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Article: Mri study of minor physical anomaly in childhood autism implicates aberrant neurodevelopment in infancy

TitleMri study of minor physical anomaly in childhood autism implicates aberrant neurodevelopment in infancy
Authors
Issue Date2011
PublisherPublic Library of Science. The Journal's web site is located at http://www.plosone.org/home.action
Citation
Plos One, 2011, v. 6 n. 6 How to Cite?
AbstractBackground: MPAs (minor physical anomalies) frequently occur in neurodevelopmental disorders because both face and brain are derived from neuroectoderm in the first trimester. Conventionally, MPAs are measured by evaluation of external appearance. Using MRI can help overcome inherent observer bias, facilitate multi-centre data acquisition, and explore how MPAs relate to brain dysmorphology in the same individual. Optical MPAs exhibit a tightly synchronized trajectory through fetal, postnatal and adult life. As head size enlarges with age, inter-orbital distance increases, and is mostly completed before age 3 years. We hypothesized that optical MPAs might afford a retrospective 'window' to early neurodevelopment; specifically, inter-orbital distance increase may represent a biomarker for early brain dysmaturation in autism. Methods: We recruited 91 children aged 7-16; 36 with an autism spectrum disorder and 55 age- and gender-matched typically developing controls. All children had normal IQ. Inter-orbital distance was measured on T1-weighted MRI scans. This value was entered into a voxel-by-voxel linear regression analysis with grey matter segmented from a bimodal MRI data-set. Age and total brain tissue volume were entered as covariates. Results: Intra-class coefficient for measurement of the inter-orbital distance was 0.95. Inter-orbital distance was significantly increased in the autism group (p = 0.03, 2-tailed). The autism group showed a significant relationship between inter-orbital distance grey matter volume of bilateral amygdalae extending to the unci and inferior temporal poles. Conclusions: Greater inter-orbital distance in the autism group compared with healthy controls is consistent with infant head size expansion in autism. Inter-orbital distance positively correlated with volume of medial temporal lobe structures, suggesting a link to "social brain" dysmorphology in the autism group. We suggest these data support the role of optical MPAs as a "fossil record" of early aberrant neurodevelopment, and potential biomarker for brain dysmaturation in autism. © 2011 Cheung et al.
Persistent Identifierhttp://hdl.handle.net/10722/135403
ISSN
2023 Impact Factor: 2.9
2023 SCImago Journal Rankings: 0.839
PubMed Central ID
ISI Accession Number ID
Funding AgencyGrant Number
ING Asia-Pacific
University of Hong Kong
Funding Information:

Dr G McAlonan received funding donation for autism research from ING Asia-Pacific. The authors acknowledge a generous donation from ING Asia Pacific to support autism research in Department of Psychiatry, University of Hong Kong and University of Hong Kong funding support. No other external funding exists for this study. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

References

 

