Affiliations: Brain and Behavior Program at Children's Hospital,
Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, USA | Department of Neurology, Louisiana State University
Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, USA | Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, Louisiana
State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, USA | Department of Psychology, Boston University, Boston,
MA, USA
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Tracey A. Knaus, Ph.D., Brain and
Behavior Program at Children's Hospital of New Orleans, Department of
Neurology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, 1542 Tulane
Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA. Tel.: +1 504 896 7745; Fax: +1 504 584
2909; E-mail: tknaus@lsuhsc.edu
Abstract: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by deficits in
social functioning and language and communication, with restricted interests or
stereotyped behaviors. Anatomical differences have been found in the parietal
cortex in children with ASD, but parietal subregions and associations between
Sylvian fissure (SF) and parietal anatomy have not been explored. In this
study, SF length and anterior and posterior parietal volumes were measured on
MRI in 30 right-handed boys with ASD and 30 right-handed typically developing
boys (7–14 years), matched on age and non-verbal IQ. There was leftward
SF and anterior parietal asymmetry, and rightward posterior parietal asymmetry,
across groups. There were associations between SF and parietal asymmetries,
with slight group differences. Typical SF asymmetry was associated with typical
anterior and posterior parietal asymmetry, in both groups. In the atypical SF
asymmetry group, controls had atypical parietal asymmetry, whereas in ASD there
were more equal numbers of individuals with typical as atypical anterior
parietal asymmetry. We did not find significant anatomical-behavioral
associations. Our findings of more individuals in the ASD group having a
dissociation between cortical asymmetries warrants further investigation of
these subgroups and emphasizes the importance of investigating anatomical
relationships in addition to group differences in individual regions.
