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Eileen Daly - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Brain Anatomy and sensorimotor gating in Asperger's syndrome.
Brain : a journal of neurology, 2020Co-Authors: Grainne M Mcalonan, Eileen Daly, Veena Kumari, Hugo D Critchley, Therese Van Amelsvoort, John Suckling, Andrew Simmons, Thordur Sigmundsson, Kathyrn Greenwood, Ailsa RussellAbstract:Asperger's syndrome (an autistic disorder) is characterized by stereotyped and obsessional behaviours, and pervasive abnormalities in socio-emotional and communicative behaviour. These symptoms lead to social exclusion and a significant healthcare burden; however, their neurobiological basis is poorly understood. There are few studies on Brain Anatomy of Asperger's syndrome, and no focal anatomical abnormality has been reliably reported from Brain imaging studies of autism, although there is increasing evidence for differences in limbic circuits. These Brain regions are important in sensorimotor gating, and impaired 'gating' may partly explain the failure of people with autistic disorders to inhibit repetitive thoughts and actions. Thus, we compared Brain Anatomy and sensorimotor gating in healthy people with Asperger's syndrome and controls. We included 21 adults with Asperger's syndrome and 24 controls. All had normal IQ and were aged 18-49 years. We studied Brain Anatomy using quantitative MRI, and sensorimotor gating using prepulse inhibition of startle in a subset of 12 individuals with Asperger's syndrome and 14 controls. We found significant age-related differences in volume of cerebral hemispheres and caudate nuclei (controls, but not people with Asperger's syndrome, had age-related reductions in volume). Also, people with Asperger's syndrome had significantly less grey matter in fronto-striatal and cerebellar regions than controls, and widespread differences in white matter. Moreover, sensorimotor gating was significantly impaired in Asperger's syndrome. People with Asperger's syndrome most likely have generalized alterations in Brain development, but this is associated with significant differences from controls in the Anatomy and function of specific Brain regions implicated in behaviours characterizing the disorder. We hypothesize that Asperger's syndrome is associated with abnormalities in fronto-striatal pathways resulting in defective sensorimotor gating, and consequently characteristic difficulties inhibiting repetitive thoughts, speech and actions.
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familial risk of autism alters subcortical and cerebellar Brain Anatomy in infants and predicts the emergence of repetitive behaviors in early childhood
Autism Research, 2019Co-Authors: Ines Pote, Eileen Daly, Siying Wang, Vaheshta Sethna, Anna Blasi, Maria Kuklisovamurgasova, Sarah Lloydfox, Evelyne Mercure, Paula Busuulwa, Vladimira StoenchevaAbstract:Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a common neurodevelopmental condition, and infant siblings of children with ASD are at a higher risk of developing autistic traits or an ASD diagnosis, when compared to those with typically developing siblings. Reports of differences in Brain Anatomy and function in high‐risk infants which predict later autistic behaviors are emerging, but although cerebellar and subcortical Brain regions have been frequently implicated in ASD, no high‐risk study has examined these regions. Therefore, in this study, we compared regional MRI volumes across the whole Brain in 4–6‐month‐old infants with (high‐risk, n = 24) and without (low‐risk, n = 26) a sibling with ASD. Within the high‐risk group, we also examined whether any regional differences observed were associated with autistic behaviors at 36 months. We found that high‐risk infants had significantly larger cerebellar and subcortical volumes at 4–6‐months of age, relative to low‐risk infants; and that larger volumes in high‐risk infants were linked to more repetitive behaviors at 36 months. Our preliminary observations require replication in longitudinal studies of larger samples. If correct, they suggest that the early subcortex and cerebellum volumes may be predictive biomarkers for childhood repetitive behaviors.
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In vivo Brain Anatomy of adult males with Fragile X syndrome: an MRI study.
