BRAIN MATURATIONAL CHGS: CHILDHOOD & ADOLESCENCE QUANTITATIVE MORPHOMETRIC

这项研究的主要目标是确定大脑 社会交往异常的潜在机制 孩子 脑结构，使用磁共振成像评估 (MRI)脑生化，使用磁共振评估 频谱（MRS）和社会沟通，通过话语评估。 将在三组中比较修复和思维障碍措施 儿童：1）自闭症儿童，2） 特殊发育性语言障碍（DLD）; 3）年龄。 智商， 社会经济地位（SES）和性别匹配的正常儿童。 具体目标 1. 使用可靠和有效的社会沟通措施， 正式的思维障碍，我们预测， 自闭症儿童的缺陷将与严重程度直接相关 根据ADI的分数来判断。 2. 社会 自闭症受试者的沟通缺陷，但不是DLD 受试者将与结构和功能CNS相关 异常3. 基于初步的，我们的试点研究的结果 以及自闭症患者大脑中异常细胞密度的发现， 我们将检测到H-1 MRS增加N乙酰天冬氨酸（NAA）在 自闭症儿童的额叶，胆碱的减少， 颞叶区域的肌醇峰值和甘氨酸的增加 在自闭症患者的小脑中有一个峰值，但在DLD患者中没有 受试者或正常受试者。 4. 体积测量和 边缘系统的灰/白色物质比率和 高功能自闭症患者的小脑结构会更小， 与DLD受试者和正常儿童相比 根据年龄，智商，性别和社会经济地位（SES）进行匹配。

The primary goal of the proposed study is to identify the brain mechanisms underlying abnormalities in social communication in children. Brain structure, assessed using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), brain biochemistry, assessed using Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS), and social communication, assessed by discourse. repair and thought disorder measures will be compared in three groups of children: 1) children with autistic disorder, 2) children with specific developmental language disabilities (DLD), and 3) age. IQ, socioeconomic status (SES) and sex matched normal children. Specific Aims 1. Using reliable and valid measures of social communication and formal thought disorder, we predict that the social communication deficits in the autistic children will be directly related to severity of the disorder as judged by scores on the ADI. 2. The social communication deficits of the autistic subjects but not the DLD subjects will be associated with structural and functional CNS abnormalities 3. Based on preliminary, results from our pilot study and findings of abnormal cell densities in autistic brains, we predict that we will detect H-1 MRS increases in Nacetylaspartate (NAA) in the frontal lobes of the autistic children, decreases in the choline and myoinositol peaks of temporal lobe areas and increases in the glycine peak of the cerebellum in the autistic subjects but not in the DLD subjects, or the normal subjects. 4. Volumetric measures and grey/white matter ratios of the limbic system and area measurements of cerebellar structures will be smaller in the high functioning autistic subjects as compared to the DLD subjects and the normal children matched by age, IQ, gender and socioeconomic status (SES).