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Cerebellar vermal volumes and behavioral correlates in children with autism spectrum disorder.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Webb, SJ; Sparks, B-F; Friedman, SD; Shaw, DWW; Giedd, J; Dawson, G; Dager, SR
Published in: Psychiatry Res
April 30, 2009

Cerebellar histopathological abnormalities have been well documented in autism, although findings of structural differences, as determined by magnetic resonance imaging, have been less consistent. This report explores specific cerebellar vermal structures and their relation with severity of symptoms and cognitive functioning in young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Children with ASD aged 3 to 4 years were compared with typically developing children (TD) matched to the ASD children on chronological age, and children with developmental delay (DD) matched to the ASD children on both chronological and mental age. Volumes of the cerebellum and midsagittal vermal areas were measured from 3-D T1-weighted magnetic resonance images. Children with ASD had reduced total vermis volumes compared with children with TD after controlling for age, sex, and overall cerebral volume or cerebellum volume. In particular, the vermis lobe VI-VII area was reduced in children ASD compared with TD children. Children with DD had smaller total vermis areas compared with children with ASD and TD. Within the ASD group, cerebellar measurements were not correlated with symptom severity, or verbal, non-verbal or full scale IQ. Within the DD group, larger cerebellar measurements were correlated with fewer impairments. The specific relation between altered cerebellar structure and symptom expression in autism remains unclear.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Psychiatry Res

DOI

ISSN

0165-1781

Publication Date

April 30, 2009

Volume

172

Issue

1

Start / End Page

61 / 67

Location

Ireland

Related Subject Headings

  • Sex Factors
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Psychiatry
  • Male
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Intelligence Tests
  • Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
  • Humans
  • Female
  • Developmental Disabilities
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Webb, S. J., Sparks, B.-F., Friedman, S. D., Shaw, D. W. W., Giedd, J., Dawson, G., & Dager, S. R. (2009). Cerebellar vermal volumes and behavioral correlates in children with autism spectrum disorder. Psychiatry Res, 172(1), 61–67. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pscychresns.2008.06.001
Webb, Sara Jane, Bobbi-Faun Sparks, Seth D. Friedman, Dennis W. W. Shaw, Jay Giedd, Geraldine Dawson, and Stephen R. Dager. “Cerebellar vermal volumes and behavioral correlates in children with autism spectrum disorder.Psychiatry Res 172, no. 1 (April 30, 2009): 61–67. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pscychresns.2008.06.001.
Webb SJ, Sparks B-F, Friedman SD, Shaw DWW, Giedd J, Dawson G, et al. Cerebellar vermal volumes and behavioral correlates in children with autism spectrum disorder. Psychiatry Res. 2009 Apr 30;172(1):61–7.
Webb, Sara Jane, et al. “Cerebellar vermal volumes and behavioral correlates in children with autism spectrum disorder.Psychiatry Res, vol. 172, no. 1, Apr. 2009, pp. 61–67. Pubmed, doi:10.1016/j.pscychresns.2008.06.001.
Webb SJ, Sparks B-F, Friedman SD, Shaw DWW, Giedd J, Dawson G, Dager SR. Cerebellar vermal volumes and behavioral correlates in children with autism spectrum disorder. Psychiatry Res. 2009 Apr 30;172(1):61–67.
Journal cover image

Published In

Psychiatry Res

DOI

ISSN

0165-1781

Publication Date

April 30, 2009

Volume

172

Issue

1

Start / End Page

61 / 67

Location

Ireland

Related Subject Headings

  • Sex Factors
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Psychiatry
  • Male
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Intelligence Tests
  • Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
  • Humans
  • Female
  • Developmental Disabilities