The British Journal of Psychiatry (2009) 194: 418-425. doi: 10.1192/bjp.bp.107.049007
© 2009 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
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 CrossRef
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Right arrow Citing Articles via Scopus
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Toal, F.
Right arrow Articles by Murphy, D. G. M.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Toal, F.
Right arrow Articles by Murphy, D. G. M.

Psychosis and autism: magnetic resonance imaging study of brain anatomy

Fiona Toal, MRCPsych

Department of Psychiatry, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland, and Section of Brain Maturation, Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London, UK

Oswald J. N. Bloemen, MD, LLM, Quinton Deeley, MRCPsych, Nigel Tunstall, MRCPych, Eileen M. Daly, BA and Lisa Page, MRCPsych, MSc

Section of Brain Maturation, Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London, UK

Michael J. Brammer, PhD

Section of Image Analysis, Centre for Neuroimaging Science, Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London, UK

Kieran C. Murphy, PhD, FRCPsych

Department of Psychiatry, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland

Declan G. M. Murphy, MD (USA), FRCPsych

Section of Brain Maturation, Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London, UK

Correspondence: Fiona Toal, Victorian Institute of Forensic Mental Health, Yarra Bend Road Fairfield, Victoria 3078, Australia. Email: fiona.toal{at}forensicare.vic.gov.au

Declaration of Interest

None.

Funding

This study was supported by the MRC UK AIMS network, and the South London and Maudsley NHS Trust.

Background

Autism-spectrum disorder is increasingly recognised, with recent studies estimating that 1% of children in South London are affected. However, the biology of comorbid mental health problems in people with autism-spectrum disorder is poorly understood.

Aims

To investigate the brain anatomy of people with autism-spectrum disorder with and without psychosis.

Method

We used in vivo magnetic resonance imaging and compared 30 adults with autism-spectrum disorder (14 with a history psychosis) and 16 healthy controls.

Results

Compared with controls both autism-spectrum disorder groups had significantly less grey matter bilaterally in the temporal lobes and the cerebellum. In contrast, they had increased grey matter in striatal regions. However, those with psychosis also had a significant reduction in grey matter content of frontal and occipital regions. Contrary to our expectation, within autism-spectrum disorder, comparisons revealed that psychosis was associated with a reduction in grey matter of the right insular cortex and bilaterally in the cerebellum extending into the fusiform gyrus and the lingual gyrus.

Conclusions

The presence of neurodevelopmental abnormalities normally associated with autism-spectrum disorder might represent an alternative ‘entry-point’ into a final common pathway of psychosis.


Related articles in BJP:

Highlights of this issue
Sukhwinder S. Shergill
BJP 2009 194: A19. [Full Text]