Gray matter abnormalities in pediatric autism spectrum disorder: a meta-analysis with signed differential mapping

Abstract

The gray matter abnormalities revealed by magnetic resonance imaging are inconsistent, especially in pediatric individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) (age < 18 years old), a phenomenon possibly related to the core pathophysiology of ASD. The purpose of our meta-analysis was to identify and map the specific gray matter abnormalities in pediatric ASD individuals thereby exploring the potential effects of clinical and demographic characteristics of these gray matter changes. A systematic search was conducted to identify voxel-based morphometry studies in pediatric individuals with ASD. The effect-size signed differential mapping method was used to quantitatively estimate the regional gray matter abnormalities in pediatric ASD individuals. Meta-regression was used to examine the associations among age, gender, intelligence quotient, symptom severity and gray matter changes. Fifteen studies including 364 pediatric individuals with ASD (male = 282, age = 10.3 ± 4.4 years) and 377 healthy controls (male = 289, age = 10.5 ± 4.2 years) were included. Pediatric ASD individuals showed significant gray matter increases in the right angular gyrus, left superior and middle frontal gyrus, left precuneus, left inferior occipital gyrus and right inferior temporal gyrus, most of which involving the default mode network, and decreases in the left cerebellum and left postcentral gyrus. The meta-regression analysis showed that the repetitive behavior scores of the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised were positively associated with increased gray matter volumes in the right angular gyrus. Increased rather than decreased gray matter volume, especially involving the angular gyrus and prefrontal cortex may be the core pathophysiology in the early course of ASD.

Different brain networks underlying intelligence in Autism Spectrum Disorders

“…A recent meta-analysis of grey-matter abnormalities in paediatric ASD reported grey-matter alterations in the right angular gyrus, left inferior occipital gyrus and right inferior temporal gyrus, as well as in frontal, medial parietal and cerebellar regions. Increased greymatter volume of the right angular gyrus was further associated with increased severity of repetitive behaviours, a core symptom in ASD (Liu et al, 2017). The distinct overlap of specific patterns of grey-matter abnormalities with our present study in similar age cohorts could suggest a structural morphometric basis for the identified atypical fluid intelligence functional connectivity subnetwork in children with ASD.…”

Different brain networks underlying intelligence in autism spectrum disorders

“…A recent meta ‐analysis of grey‐matter abnormalities in pediatric ASD reported grey‐matter alterations in the right angular gyrus, left inferior occipital gyrus and right inferior temporal gyrus, as well as in frontal, medial parietal and cerebellar regions. Increased grey‐matter volume of the right angular gyrus was further associated with increased severity of repetitive behaviors, a core symptom in ASD (Liu, et al, ).…”

Autism spectrum disorder: Trends in research exploring etiopathogenesis

“…A subsequent meta-regression analysis showed a positive association of increased gray matter volumes in the right angular gyrus (r = 0.56, P < 0.0001) with repetitive behavior. 89 A summary of structural abnormalities seen in ASD is provided in Table 1.…”