The British Journal of Psychiatry (2007) 191: 224-228. doi: 10.1192/bjp.bp.106.034603
© 2007 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Data supplement
Right arrow Submit an eLetter
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Related articles in BJP
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via CrossRef
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Right arrow Citing Articles via Scopus
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Craig, M. C.
Right arrow Articles by Murphy, D. G. M.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Craig, M. C.
Right arrow Articles by Murphy, D. G. M.

Women with autistic-spectrum disorder: magnetic resonance imaging study of brain anatomy

Michael C. Craig, BSc, MRCOG, MRCPsych, Shahid H. Zaman, MRCPsych, Eileen M. Daly, BA, William J. Cutter, MRCPsych, Dene M. W. Robertson, MRCPsych, Brian Hallahan, MRCPsych, Fiona Toal, MSc, Suzie Reed, MSc, Anita Ambikapathy, MRCPsych, Mick Brammer, PhD, Clodagh M. Murphy, MRCPsych and Declan G. M. Murphy, MD, FRCPsych

Section of Brain Maturation, Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK

Correspondence: Dr Michael Craig, PO Box 50, Institute of Psychiatry, De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8AF, UK. Tel: +44 (0)20 7848 0364; fax: +44 (0)20 7848 0650; email: m.craig{at}iop.kcl.ac.uk

Declaration of interest None.

Background Our understanding of anatomical differences in people with autistic-spectrum disorder, is based on mixed-gender or male samples.

Aims To study regional grey-matter and white-matter differences in the brains of women with autistic-spectrum disorder.

Method We compared the brain anatomy of 14 adult women with autistic-spectrum disorder with 19 controls using volumetric magnetic resonance imaging and voxel-based morphometry.

Results Women with autistic-spectrum disorder had a smaller density bilaterally of grey matter in the fronto-temporal cortices and limbic system, and of white matter in the temporallobes (anterior) and pons. In contrast, they had a larger white-matter density bilaterally in regions of the association and projection fibres of the frontal, parietal, posterior temporal and occipital lobes, in the commissural fibres of the corpus callosum (splenium) and cerebellum (anterior lobe). Further, we found a negative relationship between reduced grey-matter density in right limbic regions and social communication ability.

Conclusions Women with autistic-spectrum disorder have significant differences in brain anatomy from controls, in brain regions previously reported as abnormal in adult men with the disorder. Some anatomical differences may be related to clinical symptoms.


Related articles in BJP:

Highlights of this issue
Sukhwinder S. Shergill
BJP 2007 191: A9. [Full Text]  



This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Br. J. PsychiatryHome page
P. Tyrer

The British Journal of Psychiatry, January 1, 2008; 192(1): 82 - 82.
[Full Text] [PDF]