NeuroImage, 2010Co-Authors: Brian Hallahan, Eileen Daly, Kieran C. Murphy, Michael C. Craig, Fiona Toal, Anita Ambikapathy, C J Moore, Dene Robertson, Declan G. MurphyAbstract:Abstract Fragile X Syndrome (FraX) is caused by the expansion of a single trinucleotide gene sequence (CGG) on the X chromosome, and is a leading cause of learning disability (mental retardation) worldwide. Relatively few studies, however, have examined the neuroanatomical abnormalities associated with FraX. Of those that are available many included mixed gender populations, combined FraX children and adults into one sample, and employed manual tracing techniques which measures bulk volume of particular regions. Hence, there is relatively little information on differences in grey and white matter content across whole Brain. We employed magnetic resonance imaging to investigate Brain Anatomy in 17 adult males with FraX and 18 healthy controls that did not differ significantly in age. Data were analysed using stereology and VBM to compare (respectively) regional Brain bulk volume, and localised grey/white matter content. Using stereology we found that FraX males had a significant increase in bulk volume bilaterally of the caudate nucleus and parietal lobes and of the right Brainstem, but a significant decrease in volume of the left frontal lobe. Our complimentary VBM analysis revealed an increased volume of grey matter in fronto-striatal regions (including bilaterally in the caudate nucleus), and increased white matter in regions extending from the Brainstem to the parahippocampal gyrus, and from the left cingulate cortex extending into the corpus callosum. People with FraX have regionally specific differences in Brain Anatomy from healthy controls with enlargement of the caudate nuclei that persists into adulthood.
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Clinical and anatomical heterogeneity in autistic spectrum disorder: a structural MRI study
Psychological Medicine, 2009Co-Authors: Fiona Toal, Eileen Daly, William J. Cutter, Brian Hallahan, Mick Brammer, Oswald J.n. Bloemen, Quinton Deeley, Lisa Page, Sarah Curran, Dene RobertsonAbstract:Background Autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by stereotyped/obsessional behaviours and social and communicative deficits. However, there is significant variability in the clinical phenotype; for example, people with autism exhibit language delay whereas those with Asperger syndrome do not. It remains unclear whether localized differences in Brain Anatomy are associated with variation in the clinical phenotype. Method We used voxel-based morphometry (VBM) to investigate Brain Anatomy in adults with ASD. We included 65 adults diagnosed with ASD (39 with Asperger syndrome and 26 with autism) and 33 controls who did not differ significantly in age or gender. Results VBM revealed that subjects with ASD had a significant reduction in grey-matter volume of medial temporal, fusiform and cerebellar regions, and in white matter of the Brainstem and cerebellar regions. Furthermore, within the subjects with ASD, Brain Anatomy varied with clinical phenotype. Those with autism demonstrated an increase in grey matter in frontal and temporal lobe regions that was not present in those with Asperger syndrome. Conclusions Adults with ASD have significant differences from controls in the Anatomy of Brain regions implicated in behaviours characterizing the disorder, and this differs according to clinical subtype.
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Brain Anatomy and ageing in non-demented adults with Down's syndrome: an in vivo MRI study.
Psychological Medicine, 2009Co-Authors: Felix Beacher, Eileen Daly, Andrew Simmons, Verinder Prasher, Robin G. Morris, C. Robinson, Simon Lovestone, Kieran C. Murphy, Declan G. MurphyAbstract:Background People with Down's syndrome (DS) are at high risk for developing dementia in middle age. The biological basis for this is unknown. It has been proposed that non-demented adults with DS may undergo accelerated Brain ageing. Method We used volumetric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and manual tracing to compare Brain Anatomy and ageing in 39 non-demented adults with DS and 42 healthy controls. Results Individuals with DS had significant differences in Brain Anatomy. Furthermore, individuals with DS had a significantly greater age-related reduction in volume of frontal, temporal and parietal lobes, and a significantly greater age-related increase in volume of peripheral cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Conclusions Non-demented adults with DS have differences in Brain Anatomy and ‘accelerated’ ageing of some Brain regions. This may increase their risk for age-related cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease (AD).
