Altered Neural Connectivity in Females, But Not Males with Autism: Preliminary Evidence for the Female Protective Effect from a Quality-Controlled Diffusion Tensor Imaging Study.

Previous studies using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to investigate white matter (WM) structural connectivity have suggested widespread, although inconsistent WM alterations in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), such as greater reductions in fractional anisotropy (FA). However, findings may lack generalizability because: (a) most have focused solely on the ASD male brain phenotype, and not sex-differences in WM integrity; (b) many lack stringent and transparent data quality control such as controlling for head motion in analysis. This study addressed both issues by using Tract-Based Spatial Statistics (TBSS) to separately compare WM differences in 81 ASD (56 male, 25 female; 4-21 years old) and 39 typically developing (TD; 23 males, 16 females; 5-18 years old) children and young people, carefully group-matched on sex, age, cognitive abilities, and head motion.

Cortical morphological markers in children with autism: a structural magnetic resonance imaging study of thickness, area, volume, and gyrification.

Background: Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have been characterized by altered cerebral cortical structures; however, the field has yet to identify consistent markers and prior studies have included mostly adolescents and adults. While there are multiple cortical morphological measures, including cortical thickness, surface area, cortical volume, and cortical gyrification, few single studies have examined all these measures. The current study analyzed all of the four measures and focused on pre-adolescent children with ASD.

Normalization of brain morphology after surgery in sagittal craniosynostosis.

OBJECT Nonsyndromic craniosynostosis (NSC) is associated with significant learning disability later in life. Surgical reconstruction is typically performed before 1 year of age to correct the cranial vault morphology and to allow for normalized brain growth with the goal of improving cognitive function. Yet, no studies have assessed to what extent normalized brain growth is actually achieved.

White Matter Abnormalities in Autism and Unaffected Siblings.

This study was conducted to identify a potential neuroendophenotype for autism using diffusion tensor imaging. Whole-brain, voxel-based analysis of fractional anisotropy was conducted in 50 children: 19 with autism, 20 unaffected siblings, and 11 controls. Relative to controls, participants with autism exhibited bilateral reductions in fractional anisotropy across association, commissure, and projection fibers.

Altered brain connectivity in sagittal craniosynostosis.

Object: Sagittal nonsyndromic craniosynostosis (sNSC) is the most common form of NSC. The condition is associated with a high prevalence (> 50%) of deficits in executive function. The authors employed diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and functional MRI to evaluate whether hypothesized structural and functional connectivity differences underlie the observed neurocognitive morbidity of sNSC.

A two-year longitudinal pilot MRI study of the brainstem in autism.

Research has demonstrated the potential role of the brainstem in the pathobiology of autism. Previous studies have suggested reductions in brainstem volume and a relationship between this structure and sensory abnormalities. However, little is known regarding the developmental aspects of the brainstem across childhood and adolescence.

Reduced central white matter volume in autism: implications for long-range connectivity.

Cortical and central white matter (WM) volumes were measured to assess short- and long-range connectivity in autism, respectively. Subjects included 23 boys with autism and 23 matched controls, all without intellectual disability. Magnetic resonance imaging data obtained at 1.

Diffusion tensor imaging in autism spectrum disorders: preliminary evidence of abnormal neural connectivity.

Objective: This study indirectly tested the hypothesis that individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) have impaired neural connections between the amygdala, fusiform face area, and superior temporal sulcus, key processing nodes of the 'social brain'. This would be evidenced by abnormalities in the major fibre tracts known to connect these structures, including the inferior longitudinal fasciculus and inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus.

Method: Magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging was performed on 20 right-handed males (ASD = 10, controls = 10) with a mean age 13.

Enlarged right superior temporal gyrus in children and adolescents with autism.

The superior temporal gyrus has been implicated in language processing and social perception. Therefore, anatomical abnormalities of this structure may underlie some of the deficits observed in autism, a severe neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impairments in social interaction and communication. In this study, volumes of the left and right superior temporal gyri were measured using magnetic resonance imaging obtained from 18 boys with high-functioning autism (mean age=13.

Cortical gyrification in autistic and Asperger disorders: a preliminary magnetic resonance imaging study.

The validity of Asperger disorder as a distinct syndrome from autism is unclear partly because of the paucity of differentiating neurobiological evidence. Frontal lobe cortical folding between these disorders was compared using the gyrification index. Twenty-three boys underwent structural magnetic resonance imaging: 6 with high-functioning autism, 9 with Asperger disorder, and 8 controls.

Retrospective study of quetiapine in children and adolescents with pervasive developmental disorders.

A retrospective study was conducted in a clinic specialized in treating individuals with developmental disabilities to examine the effectiveness and tolerability of quetiapine in children and adolescents with pervasive developmental disorders. Ten consecutive outpatients (age = 12.0 +/- 5.

Retrospective assessment of atomoxetine in children and adolescents with pervasive developmental disorders.

A retrospective study was conducted to assess the effectiveness and tolerability of atomoxetine in children and adolescents with pervasive developmental disorders (PDD). An outpatient clinic registry of individuals with PDD was used to identify all children and adolescents who received atomoxetine over a period of 12 months. Patients were included if concomitant medications remained unchanged.

Reduced cortical folding in individuals at high risk for schizophrenia: a pilot study.

While cortical gyrification anomalies have been reported in schizophrenia, it is unknown if individuals at high risk for schizophrenia (HR) might also exhibit abnormal cortical folding. Using MRI scans, the gyrification index (GI) was calculated for 9 adolescent HR males and 12 healthy male controls. Using the first coronal slice anterior to the corpus callosum, cortical contours were manually traced to calculate the GI.

A retrospective assessment of topiramate in children and adolescents with pervasive developmental disorders.

An open-label retrospective study was conducted to assess the effectiveness and tolerability of topiramate in children and adolescents with pervasive developmental disorders (PDD). Topiramate is a novel antiepileptic drug approved as an adjunctive treatment for seizure disorders. A retrospective chart review was conducted in an outpatient clinic specialized in treating individuals with developmental disabilities, to identify all children and adolescents with PDD who received topiramate.

Increased frontal cortical folding in autism: a preliminary MRI study.

The gyrification index (GI), the ratio of total to outer cortical contour, was applied to measure the cerebral folding patterns in autism. GI was examined on a frontal coronal slice obtained from MRI scans of 30 nonmentally retarded individuals with autism and 32 matched healthy controls. In the autistic group, left frontal GI was higher in children and adolescents but not in adults.

Triple diagnosis: dual diagnosis and HIV disease, part 2.

This review highlights the psychiatric, psychosocial, and substance use treatment issues relevant to the care of patients with triple diagnosis. A discussion of the various psychosocial and psychopharmacologic strategies stresses the importance of integrating medical, psychiatric, and substance use interventions. Components of integrated treatment include a collaborative relationship with various medical services involved in the patient's care, psychotherapeutic interventions tailored to the patient's readiness for change and incorporating motivational strategies, special attention to psychosocial needs, strong emphasis on psychoeducation, and psychopharmacologic management.

Triple diagnosis: dual diagnosis and HIV disease, Part 1.

Substance use disorders and psychiatric illness commonly co-occur in what is known as dual diagnosis. With the spread of HIV infection in persons with dual diagnoses, the triple diagnosis has emerged as a clinically challenging condition for primary care physicians, addiction medicine specialists, and psychiatrists. Existing data support the high prevalence of triple-diagnosis patients in psychiatric, substance abuse, and HIV treatment settings.