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Volumetric Alterations in the Heteromodal Association Cortex in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 April 2020

J. Richter ,
L. Poustka ,
K. Vomstein ,
J. Haffner ,
P. Parzer ,
B. Stieltjes  and
R. Henze
J. Richter
Affiliation:
Section Quantitative Imaging-Based Disease Characterization, Department of Radiology, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany Section Disorders of Personality Development, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
L. Poustka
Affiliation:
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
K. Vomstein
Affiliation:
Section Quantitative Imaging-Based Disease Characterization, Department of Radiology, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
J. Haffner
Affiliation:
Section Disorders of Personality Development, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
P. Parzer
Affiliation:
Section Disorders of Personality Development, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
B. Stieltjes
Affiliation:
Section Quantitative Imaging-Based Disease Characterization, Department of Radiology, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
R. Henze*
Affiliation:
Section Quantitative Imaging-Based Disease Characterization, Department of Radiology, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany Section Disorders of Personality Development, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
*
*Corresponding author. Section Disorders of Personality Development, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Blumenstrasse 8, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany. E-mail address:eradcliffe@wm.edu (R. Henze).
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Abstract

Background:

We investigated if alterations in higher-order association areas related to schizophrenia, namely the heteromodal association cortex (HASC), are also observable in subjects with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Methods:

A group of 18 children with ASD and 18 healthy controls (HC) underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The examination comprised an analysis of group differences in gray matter (GM) volume, surface area (SA) and hemispheric lateralization.

Results:

Differences in GM volumes in children with ASD and HC were detected in frontal and parietal areas related to the HASC. No HASC structure that showed changes in GM volume exhibited differences in SA. Alterations in hemispheric lateralization between ASD and HC are seen in a frontal area of the HASC.

Conclusions:

Our results indicate that changes in HASC areas are not restricted to schizophrenia, but extend to other psychiatric disorders, namely ASD. The lacking group differences in SA indicate that changes in GM volume are possibly evoked by other variables than SA in children with ASD.

Keywords

Heteromodal association cortexAutism spectrum disorderFreeSurferGray matter volumeHemispheric lateralization
Type
Original article
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 30 , Issue 2 , February 2015 , pp. 214 - 220
Copyright
Copyright © Elsevier Masson SAS 2014

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