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Liloia D, Zamfira DA, Tanaka M, Manuello J, Crocetta A, Keller R, Cozzolino M, Duca S, Cauda F, Costa T. Disentangling the role of gray matter volume and concentration in autism spectrum disorder: A meta-analytic investigation of 25 years of voxel-based morphometry research. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 164:105791. [PMID: 38960075 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2023] [Revised: 05/22/2024] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024]
Abstract
Despite over two decades of neuroimaging research, a unanimous definition of the pattern of structural variation associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has yet to be found. One potential impeding issue could be the sometimes ambiguous use of measurements of variations in gray matter volume (GMV) or gray matter concentration (GMC). In fact, while both can be calculated using voxel-based morphometry analysis, these may reflect different underlying pathological mechanisms. We conducted a coordinate-based meta-analysis, keeping apart GMV and GMC studies of subjects with ASD. Results showed distinct and non-overlapping patterns for the two measures. GMV decreases were evident in the cerebellum, while GMC decreases were mainly found in the temporal and frontal regions. GMV increases were found in the parietal, temporal, and frontal brain regions, while GMC increases were observed in the anterior cingulate cortex and middle frontal gyrus. Age-stratified analyses suggested that such variations are dynamic across the ASD lifespan. The present findings emphasize the importance of considering GMV and GMC as distinct yet synergistic indices in autism research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donato Liloia
- GCS-fMRI, Koelliker Hospital and Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy; Functional Neuroimaging and Complex Neural Systems (FOCUS) Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Denisa Adina Zamfira
- School of Psychology, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy; Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy
| | - Masaru Tanaka
- HUN-REN-SZTE Neuroscience Research Group, Hungarian Research Network, University of Szeged (HUN-REN-SZTE), Danube Neuroscience Research Laboratory, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Jordi Manuello
- GCS-fMRI, Koelliker Hospital and Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy; Functional Neuroimaging and Complex Neural Systems (FOCUS) Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.
| | - Annachiara Crocetta
- GCS-fMRI, Koelliker Hospital and Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy; Functional Neuroimaging and Complex Neural Systems (FOCUS) Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Roberto Keller
- Adult Autism Center, DSM Local Health Unit, ASL TO, Turin, Italy
| | - Mauro Cozzolino
- Department of Humanities, Philosophical and Educational Sciences, University of Salerno, Fisciano, Italy
| | - Sergio Duca
- GCS-fMRI, Koelliker Hospital and Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy; Functional Neuroimaging and Complex Neural Systems (FOCUS) Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Franco Cauda
- GCS-fMRI, Koelliker Hospital and Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy; Functional Neuroimaging and Complex Neural Systems (FOCUS) Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy; Neuroscience Institute of Turin (NIT), Turin, Italy
| | - Tommaso Costa
- GCS-fMRI, Koelliker Hospital and Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy; Functional Neuroimaging and Complex Neural Systems (FOCUS) Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy; Neuroscience Institute of Turin (NIT), Turin, Italy
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Ramos Benitez J, Kannan S, Hastings WL, Parker BJ, Willbrand EH, Weiner KS. Ventral temporal and posteromedial sulcal morphology in autism spectrum disorder. Neuropsychologia 2024; 195:108786. [PMID: 38181845 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2024.108786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 01/07/2024]
Abstract
Two parallel research tracks link the morphology of small and shallow indentations, or sulci, of the cerebral cortex with functional features of the cortex and human cognition, respectively. The first track identified a relationship between the mid-fusiform sulcus (MFS) in ventral temporal cortex (VTC) and cognition in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The second track identified a new sulcus, the inframarginal sulcus (IFRMS), that serves as a tripartite landmark within the posteromedial cortex (PMC). As VTC and PMC are structurally and functionally different in ASD, here, we integrated these two tracks and tested if there are morphological differences in VTC and PMC sulci in a sample of young (5-17 years old) male participants (50 participants with ASD and 50 neurotypical controls). Our approach replicates and extends recent findings in four ways. First, regarding replication, the standard deviation (STD) of MFS cortical thickness (CT) was increased in ASD. Second, MFS length was shorter in ASD. Third, the CT STD effect extended to other VTC and to PMC sulci. Fourth, additional morphological features of VTC sulci (depth, surface area, gray matter volume) and PMC sulci (mean CT) were decreased in ASD, including putative tertiary sulci, which emerge last in gestation and continue to develop after birth. To our knowledge, this study is the most extensive comparison of the sulcal landscape (including putative tertiary sulci) in multiple cortical expanses between individuals with ASD and NTs based on manually defined sulci at the level of individual hemispheres, providing novel targets for future studies of neurodevelopmental disorders more broadly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Ramos Benitez
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Sandhya Kannan
- Department of Radiology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - William L Hastings
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Benjamin J Parker
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Ethan H Willbrand
- Medical Scientist Training Program, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Kevin S Weiner
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA; Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
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