Suppl 1):190.
4.
Bauman ML, Kemper TL: Limbic and cerebellar abnormalities are also present in an autistic child of normal intelligence, abstract. Neurology1990;40(Suppl 1):359.
5.
Ritvo ER, Freeman BJ, Scheibel AB, et al: Lower Purkinje cell counts in the cerebella of four autistic subjects: Initial findings of the UCLA-NSAC autopsy research report. Am J Psychiatry1986; 143:862-866.
6.
Bauman ML: Microscopic neuroanatomic abnormalities in autism. Pediatrics1991;87:791-796.
7.
Arin DM, Bauman ML, Kemper TL: The distribution of Purkinje cell loss in the cerebellum in autism, abstract . Neurology1991;41(Suppl 1):307.
Courchesne E. , Yeung-Courchesne R., Press GA, et al: Hypoplasia of cerebellar vermal lobules VI and VII in autism. N Engl J Med1988;318:1349-1354.
11.
Murakami JW , Courchesne E., Press GA, et al: Reduced cerebellar hemisphere size and its relationship to vermal hypoplasia in autism. Arch Neurol1989;46:689-694.
12.
Courchesne E.: Neuroanatomic imaging in autism. Pediatrics1991;87:781-790.
13.
Ciesielski KT, Knight JE: Cerebellar abnormality in autism: A nonspecific effect of early brain damage. Acta Neurobiol Exp1994; 54:151-154.
14.
Piven J., Nehme E., Simon J., et al: Magnetic resonance imaging in autism: Measurement of the cerebellum, pons, and fourth ventricle. Biol Psychiatry1992;31:491-504.
15.
Kleiman MD, Neff S., Rosman NP: The brain in infantile autism: Are posterior fossa structures abnormal?Neurology1992;42: 753-760.
16.
Courchesne E., Saitoh O., Yeung-Courchesne R., et al: Abnormality of cerebellar vermian lobules VI and VII in patients with infantile autism: Identification of hypoplastic and hyperplastic subgroups with MR imaging. AJR Am J Roentgenol1994;162: 123-130.
17.
Hashimoto T. , Tayama M., Murakawa K., et al: Development of the brainstem and cerebellum in autistic patients. J Autism Dev Disord1995;25:1-18.
18.
Courchesne E., Townsend J., Saitoh O.: The cerebellum and autism. Reply from the authors, letter. Neurology1995;45:399-402.
19.
Saitoh O., Courchesne E., Egaas B., et al: Cross-sectional area of the posterior hippocampus in autistic patients with cerebellar and corpus callosum abnormalities. Neurology1995;45:317-324.
20.
Gaffney GR, Kuperman S., Tsai LY, Minchin S.: Morphological evidence for brainstem involvement in infantile autism . Biol Psychiatry1988;24:578-586.
21.
Hashimoto T. , Tayama M., Mori K., et al: Magnetic resonance imaging in autism: Preliminary report. Neuropediatrics1988;20:142-146.
22.
Piven J., Arndt S., Bailey J., et al: An MRI study of brain size in autism. Am J Psychiatry1995;152:1145-1149.
23.
Piven J., Arndt S., Bailey J., Andreasen N.: Regional brain enlargement in autism: a magnetic resonance imaging study. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry1996;35:530-536.
24.
Garber HJ, Ritvo ER, Chiu LC, et al: A magnetic resonance imaging study of autism: Normal fourth ventricle size and absence of pathology. Am J Psychiatry1989;146:532-534.
25.
Hsu M., Yeung-Courchesne R., Courchesne E., Press GA: Absence of magnetic resonance imaging evidence of pontine abnormality in infantile autism. Arch Neurol1991;48:1160-1163.
26.
Garber HJ, Ritvo ER: Magnetic resonance imaging of the posterior fossa in autistic adults . Am J Psychiatry1992;149:245-247.
27.
Holttum JR, Minshew NJ, Sanders RS, Phillips NE: Magnetic resonance imaging of the posterior fossa in autism. Biol Psychiatry1992;32:1091-1101.
28.
DiLalla DL, Rogers SJ: Domains of the childhood autism rating scale: Relevance for diagnosis and treatment. JAutism Dev Disord1994;24:115-128.
29.
Schopler E., Reichler RJ, Bashford A., et al: Individualized assessment and treatment for autistic and developmentally disabled children. Vol I. Psychoeducational Profile Revised (PEP-R). Austin, Pro-Ed, 1990 .
30.
Schopler E. , Reichler RJ, DeVellis RF, Daly K.: Toward objective classification of childhood autism: Childhood autism rating scale (CARS). J Autism Dev Disord1980;10:91-103.
31.
Gaffney GR, Kuperman S., Tsai LY, et al: Midsagittal magnetic resonance imaging of autism. Br J Psychiatry1987;151:831-833.
32.
Guerin P., Lyon G., Barthelemy C., et al: Neuropathological study of a case of autistic syndrome with severe mental retardation. Dev Med Child Neurol1996;38:203-211.
33.
Role LW, Kelly JP: The brain stem: Cranial nerve nuclei and the monoaminergic systems , in Kandel ER, Schwartz JH, Jessell TM (eds): Principles of Neural Science, 3rd ed. New York, Elsevier1991, pp 683-699.
34.
Steckler T. , Inglis W., Winn P., et al: The pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus: A role in cognitive processes?Brain Res Brain Res Rev1994;19:298-318.
35.
Ornitz EM: The functional neuroanatomy of infantile autism. Int J Neuroscience1983;19:85-124.
36.
Ornitz EM: Autism: A disorder of directed attention. Brain Dysfunct1988;1:309-322.
