The effects of early-treated phenylketonuria on volumetric measures of the cerebellum.

Past murine studies of phenylketonuria (PKU) have documented significant effects on cerebellum at both the gross and cellular levels. The profile of neurocognitive and motor difficulties associated with early-treated PKU (ETPKU) is also consistent with potential cerebellar involvement. Previous neuroanatomical studies of cerebellum in patients with PKU, however, have yielded mixed results.

A longitudinal analysis of regional brain volumes in macaques exposed to X-irradiation in early gestation.

Background: Early gestation represents a period of vulnerability to environmental insult that has been associated with adult psychiatric disease. However, little is known about how prenatal perturbation translates into adult brain dysfunction. Here, we use a longitudinal study design to examine the effects of disruption of early gestational neurogenesis on brain volume in the non-human primate.

Facial phenotypes in subgroups of prepubertal boys with autism spectrum disorders are correlated with clinical phenotypes.

Background: The brain develops in concert and in coordination with the developing facial tissues, with each influencing the development of the other and sharing genetic signaling pathways. Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) result from alterations in the embryological brain, suggesting that the development of the faces of children with ASD may result in subtle facial differences compared to typically developing children. In this study, we tested two hypotheses.