Brain, Vol. 123, No. 9, 1838-1844,
September 2000
© 2000 Oxford University Press
Abnormal regional cerebral blood flow in childhood autism
1 Departments of Radiology, 2 Psychiatry and 3 Child Neurology, National Center Hospital of Mental, Nervous, and Muscular Disorders, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira City, Tokyo, Japan
Correspondence to:
Takashi Ohnishi, Department of Radiology, 4-1-1 Ogawa higashi, Kodaira City, Tokyo, Japan 187-0031 E-mail: tohnishi{at}hotmail.com
Neuroimaging studies of autism have shown abnormalities in the limbic system and cerebellar circuits and additional sites. These findings are not, however, specific or consistent enough to build up a coherent theory of the origin and nature of the brain abnormality in autistic patients. Twenty-three children with infantile autism and 26 non-autistic controls matched for IQ and age were examined using brain-perfusion single photon emission computed tomography with technetium-99m ethyl cysteinate dimer. In autistic subjects, we assessed the relationship between regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) and symptom profiles. Images were anatomically normalized, and voxel-by-voxel analyses were performed. Decreases in rCBF in autistic patients compared with the control group were identified in the bilateral insula, superior temporal gyri and left prefrontal cortices. Analysis of the correlations between syndrome scores and rCBF revealed that each syndrome was associated with a specific pattern of perfusion in the limbic system and the medial prefrontal cortex. The results confirmed the associations of (i) impairments in communication and social interaction that are thought to be related to deficits in the theory of mind (ToM) with altered perfusion in the medial prefrontal cortex and anterior cingulate gyrus, and (ii) the obsessive desire for sameness with altered perfusion in the right medial temporal lobe. The perfusion abnormalities seem to be related to the cognitive dysfunction observed in autism, such as deficits in ToM, abnormal responses to sensory stimuli, and the obsessive desire for sameness. The perfusion patterns suggest possible locations of abnormalities of brain function underlying abnormal behaviour patterns in autistic individuals.
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  R. A. Wittling, E. Schweiger, L. Rizhova, E. A. Vershinina, and L. B. Starup A simple method for measuring brain asymmetry in children: Application to autism Behav Res Methods, August 1, 2009; 41(3): 812 - 819. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 P. H. Rudebeck, D. M. Bannerman, and M. F. S. Rushworth The contribution of distinct subregions of the ventromedial frontal cortex to emotion, social behavior, and decision making Cogn Affect Behav Neurosci, December 1, 2008; 8(4): 485 - 497. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 S. K. Sundaram, A. Kumar, M. I. Makki, M. E. Behen, H. T. Chugani, and D. C. Chugani Diffusion Tensor Imaging of Frontal Lobe in Autism Spectrum Disorder Cereb Cortex, November 1, 2008; 18(11): 2659 - 2665. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 K. N. Thakkar, F. E. Polli, R. M. Joseph, D. S. Tuch, N. Hadjikhani, J. J.S. Barton, and D. S. Manoach Response monitoring, repetitive behaviour and anterior cingulate abnormalities in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) Brain, September 1, 2008; 131(9): 2464 - 2478. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. Gomot, M. K. Belmonte, E. T. Bullmore, F. A. Bernard, and S. Baron-Cohen Brain hyper-reactivity to auditory novel targets in children with high-functioning autism Brain, September 1, 2008; 131(9): 2479 - 2488. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 N. Schmitz, K. Rubia, T. van Amelsvoort, E. Daly, A. Smith, and D. G.M. Murphy Neural correlates of reward in autism The British Journal of Psychiatry, January 1, 2008; 192(1): 19 - 24. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 H. Matsuda, S. Mizumura, T. Nagao, T. Ota, T. Iizuka, K. Nemoto, N. Takemura, H. Arai, and A. Homma Automated Discrimination Between Very Early Alzheimer Disease and Controls Using an Easy Z-Score Imaging System for Multicenter Brain Perfusion Single-Photon Emission Tomography AJNR Am. J. Neuroradiol., April 1, 2007; 28(4): 731 - 736. