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Measures of Cortical Grey Matter Structure and Development in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

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Abstract

The current study examined group differences in cortical volume, surface area, and thickness with age, in a group of typically developing children and a group of children with ASD aged 6–15 years. Results showed evidence of age by group interactions, suggesting atypicalities in the relation between these measures and age in the ASD group. Additional vertex-based analyses of cortical thickness revealed that specific regions in the left inferior frontal gyrus (BA 44) and left precuneus showed thicker cortex for the ASD group at younger ages only. These data support the hypothesis of an abnormal developmental trajectory of the cortex in ASD, which could have profound effects on other aspects of neural development in children with ASD.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research [MOP-81161 to MJT], the National Alliance for Autism Research/Autism Speaks [1468 to MJT and WR] and the Ontario Council of Graduate Studies [Autism Scholar’s Award to KMM]. The authors thank Drew Morris for technical support, and Marion Malone, Laura Hopf, and staff at the Autism Research Unit, Hospital for Sick Children, for help with behavioural testing and recruitment. We would also like to thank all the wonderful families and children who participated in this study and made this research possible.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Kathleen M. Mak-Fan & Margot J. Taylor

  2. Diagnostic Imaging, Hospital for Sick Children, 555 University Avenue, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8, Canada

    Kathleen M. Mak-Fan & Margot J. Taylor

  3. Autism Research Unit, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Wendy Roberts

  4. NMH Research Institute, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Margot J. Taylor & Jason P. Lerch

  5. Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Jason P. Lerch

  6. Bloorview Kids Rehab, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Wendy Roberts

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  1. Kathleen M. Mak-Fan
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Correspondence to Kathleen M. Mak-Fan.

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Mak-Fan, K.M., Taylor, M.J., Roberts, W. et al. Measures of Cortical Grey Matter Structure and Development in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Autism Dev Disord 42, 419–427 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-011-1261-6

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