K Scheffler - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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design of a shim coil array matched to the human Brain Anatomy
Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, 2020Co-Authors: Hatem Elshatlawy, A Aghaeifar, Sebastian Littin, Stefan Kroboth, Huijun Yu, Philipp Amrein, Wenchao Yang, Pierre Levan, K SchefflerAbstract:Purpose The purpose of this study is to introduce a novel design method of a shim coil array specifically optimized for whole Brain shimming and to compare the performance of the resulting coils to conventional spherical harmonic shimming. Methods The proposed design approach is based on the stream function method and singular value decomposition. Eighty-four field maps from 12 volunteers measured in seven different head positions were used during the design process. The cross validation technique was applied to find an optimal number of coil elements in the array. Additional 42 field maps from 6 further volunteers were used for an independent validation. A bootstrapping technique was used to estimate the required population size to achieve a stable coil design. Results Shimming using 12 and 24 coil elements outperforms fourth- and fifth-order spherical harmonic shimming for all measured field maps, respectively. Coil elements show novel coil layouts compared to the conventional spherical harmonic coils and existing multi-coils. Both leave-one-out and independent validation demonstrate the generalization ability of the designed arrays. The bootstrapping analysis predicts that field maps from approximately 140 subjects need to be acquired to arrive at a stable design. Conclusions The results demonstrate the validity of the proposed method to design a shim coil array matched to the human Brain Anatomy, which naturally satisfies the laws of electrodynamics. The design method may also be applied to develop new shim coil arrays matched to other human organs.
Declan G. Murphy - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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In vivo Brain Anatomy of adult males with Fragile X syndrome: an MRI study.
NeuroImage, 2010Co-Authors: Brian Hallahan, Eileen Daly, Kieran C. Murphy, Michael C. Craig, Fiona Toal, Anita Ambikapathy, C J Moore, Dene Robertson, Declan G. MurphyAbstract:Abstract Fragile X Syndrome (FraX) is caused by the expansion of a single trinucleotide gene sequence (CGG) on the X chromosome, and is a leading cause of learning disability (mental retardation) worldwide. Relatively few studies, however, have examined the neuroanatomical abnormalities associated with FraX. Of those that are available many included mixed gender populations, combined FraX children and adults into one sample, and employed manual tracing techniques which measures bulk volume of particular regions. Hence, there is relatively little information on differences in grey and white matter content across whole Brain. We employed magnetic resonance imaging to investigate Brain Anatomy in 17 adult males with FraX and 18 healthy controls that did not differ significantly in age. Data were analysed using stereology and VBM to compare (respectively) regional Brain bulk volume, and localised grey/white matter content. Using stereology we found that FraX males had a significant increase in bulk volume bilaterally of the caudate nucleus and parietal lobes and of the right Brainstem, but a significant decrease in volume of the left frontal lobe. Our complimentary VBM analysis revealed an increased volume of grey matter in fronto-striatal regions (including bilaterally in the caudate nucleus), and increased white matter in regions extending from the Brainstem to the parahippocampal gyrus, and from the left cingulate cortex extending into the corpus callosum. People with FraX have regionally specific differences in Brain Anatomy from healthy controls with enlargement of the caudate nuclei that persists into adulthood.
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Brain Anatomy and ageing in non-demented adults with Down's syndrome: an in vivo MRI study.
Psychological Medicine, 2009Co-Authors: Felix Beacher, Eileen Daly, Andrew Simmons, Verinder Prasher, Robin G. Morris, C. Robinson, Simon Lovestone, Kieran C. Murphy, Declan G. MurphyAbstract:Background People with Down's syndrome (DS) are at high risk for developing dementia in middle age. The biological basis for this is unknown. It has been proposed that non-demented adults with DS may undergo accelerated Brain ageing. Method We used volumetric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and manual tracing to compare Brain Anatomy and ageing in 39 non-demented adults with DS and 42 healthy controls. Results Individuals with DS had significant differences in Brain Anatomy. Furthermore, individuals with DS had a significantly greater age-related reduction in volume of frontal, temporal and parietal lobes, and a significantly greater age-related increase in volume of peripheral cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Conclusions Non-demented adults with DS have differences in Brain Anatomy and ‘accelerated’ ageing of some Brain regions. This may increase their risk for age-related cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease (AD).
