Localized enlargement of the frontal cortex in early autism
Localized enlargement of the frontal cortex in early autism
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DOI：
10.1016/j.biopsych.2004.11.005
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发表时间：
2005-01-15
影响因子：
10.6
通讯作者：
Courchesne, E
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Carper, RA;Courchesne, E
背景。来自行为、影像和尸检研究的证据表明，自闭症儿童的额叶以及小脑和边缘系统等其他大脑区域发育异常，目前尚不清楚额叶受影响的程度；也就是说，额叶皮层的所有区域是否都表现出相同的结构发育不良迹象。方法。在本研究中，我们测量了 2 岁至 9 岁自闭症男孩和正常对照组男孩额叶皮质四个分区的皮质体积。结果：与对照组相比，住院患者的背外侧区域显示出年龄效应降低，从 2 岁到 9 岁，皮质体积预计增加 10016 倍，而对照受试者的预测增加 48016 倍。在一项单独的分析中，与同龄对照受试者相比，2 至 5 岁患者的背外侧和内侧额叶区域显着增大，但中央前回和眶皮层却没有。结论：这些数据表明额皮质过度生长程度存在区域差异，可能偏向较晚发育或关联区域。讨论了这些区域差异的可能机制。
Background. Evidence from behavioral, imaging, and postmortem studies indicates that the frontal lobe, as well as other brain regions such as the cerebellum and limbic system, develops abnormally in children with autism, It is not yet clear to what extent the frontal lobe is affected; that is, whether all regions of frontal cortex show the same signs of structural maldevelopment.Methods. In the present study, we measured cortical volume in four subregions of the frontal cortex in 2-year-old to 9-year-old boys with autism and normal control boys.Results: The dorsolateral region showed a reduced age effect inpatients when compared with control subjects, with a predicted 10016 increase in volume from 2 years of age to 9 years of age compared with a predicted 48016 increase for control subjects. In a separate analysis, dorsolateral and medial frontal regions were significantly enlarged in patients aged 2 to 5 years compared with control subjects of the same age, but the precentral gyrus and orbital cortex were not.Conclusions: These data indicate regional variation in the degree of frontocortical overgrowth with a possible bias toward later developing or association areas. Possible mechanisms for these regional differences are discussed.