The Australian and New Zealand journal of psychiatry
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Aust N Z J Psychiatry · Aug 2016
Review Meta AnalysisBrain gray matter alterations and associated demographic profiles in adults with autism spectrum disorder: A meta-analysis of voxel-based morphometry studies.
There is increasing evidence that children with autism spectrum disorder are accompanied by specific anatomical alterations. However, the anatomical abnormalities in adults with autism spectrum disorder are poorly understood. This study was aimed to identify the neuroanatomical substrates underlying the pathophysiology of adults with autism spectrum disorder. We also investigated the relationship between neuroanatomical alterations and clinical and demographic characteristics. ⋯ These findings confirmed that the neuroanatomical alterations in the fronto-temporal cortices, limbic system and cerebellum in adult individuals with autism were different from the children and young adolescent's autism. The effects of demographic characteristics on the brain morphological changes allow us to further clarify the neurobiological mechanisms and developmental trajectory in adult population with autism spectrum disorder.