DC FieldValueLanguage
dc.contributor.authorCheung, Cen_HK
dc.contributor.authorMcAlonan, GMen_HK
dc.contributor.authorFung, YYen_HK
dc.contributor.authorFung, Gen_HK
dc.contributor.authorYu, KKen_HK
dc.contributor.authorTai, KSen_HK
dc.contributor.authorSham, PCen_HK
dc.contributor.authorChua, SEen_HK
dc.date.accessioned2011-07-27T01:34:46Z-
dc.date.available2011-07-27T01:34:46Z-
dc.date.issued2011en_HK
dc.identifier.citationPlos One, 2011, v. 6 n. 6en_HK
dc.identifier.issn1932-6203en_HK
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10722/135403-
dc.description.abstractBackground: MPAs (minor physical anomalies) frequently occur in neurodevelopmental disorders because both face and brain are derived from neuroectoderm in the first trimester. Conventionally, MPAs are measured by evaluation of external appearance. Using MRI can help overcome inherent observer bias, facilitate multi-centre data acquisition, and explore how MPAs relate to brain dysmorphology in the same individual. Optical MPAs exhibit a tightly synchronized trajectory through fetal, postnatal and adult life. As head size enlarges with age, inter-orbital distance increases, and is mostly completed before age 3 years. We hypothesized that optical MPAs might afford a retrospective 'window' to early neurodevelopment; specifically, inter-orbital distance increase may represent a biomarker for early brain dysmaturation in autism. Methods: We recruited 91 children aged 7-16; 36 with an autism spectrum disorder and 55 age- and gender-matched typically developing controls. All children had normal IQ. Inter-orbital distance was measured on T1-weighted MRI scans. This value was entered into a voxel-by-voxel linear regression analysis with grey matter segmented from a bimodal MRI data-set. Age and total brain tissue volume were entered as covariates. Results: Intra-class coefficient for measurement of the inter-orbital distance was 0.95. Inter-orbital distance was significantly increased in the autism group (p = 0.03, 2-tailed). The autism group showed a significant relationship between inter-orbital distance grey matter volume of bilateral amygdalae extending to the unci and inferior temporal poles. Conclusions: Greater inter-orbital distance in the autism group compared with healthy controls is consistent with infant head size expansion in autism. Inter-orbital distance positively correlated with volume of medial temporal lobe structures, suggesting a link to "social brain" dysmorphology in the autism group. We suggest these data support the role of optical MPAs as a "fossil record" of early aberrant neurodevelopment, and potential biomarker for brain dysmaturation in autism. © 2011 Cheung et al.en_HK
dc.languageengen_US
dc.publisherPublic Library of Science. The Journal's web site is located at http://www.plosone.org/home.actionen_HK
dc.relation.ispartofPLoS ONEen_HK
dc.rightsThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.-
dc.subject.meshAutistic Disorder - complications-
dc.subject.meshBrain - growth and development-
dc.subject.meshCongenital Abnormalities - diagnosis - pathology-
dc.subject.meshHead - abnormalities - pathology-
dc.subject.meshMagnetic Resonance Imaging-
dc.titleMri study of minor physical anomaly in childhood autism implicates aberrant neurodevelopment in infancyen_HK
dc.typeArticleen_HK
dc.identifier.emailCheung, C: charlton@hkucc.hku.hken_HK
dc.identifier.emailMcAlonan, GM: mcalonan@hkucc.hku.hken_HK
dc.identifier.emailSham, PC: pcsham@hku.hken_HK
dc.identifier.emailChua, SE: sechua@hku.hken_HK
dc.identifier.authorityCheung, C=rp01574en_HK
dc.identifier.authorityMcAlonan, GM=rp00475en_HK
dc.identifier.authoritySham, PC=rp00459en_HK
dc.identifier.authorityChua, SE=rp00438en_HK
dc.description.naturepublished_or_final_version-
dc.identifier.doi10.1371/journal.pone.0020246en_HK
dc.identifier.pmid21687660-
dc.identifier.pmcidPMC3110727-
dc.identifier.scopuseid_2-s2.0-79958158237en_HK
dc.identifier.hkuros187182en_US
dc.relation.referenceshttp://www.scopus.com/mlt/select.url?eid=2-s2.0-79958158237&selection=ref&src=s&origin=recordpageen_HK
dc.identifier.volume6en_HK
dc.identifier.issue6en_HK
dc.identifier.spagee20246en_US
dc.identifier.epagee20246en_US
dc.identifier.isiWOS:000291611500012-
dc.publisher.placeUnited Statesen_HK
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridCheung, C=7202061845en_HK
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridMcAlonan, GM=6603123011en_HK
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridFung, YY=42361255300en_HK
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridFung, G=36552327800en_HK
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridYu, KK=36706689100en_HK
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridTai, KS=7101738949en_HK
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridSham, PC=34573429300en_HK
dc.identifier.scopusauthoridChua, SE=7201550427en_HK
dc.identifier.citeulike9703665-
dc.identifier.issnl1932-6203-

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