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 P. H. Rudebeck, M. J. Buckley, M. E. Walton, and M. F. S. Rushworth A role for the macaque anterior cingulate gyrus in social valuation. Science, September 1, 2006; 313(5791): 1310 - 1312. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 T. J. Silk, N. Rinehart, J. L. Bradshaw, B. Tonge, G. Egan, M. W. O'Boyle, and R. Cunnington Visuospatial Processing and the Function of Prefrontal-Parietal Networks in Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Functional MRI Study Am J Psychiatry, August 1, 2006; 163(8): 1440 - 1443. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 B. Korkmaz, G. Benbir, and V. Demirbilek Migration Abnormality in the Left Cingulate Gyrus Presenting With Autistic Disorder J Child Neurol, July 1, 2006; 21(7): 600 - 604. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 D. P. Kennedy, E. Redcay, and E. Courchesne Failing to deactivate: Resting functional abnormalities in autism PNAS, May 23, 2006; 103(21): 8275 - 8280. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. S. Chan and W. W. M. Leung Differentiating Autistic Children with Quantitative Encephalography: A 3-Month Longitudinal Study J Child Neurol, May 1, 2006; 21(5): 391 - 399. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
K. A. Pelphrey, J. P. Morris, and G. McCarthy Neural basis of eye gaze processing deficits in autism Brain, May 1, 2005; 128(5): 1038 - 1048. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
N. Boddaert, N. Chabane, P. Belin, M. Bourgeois, V. Royer, C. Barthelemy, M.-C. Mouren-Simeoni, A. Philippe, F. Brunelle, Y. Samson, et al. Perception of Complex Sounds in Autism: Abnormal Auditory Cortical Processing in Children Am J Psychiatry, November 1, 2004; 161(11): 2117 - 2120. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. R. Herbert Neuroimaging in Disorders of Social and Emotional Functioning: What Is the Question? J Child Neurol, October 1, 2004; 19(10): 772 - 784. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 R. DeLong Autism and Familial Major Mood Disorder: Are They Related? J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci, May 1, 2004; 16(2): 199 - 213. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
N. Boddaert, P. Belin, N. Chabane, J.-B. Poline, C. Barthelemy, M.-C. Mouren-Simeoni, F. Brunelle, Y. Samson, and M. Zilbovicius Perception of Complex Sounds: Abnormal Pattern of Cortical Activation in Autism Am J Psychiatry, November 1, 2003; 160(11): 2057 - 2060. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 H. Matsuda, T. Ohnishi, T. Asada, Z.-j. Li, H. Kanetaka, E. Imabayashi, F. Tanaka, and S. Nakano Correction for Partial-Volume Effects on Brain Perfusion SPECT in Healthy Men J. Nucl. Med., August 1, 2003; 44(8): 1243 - 1252. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. G. Levitt, R. E. Blanton, S. Smalley, P.M. Thompson, D. Guthrie, J. T. McCracken, T. Sadoun, L. Heinichen, and A. W. Toga Cortical Sulcal Maps in Autism Cereb Cortex, July 1, 2003; 13(7): 728 - 735. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 S.D. Friedman, D.W. Shaw, A.A. Artru, T.L. Richards, J. Gardner, G. Dawson, S. Posse, and S.R. Dager Regional brain chemical alterations in young children with autism spectrum disorder Neurology, January 14, 2003; 60(1): 100 - 107. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
B. Luna, N. J. Minshew, K. E. Garver, N. A. Lazar, K. R. Thulborn, W. F. Eddy, and J. A. Sweeney Neocortical system abnormalities in autism: An fMRI study of spatial working memory Neurology, September 24, 2002; 59(6): 834 - 840. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
B. A. Arnow, J. E. Desmond, L. L. Banner, G. H. Glover, A. Solomon, M. L. Polan, T. F. Lue, and S. W. Atlas Brain activation and sexual arousal in healthy, heterosexual males Brain, May 1, 2002; 125(5): 1014 - 1023. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
H. Matsuda, N. Kitayama, T. Ohnishi, T. Asada, S. Nakano, S. Sakamoto, E. Imabayashi, and A. Katoh Longitudinal Evaluation of Both Morphologic and Functional Changes in the Same Individuals with Alzheimer's Disease J. Nucl. Med., March 1, 2002; 43(3): 304 - 311. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
S. Nakano, T. Asada, H. Matsuda, M. Uno, and M. Takasaki Donepezil Hydrochloride Preserves Regional Cerebral Blood Flow in Patients with Alzheimer's Disease J. Nucl. Med., October 1, 2001; 42(10): 1441 - 1445. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|