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Reduction in grey matter volume and its correlation with clinical symptoms in Chinese boys with low functioning autism spectrum disorder
Author(s) -
Li G.,
Rossbach K.,
Jiang W.,
Zhao L.,
Zhang K.,
Du Y.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
journal of intellectual disability research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.941
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1365-2788
pISSN - 0964-2633
DOI - 10.1111/jir.12552
Subject(s) - autism spectrum disorder , grey matter , psychology , autism , audiology , brain size , inferior frontal gyrus , postcentral gyrus , voxel based morphometry , medicine , magnetic resonance imaging , psychiatry , neuroscience , white matter , radiology , cognition , functional magnetic resonance imaging
Abstract Background Previous studies have reported changes within grey matter (GM) volume in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD); however, little is known about GM volume changes and the relation with symptom severity in Chinese boys with low functioning autism spectrum disorder (LFASD). Method GM volume was analysed using SPM 8 and compared between 16 boys with LFASD as well as 16 typically developing (TD) boys (using REST 1.8). Additionally, the correlation between GM volume and clinical symptoms was analysed, using subscales within the Autism Behaviour Checklist (ABC). Results The comparison showed a reduced volume of GM in 11 clusters in the boys with LFASD (i.e., the left inferior frontal gyrus, orbital part; right superior temporal gyrus, superior frontal gyrus, dorsolateral; precuneus and postcentral; bilateral rectus and middle temporal gyrus) and 1 area with increased GM volume (right caudate) compared to the TD group. Additionally, the GM volume of the left inferior frontal gyrus, orbital part was negatively correlated with the Social subscale score of the ABC ( r = −0.765, P = 0.002), and the GM volume of the left Rectus was negatively associated with the Language, Body concept and Self‐care subscale scores and the total score on the ABC( r = −0.624, P = 0.023; r = −0.657, P = 0.011; r = −0.618, P = 0.025; r = −0.625, P = 0.022). Further, the GM volume of the right Caudate was negatively correlated with the Sensory subscale on the ABC ( r = −0.593, P = 0.033). Conclusion In conclusion, the current study's findings display that the GM volume was widely reduced in Chinese boys with LFASD compared to TD boys and negatively correlated with the clinical symptoms, indicating a possible pathological mechanism of LFASD.