International Meeting for Autism Research: Corticostriatal Circuitry and Inhibitory Control in Autism: Findings From Diffusion Tensor Imaging Tractography

Corticostriatal Circuitry and Inhibitory Control in Autism: Findings From Diffusion Tensor Imaging Tractography

Friday, May 21, 2010
Franklin Hall B Level 4 (Philadelphia Marriott Downtown)
3:00 PM
M. Langen , Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
P. Johnston , Section of Brain Maturation, Department of Psychological Medicine and Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
A. Leemans , Department of Radiology, Image Sciences Institute, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
C. Ecker , Section of Brain Maturation, Department of Psychological Medicine and Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
E. Daly , Section of Brain Maturation, Department of Psychological Medicine and Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
C. M. Murphy , Section of Brain Maturation, Department of Psychological Medicine and Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
M. Catani , Section of Brain Maturation, Department of Psychological Medicine and Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
F. dell'Acqua , Section of Brain Maturation, Department of Psychological Medicine and Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
S. Durston , Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
H. van Engeland , Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands
D. G. Murphy , Section of Brain Maturation, Department of Psychological Medicine and Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
M. R. C. -. A. I. M. S. Consortium , Institute of Psychiatry, London; University of Oxford; University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
Background:
Repetitive behaviour and inhibitory control deficits are core features of autism; and it has been suggested that they result from differences in the anatomy of striatum; and/or the ‘connectivity’ of subcortical regions to cortex. There are few studies, however, that have measured the micro-structural organisation of white matter tracts connecting striatum and cerebral cortex.
Objectives:
To investigate differences in bulk volume of striatum and microstructural integrity of corticostriatal white matter in people with autism; and their association with repetitive behaviour and inhibitory control.
Methods:
We compared the bulk volume of striatum (caudate nucleus, putamen and nucleus accumbens) and white matter integrity of corticostriatal tracts using (respectively) sMRI and tract specific DTI measures in 21 adults with autism and 22 controls. We also assessed performance on a cognitive inhibition (go/nogo) task.
Results:
Bulk volume of striatal structures did not differ between groups. However, adults with autism had a significantly smaller total brain white matter volume, lower fractional anisotropy of white matter tracts connecting putamen to frontal cortical areas, and worse performance on the go/nogo task. Also, performance on the go/nogo task was significantly related to anatomical variation when both groups were combined; but not within the autism group alone. 
Conclusions:
Autism is associated with differences in the anatomy of corticostriatal white matter tracts.
See more of: Neuropathology
See more of: Brain Structure & Function