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Article: Brain anatomy and sensorimotor gating in Asperger's syndrome

TitleBrain anatomy and sensorimotor gating in Asperger's syndrome
Authors
KeywordsAsperger's syndrome
Autism
Brain
MRI
Prepulse inhibition
Issue Date2002
PublisherOxford University Press. The Journal's web site is located at http://brain.oxfordjournals.org/
Citation
Brain, 2002, v. 125 n. 7, p. 1594-1606 How to Cite?
AbstractAsperger's syndrome (an autistic disorder) is characterized by stereotyped and obsessional behaviours, and pervasive abnormalities in socio-emotional and communicative behaviour. These symptoms lead to social exclusion and a significant healthcare burden; however, their neurobiological basis is poorly understood. There are few studies on brain anatomy of Asperger's syndrome, and no focal anatomical abnormality has been reliably reported from brain imaging studies of autism, although there is increasing evidence for differences in limbic circuits. These brain regions are important in sensorimotor gating, and impaired 'gating' may partly explain the failure of people with autistic disorders to inhibit repetitive thoughts and actions. Thus, we compared brain anatomy and sensorimotor gating in healthy people with Asperger's syndrome and controls. We included 21 adults with Asperger's syndrome and 24 controls. All had normal IQ and were aged 18-49 years. We studied brain anatomy using quantitative MRI, and sensorimotor gating using prepulse inhibition of startle in a subset of 12 individuals with Asperger's syndrome and 14 controls, We found significant age-related differences in volume of cerebral hemispheres and caudate nuclei (controls, but not people with Asperger's syndrome, had age-related reductions in volume). Also, people with Asperger's syndrome had significantly less grey matter in fronto-striatal and cerebellar regions than controls, and widespread differences in white matter. Moreover, sensorimotor gating was significantly impaired in Asperger's syndrome. People with Asperger's syndrome most likely have generalized alterations in brain development, but this is associated with significant differences from controls in the anatomy and function of specific brain regions implicated in behaviours characterizing the disorder. We hypothesize that Asperger's syndrome is associated with abnormalities in fronto-striatal pathways resulting in defective sensorimotor gating, and consequently characteristic difficulties inhibiting repetitive thoughts, speech and actions.
Persistent Identifierhttp://hdl.handle.net/10722/81485
ISSN
2023 Impact Factor: 10.6
2023 SCImago Journal Rankings: 4.689
ISI Accession Number ID
References

 

