Cited by 378Autism Spectrum Disorder ResearchGenetics and Neurodevelopmental DisordersSchizophrenia research and treatment

Longitudinal changes in cortical thickness in autism and typical development

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Zielinski, Brandon A., Prigge, Molly B. D., Nielsen, Jared A., Froehlich, Alyson L., Abildskov, Tracy J., Anderson, Jeffrey S., Fletcher, P. Thomas, Zygmunt, Kristen M. +5 more·2014·Brain

Abstract

The natural history of brain growth in autism spectrum disorders remains unclear. Cross-sectional studies have identified regional abnormalities in brain volume and cortical thickness in autism, although substantial discrepancies have been reported. Preliminary longitudinal studies using two time points and small samples have identified specific regional differences in cortical thickness in the disorder. To clarify age-related trajectories of cortical development, we examined longitudinal changes in cortical thickness within a large mixed cross-sectional and longitudinal sample of autistic subjects and age- and gender-matched typically developing controls. Three hundred and forty-five magnetic resonance imaging scans were examined from 97 males with autism (mean age = 16.8 years; range 3-36 years) and 60 males with typical development (mean age = 18 years; range 4-39 years), with an average interscan interval of 2.6 years. FreeSurfer image analysis software was used to parcellate the cortex into 34 regions of interest per hemisphere and to calculate mean cortical thickness for each region. Longitudinal linear mixed effects models were used to further characterize these findings and identify regions with between-group differences in longitudinal age-related trajectories. Using mean age at time of first scan as a reference (15 years), differences were observed in bilateral inferior frontal gyrus, pars opercularis and pars triangularis, right caudal middle frontal and left rostral middle frontal regions, and left frontal pole. However, group differences in cortical thickness varied by developmental stage, and were influenced by IQ. Differences in age-related trajectories emerged in bilateral parietal and occipital regions (postcentral gyrus, cuneus, lingual gyrus, pericalcarine cortex), left frontal regions (pars opercularis, rostral middle frontal and frontal pole), left supramarginal gyrus, and right transverse temporal gyrus, superior parietal lobule, and paracentral, lateral orbitofrontal, and lateral occipital regions. We suggest that abnormal cortical development in autism spectrum disorders undergoes three distinct phases: accelerated expansion in early childhood, accelerated thinning in later childhood and adolescence, and decelerated thinning in early adulthood. Moreover, cortical thickness abnormalities in autism spectrum disorders are region-specific, vary with age, and may remain dynamic well into adulthood.

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  1. Prigge MD, Bigler ED, Fletcher PT, Zielinski BA, Ravichandran C, Anderson J, et al. Longitudinal Heschl's gyrus growth during childhood and adolescence in typical development and autism. Autism Res 2013; 6: 78-90.

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Authors
Zielinski, B. A., Prigge, M. B. D., Nielsen, J. A., Froehlich, A. L., Abildskov, T. J., Anderson, J. S., Fletcher, P. T., Zygmunt, K. M., Travers, B. G., Lange, N., Alexander, A. L., Bigler, E. D., & Lainhart, J. E.
Affiliations
  • Primary Children's Hospital (US)
  • University of Utah (US)
  • Brigham Young University (US)
  • University of Wisconsin–Madison (US)
  • Harvard University (US)
  • University of Wisconsin System (US)
Venue
Brain
Published
2014-04-22
Volume
137
Issue
6
Pages
1799-1812
ISSN
  • 0006-8950 (ISSN-L)
  • 1460-2156
OpenAlex
W2115716215
Cited by
378
References
63
Citations by year
2026: 21 · 2025: 22 · 2024: 27 · 2023: 20 · 2022: 37 · 2021: 35 · 2020: 32 · 2019: 36 · 2018: 45 · 2017: 24 · 2016: 37 · 2015: 35 · 2014: 7
FWCI
19.15
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Brain (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institute of Mental Health (K08MH100609, R01MH097464, K08MH092697, R01MH084795)
  • National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (T32NS076067)
  • Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (K12HD001410, T32 HD 07489, P30HD003352, T32HD007489)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Genetics and Neurodevelopmental Disorders
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Schizophrenia research and treatment
Keywords
autism spectrum disorder, cortical thickness, cortical development, brain growth, typically developing controls, inferior frontal gyrus, frontal pole, frontal lobe, parietal cortex, occipital cortex, IQ
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Adult, Autistic Disorder, Brain Mapping, Cerebral Cortex, Child, Child, Preschool, Humans, Intelligence Tests, Functional Laterality, Longitudinal Studies, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Young Adult

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