Voxel-based morphometry in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder

Aim. The aim of this article is to evaluate changes in the grey matter volume using the VBM method in a group of adolescents with ASD who met the criteria for Asperger syndrome. Material and methods. Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) was performed in 37 male adolescents, aged 12 to 19 (M = 14.3 +/- 2.0), with autism spectrum disorder who met the DSM-IV-TR criteria for Asperger syndrome and 15 neurotypical adolescents matched by age. Significance was set at p < 0.05 with FWE (family-wise error) correction and p < 0.007 without FWE correction. Results. The decrease in the volume of grey matter was observed in ASD group including the pre - and postcentral gyrus, the superior and middle frontal gyrus, the inferior and superior parietal lobule, the precuneus, the anterior and posterior cingulate cortex, the fusiform gyrus, the parahippocampal gyrus, the lingual gyrus, the middle occipital region, the cuneus and the angular gyrus, the regions of calcarine sulcus, and the cerebellum. The majority of changes were localized bilaterally. Conclusions. The decrease in the volume of grey matter observed in ASD group, which can be functionally related to the characteristics of deficits observed in autism spectrum disorder, highlights the role of abnormal organization of numerous CNS structures in the genesis of symptoms observed in cognitive and behavioral domains.