Brain Development in Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders
Author Information
Author(s): Cheng Yawei, Chou Kun-Hsien, Fan Yang-Teng, Lin Ching-Po
Primary Institution: Institute of Neuroscience, National Yang-Ming University
Hypothesis
The abnormal neurodevelopmental maturation in adolescents with autism spectrum disorders should extend to span adolescence.
Conclusion
The study found that adolescents with autism spectrum disorders exhibit aberrant neurodevelopment in the social cognition network during adolescence.
Supporting Evidence
- The right inferior parietal lobule showed an age-related loss of regional gray matter volume in adolescents with ASD.
- Adolescents with ASD had a larger volume in the medial prefrontal cortex but a smaller volume in the lingual cortex.
- ASD adolescents with more severe social impairments were more likely to show dysmaturation in the right inferior parietal lobule.
Takeaway
Kids with autism grow their brains differently than other kids, especially in areas that help them understand social situations.
Methodology
Voxel-based morphometric analysis of structural magnetic resonance images was performed on 25 adolescents with high functioning autism and 25 typically developing controls.
Potential Biases
Potential variability in IQ among participants could influence the results.
Limitations
The study did not include female participants, which may limit the generalization of results.
Participant Demographics
All participants were right-handed ethnic Chinese males aged 10–18 years.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.036
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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