DC FieldValueLanguage
dc.contributor.authorMcAlonan, GMen_HK
dc.contributor.authorDaly, Een_HK
dc.contributor.authorKumari, Ven_HK
dc.contributor.authorCritchley, HDen_HK
dc.contributor.authorVan Amelsvoort, Ten_HK
dc.contributor.authorSuckling, Jen_HK
dc.contributor.authorSimmons, Aen_HK
dc.contributor.authorSigmundsson, Ten_HK
dc.contributor.authorGreenwood, Ken_HK
dc.contributor.authorRussell, Aen_HK
dc.contributor.authorSchmitz, Nen_HK
dc.contributor.authorHappe, Fen_HK
dc.contributor.authorHowlin, Pen_HK
dc.contributor.authorMurphy, DGMen_HK
dc.date.accessioned2010-09-06T08:18:20Z-
dc.date.available2010-09-06T08:18:20Z-
dc.date.issued2002en_HK
dc.identifier.citationBrain, 2002, v. 125 n. 7, p. 1594-1606en_HK
dc.identifier.issn0006-8950en_HK
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10722/81485-
dc.description.abstractAsperger's syndrome (an autistic disorder) is characterized by stereotyped and obsessional behaviours, and pervasive abnormalities in socio-emotional and communicative behaviour. These symptoms lead to social exclusion and a significant healthcare burden; however, their neurobiological basis is poorly understood. There are few studies on brain anatomy of Asperger's syndrome, and no focal anatomical abnormality has been reliably reported from brain imaging studies of autism, although there is increasing evidence for differences in limbic circuits. These brain regions are important in sensorimotor gating, and impaired 'gating' may partly explain the failure of people with autistic disorders to inhibit repetitive thoughts and actions. Thus, we compared brain anatomy and sensorimotor gating in healthy people with Asperger's syndrome and controls. We included 21 adults with Asperger's syndrome and 24 controls. All had normal IQ and were aged 18-49 years. We studied brain anatomy using quantitative MRI, and sensorimotor gating using prepulse inhibition of startle in a subset of 12 individuals with Asperger's syndrome and 14 controls, We found significant age-related differences in volume of cerebral hemispheres and caudate nuclei (controls, but not people with Asperger's syndrome, had age-related reductions in volume). Also, people with Asperger's syndrome had significantly less grey matter in fronto-striatal and cerebellar regions than controls, and widespread differences in white matter. Moreover, sensorimotor gating was significantly impaired in Asperger's syndrome. People with Asperger's syndrome most likely have generalized alterations in brain development, but this is associated with significant differences from controls in the anatomy and function of specific brain regions implicated in behaviours characterizing the disorder. We hypothesize that Asperger's syndrome is associated with abnormalities in fronto-striatal pathways resulting in defective sensorimotor gating, and consequently characteristic difficulties inhibiting repetitive thoughts, speech and actions.en_HK
dc.languageengen_HK
dc.publisherOxford University Press. The Journal's web site is located at http://brain.oxfordjournals.org/en_HK
dc.relation.ispartofBrainen_HK
dc.rightsBrain. Copyright © Oxford University Press.en_HK
dc.subjectAsperger's syndromeen_HK
dc.subjectAutismen_HK
dc.subjectBrainen_HK
dc.subjectMRIen_HK
dc.subjectPrepulse inhibitionen_HK
dc.titleBrain anatomy and sensorimotor gating in Asperger's syndromeen_HK
dc.typeArticleen_HK
dc.identifier.openurlhttp://library.hku.hk:4550/resserv?sid=HKU:IR&issn=0006-8950&volume=125&issue=Pt 7&spage=1594&epage=606&date=2002&atitle=Brain+anatomy+and+sensorimotor+gating+in Asperger%27s+syndromeen_HK
dc.identifier.emailMcAlonan, GM: mcalonan@hkucc.hku.hken_HK
dc.identifier.authorityMcAlonan, GM=rp00475en_HK
dc.description.naturelink_to_OA_fulltext-
dc.identifier.doi10.1093/brain/awf150-
dc.identifier.pmid12077008-
dc.identifier.scopuseid_2-s2.0-0036310203en_HK
dc.identifier.hkuros87935en_HK
dc.relation.referenceshttp://www.scopus.com/mlt/select.url?eid=2-s2.0-0036310203&selection=ref&src=s&origin=recordpageen_HK
dc.identifier.volume125en_HK
dc.identifier.issue7en_HK
dc.identifier.spage1594en_HK
dc.identifier.epage1606en_HK
dc.identifier.isiWOS:000176783500015-
dc.publisher.placeUnited Kingdomen_HK
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridMcAlonan, GM=6603123011en_HK
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridDaly, E=7101990804en_HK
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridKumari, V=7005573217en_HK
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridCritchley, HD=7006731538en_HK
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridVan Amelsvoort, T=6701774874en_HK
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridSuckling, J=7004124496en_HK
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridSimmons, A=7101619950en_HK
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridSigmundsson, T=6602171613en_HK
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridGreenwood, K=35556649600en_HK
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridRussell, A=35556811900en_HK
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridSchmitz, N=23467685900en_HK
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridHappe, F=7004098522en_HK
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridHowlin, P=7006180876en_HK
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridMurphy, DGM=7404062227en_HK
dc.identifier.issnl0006-8950-

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