一項研究報告說,，大腦皮層是覆蓋著大腦的一層灰色物質(zhì),，它們能影響有意識的思維、記憶、語言和其他功能,，在大腦皮層內(nèi)部神經(jīng)連線的差別可能預(yù)測有自閉癥譜系障礙（ASD）的成年人的社會與重復癥狀的嚴重程度,。成像研究已經(jīng)提示，在患自閉癥和沒有患自閉癥的人的白質(zhì)內(nèi)部信號以不同的方式通信,，但是仍然不清楚皮層的灰質(zhì)內(nèi)部的神經(jīng)連線如何受到影響,。ChristineEcker及其同事探索了患自閉癥譜系障礙（ASD）的人們與一般人群的正確連接這個皮層內(nèi)部區(qū)域所需的連接長度的差異。這組作者對患有自閉癥譜系障礙（ASD）和沒有患有該病的68名成年人進行了磁共振成像（MRI）掃描,，結(jié)果發(fā)現(xiàn)患自閉癥的人的連線成本遠遠低于沒有患自閉癥的人,，特別是在大腦的前顳葉區(qū)域。這組作者說,，這些發(fā)現(xiàn)證實了患自閉癥譜系障礙（ASD）的人們的大腦的白質(zhì)和灰質(zhì)中都存在不尋常的連接,，而且發(fā)現(xiàn)了可能是自閉癥癥狀的基礎(chǔ)的一組核心的神經(jīng)變化。（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推薦的英文摘要
PNAS doi: 10.1073/pnas.1221880110
Intrinsic gray-matter connectivity of the brain in adults with autism spectrum disorder
Christine Eckera,1,2, Lisa Ronanb,1, Yue Fenga, Eileen Dalya, Clodagh Murphya, Cedric E. Ginestetc, Michael Brammerc, Paul C. Fletcherb, Edward T. Bullmoreb, John Sucklingb, Simon Baron-Cohend, Steve Williamsc, Eva Lotha, MRC AIMS Consortium3, and Declan G. M. Murphy
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are a group of neurodevelopmental conditions that are accompanied by atypical brain connectivity. So far, in vivo evidence for atypical structural brain connectivity in ASD has mainly been based on neuroimaging studies of cortical white matter. However, genetic studies suggest that abnormal connectivity in ASD may also affect neural connections within the cortical gray matter. Such intrinsic gray-matter connections are inherently more difficult to describe in vivo but may be inferred from a variety of surface-based geometric features that can be measured using magnetic resonance imaging. Here, we present a neuroimaging study that examines the intrinsic cortico-cortical connectivity of the brain in ASD using measures of “cortical separation distances” to assess the global and local intrinsic “wiring costs” of the cortex (i.e., estimated length of horizontal connections required to wire the cortex within the cortical sheet). In a sample of 68 adults with ASD and matched controls, we observed significantly reduced intrinsic wiring costs of cortex in ASD, both globally and locally. Differences in global and local wiring cost were predominantly observed in fronto-temporal regions and also significantly predicted the severity of social and repetitive symptoms (respectively). Our study confirms that atypical cortico-cortical “connectivity” in ASD is not restricted to the development of white-matter connections but may also affect the intrinsic gray-matter architecture (and connectivity) within the cortical sheet. Thus, the atypical connectivity of the brain in ASD is complex, affecting both gray and white matter, and forms part of the core neural substrates underlying autistic symptoms.
