Tezcan Mustafa Esad, Ataş Abdullah Enes, Ferahkaya Hurşit
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Selcuk Universitesi Tip Fakultesi, Konya, Türkiye.
Radiology, Necmettin Erbakan Universitesi Meram Tip Fakultesi Hastanesi, Konya, Türkiye.
Front Psychiatry. 2025 Aug 19;16:1639695. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1639695. eCollection 2025.
The aim of this study is to investigate, using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the optic nerve diameter, morphometric characteristics of the optic chiasm (OC), volumes of the lateral, third, and fourth ventricles, as well as the volumes of the corpus callosum (CC) and choroid plexus (CP) in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and to compare these findings with those of a typically developing (TD) control group. Additionally, the study seeks to evaluate the impact of these neuroanatomical parameters on autism symptom severity and sensory sensitivity.
This study included 111 children with ASD and 143 TD control children, aged between 5 and 13 years. The severity of ASD was assessed using the Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ) and the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS). Symptoms related to sensory sensitivities in ASD were evaluated using the Autism Behavior Checklist (AuBC).
In the ASD group, OC height, and the volumes of the CP and CC were significantly higher compared to the TD group, whereas OC width and third ventricular volume were significantly lower. There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of optic nerve volumes, OC cross-sectional area, lateral and fourth ventricular volumes, or total brain volume. OC height was positively correlated with CARS, AuBC relationship, and AuBC use of body and objects scores, while OC width was positively correlated with CARS and AuBC use of body and objects scores. Conversely, OC height showed a negative correlation with AuBC personal-social development scores. After controlling for potential confounding variables such as total brain volume, age, and sex, the results of the covariance analysis remained unchanged. In multiple logistic regression analysis, left CP volume was found to be more strongly associated with ASD diagnosis compared to other morphometric measures.
The findings of this study suggest that increased OC height, increased CC and CP volumes, and decreased third ventricular volume may play a role in the etiopathogenesis of altered brain development in children with ASD.
本研究的目的是利用磁共振成像（MRI），调查自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）儿童的视神经直径、视交叉（OC）的形态学特征、侧脑室、第三脑室和第四脑室的体积，以及胼胝体（CC）和脉络丛（CP）的体积，并将这些结果与正常发育（TD）对照组的结果进行比较。此外，该研究旨在评估这些神经解剖学参数对自闭症症状严重程度和感觉敏感性的影响。
本研究纳入了111名年龄在5至13岁之间的ASD儿童和143名TD对照儿童。使用社会交往问卷（SCQ）和儿童自闭症评定量表（CARS）评估ASD的严重程度。使用自闭症行为检查表（AuBC）评估ASD中与感觉敏感性相关的症状。
与TD组相比，ASD组的OC高度、CP和CC的体积显著更高，而OC宽度和第三脑室体积显著更低。两组在视神经体积、OC横截面积、侧脑室和第四脑室体积或全脑体积方面没有显著差异。OC高度与CARS、AuBC关系以及AuBC身体和物体使用得分呈正相关，而OC宽度与CARS和AuBC身体和物体使用得分呈正相关。相反，OC高度与AuBC个人社交发展得分呈负相关。在控制了全脑体积、年龄和性别等潜在混杂变量后，协方差分析结果保持不变。在多元逻辑回归分析中发现左CP体积与ASD诊断的关联比其他形态学测量更强。
本研究结果表明，OC高度增加、CC和CP体积增加以及第三脑室体积减小可能在ASD儿童大脑发育改变的病因学中起作用。