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Psychosis and autism: magnetic resonance imaging study of Brain Anatomy.
British Journal of Psychiatry, 2009Co-Authors: Fiona Toal, Eileen Daly, Kieran C. Murphy, Mick Brammer, Oswald J.n. Bloemen, Quinton Deeley, Nigel Tunstall, Lisa Page, Declan G. MurphyAbstract:Background Autism-spectrum disorder is increasingly recognised, with recent studies estimating that 1% of children in South London are affected. However, the biology of comorbid mental health problems in people with autism-spectrum disorder is poorly understood. Aims To investigate the Brain Anatomy of people with autism-spectrum disorder with and without psychosis. Method We used in vivo magnetic resonance imaging and compared 30 adults with autism-spectrum disorder (14 with a history psychosis) and 16 healthy controls. Results Compared with controls both autism-spectrum disorder groups had significantly less grey matter bilaterally in the temporal lobes and the cerebellum. In contrast, they had increased grey matter in striatal regions. However, those with psychosis also had a significant reduction in grey matter content of frontal and occipital regions. Contrary to our expectation, within autism-spectrum disorder, comparisons revealed that psychosis was associated with a reduction in grey matter of the right insular cortex and bilaterally in the cerebellum extending into the fusiform gyrus and the lingual gyrus. Conclusions The presence of neurodevelopmental abnormalities normally associated with autism-spectrum disorder might represent an alternative ‘ entry-point’ into a final common pathway of psychosis.
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A comparative study of cognition and Brain Anatomy between two neurodevelopmental disorders: 22q11.2 deletion syndrome and Williams syndrome ☆
Neuropsychologia, 2008Co-Authors: Linda E. Campbell, Eileen Daly, Declan G. Murphy, Fiona Toal, A F Stevens, R Azuma, Annette Karmiloff-smith, Kieran C. MurphyAbstract:Abstract Background 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS) is associated with intellectual disability, poor social interaction and a high prevalence of psychosis. However, to date there have been no studies comparing cognition and neuroanatomical characteristics of 22q11DS with other syndromes to investigate if the cognitive strengths and difficulties and neuroanatomical differences associated with 22q11DS are specific to the syndrome. Hence, it is difficult to know if the observed features of 22q11DS are simply due to a non-specific effect of having a genetic disorder or are specific to 22q11DS. Methods In this study, cognition and Brain Anatomy of 12 children with 22q11DS were compared to 12 age, gender and full scale IQ (FSIQ) matched children with William syndrome (WS) in order to investigate which cognitive and neuroanatomical features are specific to 22q11DS. We chose WS since the literature suggests that both groups have areas of physical/cognitive/behavioural overlap but as yet there has been no direct comparison of the two groups. Results Despite being matched on FSIQ the WS group had significantly greater impairment than those with 22q11DS on tests of Performance IQ, while performing significantly better on tasks measuring verbal, social and facial processing skills. Moreover there were significant differences in Brain Anatomy. Despite similar overall Brain volumes, midline anomalies were more common among the 22q11DS group, and regional differences such as increased striatal volumes and reduced cerebellar volumes in the 22q11DS group were detected. Conclusions These findings suggest that although the behavioural phenotype is similar in some aspects there are key differences in cognition and neuroAnatomy between the two groups. Different neuropsychological profiles need to be considered when designing educational frameworks for working with these children.
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Alzheimer's disease and Down's syndrome : an in vivo MRI study
Psychological Medicine, 2008Co-Authors: Felix Beacher, Eileen Daly, Andrew Simmons, Verinder Prasher, Robin G. Morris, C. Robinson, Simon Lovestone, Kieran C. Murphy, Declan G. MurphyAbstract:Background Individuals with Down's syndrome (DS) are at high risk of developing Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, few studies have investigated Brain Anatomy in DS individuals with AD. Method We compared whole Brain Anatomy, as measured by volumetric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), in DS individuals with and without AD. We also investigated whether volumetric differences could reliably classify DS individuals according to AD status. We used volumetric MRI and manual tracing to examine regional Brain Anatomy in 19 DS adults with AD and 39 DS adults without AD. Results DS individuals with AD had significantly smaller corrected volumes bilaterally of the hippocampus and caudate, and right amygdala and putamen, and a significantly larger corrected volume of left peripheral cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), compared to DS individuals without AD. The volume of the hippocampus and caudate nucleus correctly categorized 92% and 92% respectively of DS individuals without AD, and 75% and 80% respectively of DS individuals with AD. Conclusions DS individuals with AD have significant medial temporal and striatal volume reductions, and these may provide markers of clinical AD.
