Abstract
BackgroundStructural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI) studies have shown atypicalities in structural brain changes in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), while a noticeable discrepancy in their results indicates the necessity of conducting further researches.MethodsThe current study investigated the atypical structural brain features of autistic individuals who aged 6–30 years old. A total of 52 autistic individuals and 50 age-, gender-, and intelligence quotient (IQ)-matched typically developing (TD) individuals were included in this study, and were assigned into three based cohorts: childhood (6–12 years old), adolescence (13–18 years old), and adulthood (19–30 years old). Analyses of whole-brain volume and voxel-based morphometry (VBM) on the sMRI data were conducted.ResultsNo significant difference was found in the volumes of whole-brain, gray matter, and white matter between the autism and TD groups in the three age-based cohorts. For VBM analyses, the volumes of gray matter in the right superior temporal gyrus and right inferior parietal lobule in the autism group (6–12 years old) were smaller than those in the TD group; the gray matter volume in the left inferior parietal lobule in the autism group (13–18 years old) was larger than that in the TD group; the gray matter volume in the right middle occipital gyrus in the autism group (19–30 years old) was larger than that in the TD group, and the gray matter volume in the left posterior cingulate gyrus in the autism group was smaller than that in the TD group.ConclusionAutistic individuals showed different atypical regional gray matter volumetric changes in childhood, adolescence, and adulthood compared to their TD peers, indicating that it is essential to consider developmental stages of the brain when exploring brain structural atypicalities in autism.
Highlights
Structural magnetic resonance imaging studies have shown atypicalities in structural brain changes in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), while a noticeable discrepancy in their results indicates the necessity of conducting further researches
Whole‐brain volume The comparison of the volumes of whole-brain, wholeGM, and whole-white matter (WM) between the two groups in distinct developmental cohorts (6–12, 13–18, and 19–30 years old) showed that, there was no significant difference between the autism and typically developing (TD) groups in the three agebased cohorts (Additional file 1: Tables S1–S3)
Inferior parietal lobule The current study found that the grey matter (GM) volume of the right inferior parietal lobule was smaller in the autism group than that in the TD group in children (6–12 years old), and the GM volume of the left inferior parietal lobule was larger in the autism group than that in the TD group in adolescents (13–18 years old)
Summary
Structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI) studies have shown atypicalities in structural brain changes in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), while a noticeable discrepancy in their results indicates the necessity of conducting further researches. At the age of 2–4 years old, the whole brain volume of individuals with ASD was enlarged by about 10% [9, 10]. The increase in the whole-brain volume of ASD individuals aging 1–2 years old may involve almost all brain regions [11]. Riddle Cascio et al [14] used voxel-based morphometry (VBM) to analyze sMRI data, a method that examines structural changes of the brain at the millimeter range, and found that the total brain and grey matter (GM) volumes were enlarged by approximately 1–2% in ASD, the effect reached statistical significance on only the cohort of all subjects, rather than on childhood, adolescence, and adulthood cohorts. Mitchell et al suggested that the reduction in the volume of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in ASD individuals was correlated with social and communication scores of Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) [16]. Hollander et al reported that the increase in the volume of the right caudate nucleus in ASD adults was positively correlated with the Restricted and Repetitive Behaviors (RRB) score of Autism Diagnostic Interview (ADI) [17]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
