Wolfe Farah H, Auzias Guillaume, Deruelle Christine, Chaminade Thierry
Timone Institute of Neurosciences UMR 7289, Aix-Marseille University - French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), Marseille, France.
Neuroreport. 2015 Dec 2;26(17):1017-22. doi: 10.1097/WNR.0000000000000461.
The hypothalamus is a brain structure containing multiple nuclei that mediate essential behavioral, autonomic, and endocrine functions including oxytocin synthesis. Oxytocin is a neuropeptide linked to complex social cognition and behaviors necessary for an effective social interaction. Oxytocinergic system dysfunction has been linked to social deficits in autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Limited studies have been carried out on the hypothalamus because of its small size and methodological constraints in current technologies. This neuroimaging study examines hypothalamic atrophy in ASD in comparison with a typically developing population (a) by directly measuring gray matter (GM) density with a region-of-interest analysis using voxel-based morphometry in a homogenous sample of participants controlled for age and intelligence quotient; (b) for generalization, by measuring third ventricular volume, on the basis of its position bilaterally surrounded by the hypothalamus, using Freesurfer in a heterogeneous sample of participants. A voxel-based morphometry analysis of cerebrospinal fluid density on the first sample provides a link between GM density and third ventricle volume. Our results show decreased hypothalamic GM density and increased third ventricle volume in ASD compared with typically developing patients. Our findings provide neuroanatomical insights into social deficits in ASD within the hypothalamus that might be relevant for other psychiatric conditions.
下丘脑是一种脑结构，包含多个核团，这些核团介导着包括催产素合成在内的基本行为、自主神经和内分泌功能。催产素是一种神经肽，与复杂的社会认知以及有效社交互动所需的行为有关。催产素能系统功能障碍与自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）中的社交缺陷有关。由于下丘脑体积小以及当前技术存在方法学限制，针对下丘脑的研究较少。这项神经影像学研究通过以下方式，对比发育正常人群，研究ASD患者的下丘脑萎缩情况：（a）在年龄和智商匹配的同质参与者样本中，使用基于体素的形态测量法进行感兴趣区域分析，直接测量灰质（GM）密度；（b）为了进行推广，在异质参与者样本中，基于下丘脑两侧包围的第三脑室位置，使用Freesurfer测量第三脑室体积。对第一个样本进行基于体素的形态测量法分析脑脊液密度，建立了GM密度与第三脑室体积之间的联系。我们的结果显示，与发育正常的患者相比，ASD患者的下丘脑GM密度降低，第三脑室体积增加。我们的研究结果为下丘脑内ASD的社交缺陷提供了神经解剖学见解，这可能与其他精神疾病有关。