Stanislas Dehaene - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Brain Anatomy in turner syndrome evidence for impaired social and spatial numerical networks
Cerebral Cortex, 2004Co-Authors: Nicolas Molko, Arnaud Cachia, Denis Riviere, J F Mangin, Marie Bruandet, Denis Lebihan, Laurent Cohen, Stanislas DehaeneAbstract:Analysis of Brain structure in Turner syndrome (TS) provides the opportunity to identify the consequences of the loss of one X chromosome on Brain Anatomy and to characterize the neural bases underlying the specific cognitive profile of TS subjects which includes deficits in spatial–numerical processing and social cognition. Fourteen subjects with TS and fourteen controls were investigated using voxel-based analysis of high resolution anatomical and diffusion tensor images and using sulcal morphometry. The analysis of anatomical images provided evidence for macroscopical changes in cortical regions involved in social cognition such as the left superior temporal sulcus and orbito-frontal cortex and in a region involved in spatial and numerical cognition such as the right intraparietal sulcus. Diffusion tensor images showed a displacement of the grey–white matter interface of the left and right superior temporal sulcus and revealed bilateral microstuctural anomalies in the temporal white matter. The analysis of fiber orientation suggests specific alterations of fiber tracts connecting posterior to anterior temporal regions. Last, sulcal morphometry confirmed the anomalies of the left and right superior temporal sulci and of the right intraparietal sulcus. Our results thus provide converging evidence of regionally specific structural changes in TS that are highly consistent with the hallmark symptoms associated with TS.
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Brain Anatomy in Turner Syndrome: Evidence for Impaired Social and Spatial–Numerical Networks
Cerebral Cortex, 2004Co-Authors: Nicolas Molko, Arnaud Cachia, Denis Riviere, J F Mangin, Marie Bruandet, Denis Lebihan, Laurent Cohen, Stanislas DehaeneAbstract:Analysis of Brain structure in Turner syndrome (TS) provides the opportunity to identify the consequences of the loss of one X chromosome on Brain Anatomy and to characterize the neural bases underlying the specific cognitive profile of TS subjects which includes deficits in spatial–numerical processing and social cognition. Fourteen subjects with TS and fourteen controls were investigated using voxel-based analysis of high resolution anatomical and diffusion tensor images and using sulcal morphometry. The analysis of anatomical images provided evidence for macroscopical changes in cortical regions involved in social cognition such as the left superior temporal sulcus and orbito-frontal cortex and in a region involved in spatial and numerical cognition such as the right intraparietal sulcus. Diffusion tensor images showed a displacement of the grey–white matter interface of the left and right superior temporal sulcus and revealed bilateral microstuctural anomalies in the temporal white matter. The analysis of fiber orientation suggests specific alterations of fiber tracts connecting posterior to anterior temporal regions. Last, sulcal morphometry confirmed the anomalies of the left and right superior temporal sulci and of the right intraparietal sulcus. Our results thus provide converging evidence of regionally specific structural changes in TS that are highly consistent with the hallmark symptoms associated with TS.
Therese Van Amelsvoort - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Brain Anatomy and sensorimotor gating in Asperger's syndrome.
