BRAIN MATURATIONAL CHGS: CHILDHOOD & ADOLESCENCE QUANTITATIVE MORPHOMETRIC

这项拟议的研究的主要目标是识别大脑 社会沟通异常的潜在机制 孩子们。用磁共振成像评估大脑结构 (MRI)，脑生物化学，使用磁共振进行评估 光谱(MRS)和社会交流，通过话语进行评估。 修复和思维障碍的措施将在三组中进行比较 儿童：1)患有自闭症的儿童，2)患有 具体的发育性语言障碍(DLD)；3)年龄。智商， 社会经济地位(SES)和性别匹配正常儿童。 具体目标 1.使用可靠和有效的社会沟通和 形式思维障碍，我们预测社会交往 自闭症儿童的缺陷将与严重程度直接相关 根据ADI的分数来判断障碍的程度。2.社会性 自闭症受试者的沟通障碍，而不是DLD 主题将与结构和功能中枢神经系统相关联 异常情况3.根据我们初步研究的结果 以及自闭症患者大脑细胞密度异常的发现，我们预测 我们将检测到H-1MRS在乙酰天冬氨酸(NAA)中的增加 自闭症儿童的额叶，胆碱和 颞叶区域肌醇峰值和甘氨酸含量增加 自闭症患者的小脑峰值，但在DLD患者中未见 受试者，或正常受试者。4.容量测量和 大脑边缘系统灰质/白质比值及面积测量 高功能自闭症患者的小脑结构会变小 被试与DLD被试和正常儿童的比较 年龄、智商、性别和社会经济地位(SES)相匹配。

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).