Pervasive microstructural abnormalities in autism: a DTI study
Pervasive microstructural abnormalities in autism: a DTI study
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DOI：
10.1503/jpn.090100
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发表时间：
2011-01-01
影响因子：
4.3
通讯作者：
Zwiers, Marcel P.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Groen, Wouter B.;Buitelaar, Jan K.;Zwiers, Marcel P.
背景资料：最近的研究报告了自闭症患者大脑中异常的功能连接模式，可能伴随着白色物质完整性的下降。由于自闭症是一种发育障碍，我们的目标是调查的性质和位置减少的白色和灰质的完整性在青少年样本，而占年龄。研究方法：我们用结构（T1）成像研究脑容量，用弥散张量成像（DTI）研究自闭症患者的白色和灰质完整性。我们获得了12-18岁高功能自闭症青少年和匹配对照组的磁共振图像。分数各向异性和平均扩散率，以及灰色和白色物质体积进行了分析。结果：17名自闭症患者和25名对照者被纳入本研究。孤独症患者在左右上级和下纵束的各向异性分数较低，但在调整年龄和智商（IQ）后，这种影响并不显著。该参与者组的白色物质分数各向异性概率分布的峰度较高，有和没有调整年龄和智商。然而，最值得注意的是，自闭症组的平均扩散率水平在整个大脑中显著增加，灰质和白色物质的平均扩散率概率分布向更高的值移动，特别是随着年龄和智商的调整。灰色和白色物质的体积差异没有被发现。局限性：我们校正了年龄和智商使用线性模型。该研究还受到样本量、调查年龄范围和横断面设计的限制。结论：研究结果表明，自闭症的特征是白色物质完整性的普遍减少，这与间隙空间的增加有关。白色物质异常的普遍表现为自闭症作为一种连接障碍提供了一个重要的新视角。
Background: Recent studies have reported abnormal functional connectivity patterns in the brains of people with autism that may be accompanied by decreases in white matter integrity. Since autism is a developmental disorder, we aim to investigate the nature and location of decreases in white and grey matter integrity in an adolescent sample while accounting for age. Methods: We used structural (T 1) imaging to study brain volumetrics and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to investigate white and grey matter integrity in people with autism. We obtained magnetic resonance images for adolescents aged 12-18 years with high-functioning autism and from matched controls. Fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity, as well as grey and white matter volumetrics were analyzed. Results: There were 17 participants with autism and 25 matched controls included in this study. Participants with autism had lower fractional anisotropy in the left and right superior and inferior longitudinal fasciculus, but this effect was not significant after adjusting for age and intelligence quotient (IQ). The kurtosis of the white matter fractional anisotropy probability distribution was higher in this participant group, with and without adjustment for age and IQ. Most notably, however, the mean diffusivity levels were markedly increased in the autism group throughout the brain, and the mean diffusivity probability distributions of both grey and white matter were shifted toward a higher value, particularly with age and IQ adjustment. No volumetric differences in grey and white matter were found. Limitations: We corrected for age and IQ using a linear model. The study was also limited by its sample size, investigated age range and cross-sectional design. Conclusion: The findings suggest that autism is characterized by a generalized reduction of white matter integrity that is associated with an increase of interstitial space. The generalized manifestation of the white matter abnormalities provides an important new perspective on autism as a connectivity disorder.