Brain : a journal of neurology, 2020Co-Authors: Grainne M Mcalonan, Eileen Daly, Veena Kumari, Hugo D Critchley, Therese Van Amelsvoort, John Suckling, Andrew Simmons, Thordur Sigmundsson, Kathyrn Greenwood, Ailsa RussellAbstract:Asperger's syndrome (an autistic disorder) is characterized by stereotyped and obsessional behaviours, and pervasive abnormalities in socio-emotional and communicative behaviour. These symptoms lead to social exclusion and a significant healthcare burden; however, their neurobiological basis is poorly understood. There are few studies on Brain Anatomy of Asperger's syndrome, and no focal anatomical abnormality has been reliably reported from Brain imaging studies of autism, although there is increasing evidence for differences in limbic circuits. These Brain regions are important in sensorimotor gating, and impaired 'gating' may partly explain the failure of people with autistic disorders to inhibit repetitive thoughts and actions. Thus, we compared Brain Anatomy and sensorimotor gating in healthy people with Asperger's syndrome and controls. We included 21 adults with Asperger's syndrome and 24 controls. All had normal IQ and were aged 18-49 years. We studied Brain Anatomy using quantitative MRI, and sensorimotor gating using prepulse inhibition of startle in a subset of 12 individuals with Asperger's syndrome and 14 controls. We found significant age-related differences in volume of cerebral hemispheres and caudate nuclei (controls, but not people with Asperger's syndrome, had age-related reductions in volume). Also, people with Asperger's syndrome had significantly less grey matter in fronto-striatal and cerebellar regions than controls, and widespread differences in white matter. Moreover, sensorimotor gating was significantly impaired in Asperger's syndrome. People with Asperger's syndrome most likely have generalized alterations in Brain development, but this is associated with significant differences from controls in the Anatomy and function of specific Brain regions implicated in behaviours characterizing the disorder. We hypothesize that Asperger's syndrome is associated with abnormalities in fronto-striatal pathways resulting in defective sensorimotor gating, and consequently characteristic difficulties inhibiting repetitive thoughts, speech and actions.
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Brain Anatomy in adults with velocardiofacial syndrome with and without schizophrenia preliminary results of a structural magnetic resonance imaging study
Archives of General Psychiatry, 2004Co-Authors: Therese Van Amelsvoort, Eileen Daly, Kieran C. Murphy, Dene Robertson, J Henry, Virginia Ng, M Owen, Declan G. MurphyAbstract:Context Velocardiofacial syndrome is associated with interstitial deletions of chromosome 22q11, mild to borderline learning disability, characteristic dysmorphology, and a high prevalence of schizophrenia. The biological basis for this increased risk for schizophrenia is unknown, but people with velocardiofacial syndrome may have genetically determined differences in Brain Anatomy that predispose to the development of schizophrenia. Objective To determine whether there are differences in Brain structure between subjects with velocardiofacial syndrome with and without schizophrenia. Design A cross-sectional quantitative structural magnetic resonance imaging study in 39 adult subjects. Setting Referrals were made through medical genetics clinics and psychiatric services throughout the United Kingdom. Participants Thirteen subjects with velocardiofacial syndrome and schizophrenia, 12 with velocardiofacial syndrome without history of a psychosis, and 14 healthy controls volunteered to participate after screening for eligibility. Main Outcome Measures Total and regional Brain volumes were analyzed by means of manual tracing, and gray- and white-matter densities were obtained by computerized voxel-based methods. Results People with velocardiofacial syndrome and schizophrenia, compared with both controls and nonschizophrenic patients with velocardiofacial syndrome, had a significant ( P Conclusions Within velocardiofacial syndrome, schizophrenia is associated with generalized differences in Brain Anatomy, but white matter may be particularly implicated. Studies with larger samples are needed to replicate our findings.
