Age-related temporal and parietal cortical thinning in autism spectrum disorders.

ABSTRACT: Studies of head size and brain volume in autism spectrum disorders have suggested that early cortical overgrowth may be followed by prematurely arrested growth. However, the few investigations quantifying cortical thickness have yielded inconsistent results, probably due to variable ages and/or small sample sizes. We assessed differences in cortical thickness between high-functioning adolescent and young adult males with autism spectrum disorders (n = 41) and matched typically developing males (n = 40). We hypothesized thinner cortex, particularly in frontal, parietal and temporal regions, for individuals with autism spectrum disorders in comparison with typically developing controls. Furthermore, we expected to find an age × diagnosis interaction: with increasing age, more pronounced cort

SUBMITTER: Wallace GL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2995883 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature