Zeegers Mijke, Hulshoff Pol Hilleke, Durston Sarah, Nederveen Hilde, Schnack Hugo, van Daalen Emma, Dietz Claudine, van Engeland Herman, Buitelaar Jan
Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Brain Dev. 2009 Nov;31(10):725-30. doi: 10.1016/j.braindev.2008.11.002. Epub 2008 Dec 9.
To study brain volumes in children with ASD as compared to children with a mental retardation or a language delay (developmentally delayed). In addition, to study the association of intellectual functioning on brain volumes in children with ASD or developmental delay.
Thirty-four children with ASD and 13 developmentally delayed children without ASD, between 2 and 7 years old, matched on age and developmental level, participated in a MRI study. Volumes of cranium, total brain, cerebellum, grey and white matter, ventricles, hippocampus and amygdala were measured.
No significant differences in volumes of intracranium, total brain, ventricles, cerebellum, grey or white matter or amygdala and hippocampus between the ASD group and the developmentally delayed group were found. In the developmentally delayed group, a significant correlation (0.73) was found between intellectual functioning and total brain volume after partialling out intracranial volume. In the ASD group, the correlation between intellectual functioning and brain volume corrected for intracranial volume was not significant.
No evidence was found for overall differences in brain volumes in children with ASD compared to developmentally delayed children between 2 and 7 years. The finding that higher intellectual functioning was not associated with a relative larger brain volume in children with ASD may suggest that a relative enlargement of the brain may not be beneficial to patients with autism.
研究自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）儿童与智力发育迟缓或语言发育迟缓（发育迟缓）儿童的脑容量。此外，研究ASD或发育迟缓儿童的智力功能与脑容量之间的关联。
34名年龄在2至7岁之间的ASD儿童和13名无ASD的发育迟缓儿童参与了一项MRI研究，这些儿童在年龄和发育水平上相匹配。测量了颅骨、全脑、小脑、灰质和白质、脑室、海马体和杏仁核的体积。
ASD组和发育迟缓组在颅内、全脑、脑室、小脑、灰质或白质、杏仁核和海马体的体积上未发现显著差异。在发育迟缓组中，排除颅内体积后，智力功能与全脑体积之间存在显著相关性（0.73）。在ASD组中，经颅内体积校正后的智力功能与脑容量之间的相关性不显著。
未发现2至7岁的ASD儿童与发育迟缓儿童在脑容量总体差异方面的证据。ASD儿童中较高的智力功能与相对较大的脑容量无关这一发现可能表明，脑的相对增大对自闭症患者可能并无益处。