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Brain Anatomy and sensorimotor gating in Asperger’s syndrome
Brain, 2002Co-Authors: Grainne M Mcalonan, Eileen Daly, Veena Kumari, Hugo D Critchley, Therese Van Amelsvoort, John Suckling, Andrew Simmons, Thordur Sigmundsson, Kathyrn Greenwood, Ailsa RussellAbstract:Asperger’s syndrome (an autistic disorder) is characterized by stereotyped and obsessional behaviours, and pervasive abnormalities in socio‐emotional and communicative behaviour. These symptoms lead to social exclusion and a significant healthcare burden; however, their neurobiological basis is poorly understood. There are few studies on Brain Anatomy of Asperger’s syndrome, and no focal anatomical abnormality has been reliably reported from Brain imaging studies of autism, although there is increasing evidence for differences in limbic circuits. These Brain regions are important in sensorimotor gating, and impaired ‘gating’ may partly explain the failure of people with autistic disorders to inhibit repetitive thoughts and actions. Thus, we compared Brain Anatomy and sensorimotor gating in healthy people with Asperger’s syndrome and controls. We included 21 adults with Asperger’s syndrome and 24 controls. All had normal IQ and were aged 18–49 years. We studied Brain Anatomy using quantitative MRI, and sensorimotor gating using prepulse inhibition of startle in a subset of 12 individuals with Asperger’s syndrome and 14 controls. We found significant age‐related differences in volume of cerebral hemispheres and caudate nuclei (controls, but not people with Asperger’s syndrome, had age‐related reductions in volume). Also, people with Asperger’s syndrome had significantly less grey matter in fronto‐striatal and cerebellar regions than controls, and widespread differences in white matter. Moreover, sensorimotor gating was significantly impaired in Asperger’s syndrome. People with Asperger’s syndrome most likely have generalized alterations in Brain development, but this is associated with significant differences from controls in the Anatomy and function of specific Brain regions implicated in behaviours characterizing the disorder. We hypothesize that Asperger’s syndrome is associated with abnormalities in fronto‐striatal pathways resulting in defective sensorimotor gating, and consequently characteristic difficulties inhibiting repetitive thoughts, speech and actions. Received June 5, 2001. Revised November 19, 2001. Second revision February 2, 2002. Accepted February 4, 2002
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Brain Anatomy and sensorimotor gating in asperger s syndrome
Brain, 2002Co-Authors: Grainne M Mcalonan, Eileen Daly, Veena Kumari, Hugo D Critchley, Therese Van Amelsvoort, John Suckling, Andrew Simmons, Thordur Sigmundsson, Kathyrn Greenwood, Ailsa RussellAbstract:Asperger’s syndrome (an autistic disorder) is characterized by stereotyped and obsessional behaviours, and pervasive abnormalities in socio‐emotional and communicative behaviour. These symptoms lead to social exclusion and a significant healthcare burden; however, their neurobiological basis is poorly understood. There are few studies on Brain Anatomy of Asperger’s syndrome, and no focal anatomical abnormality has been reliably reported from Brain imaging studies of autism, although there is increasing evidence for differences in limbic circuits. These Brain regions are important in sensorimotor gating, and impaired ‘gating’ may partly explain the failure of people with autistic disorders to inhibit repetitive thoughts and actions. Thus, we compared Brain Anatomy and sensorimotor gating in healthy people with Asperger’s syndrome and controls. We included 21 adults with Asperger’s syndrome and 24 controls. All had normal IQ and were aged 18–49 years. We studied Brain Anatomy using quantitative MRI, and sensorimotor gating using prepulse inhibition of startle in a subset of 12 individuals with Asperger’s syndrome and 14 controls. We found significant age‐related differences in volume of cerebral hemispheres and caudate nuclei (controls, but not people with Asperger’s syndrome, had age‐related reductions in volume). Also, people with Asperger’s syndrome had significantly less grey matter in fronto‐striatal and cerebellar regions than controls, and widespread differences in white matter. Moreover, sensorimotor gating was significantly impaired in Asperger’s syndrome. People with Asperger’s syndrome most likely have generalized alterations in Brain development, but this is associated with significant differences from controls in the Anatomy and function of specific Brain regions implicated in behaviours characterizing the disorder. We hypothesize that Asperger’s syndrome is associated with abnormalities in fronto‐striatal pathways resulting in defective sensorimotor gating, and consequently characteristic difficulties inhibiting repetitive thoughts, speech and actions. Received June 5, 2001. Revised November 19, 2001. Second revision February 2, 2002. Accepted February 4, 2002
