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P50 Sensory Gating in Infants
Published on: December 26, 2013
Brain anatomy and sensorimotor gating in Asperger's syndrome
Grainne M McAlonan1, Eileen Daly, Veena Kumari
1Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK.
Brain : a Journal of Neurology
|June 22, 2002
Summary
Individuals with Asperger's syndrome exhibit altered brain development, specifically in fronto-striatal regions, leading to impaired sensorimotor gating and difficulties inhibiting repetitive behaviors. This research highlights key neurobiological differences in this autistic disorder.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Asperger's syndrome, an autistic disorder, involves stereotyped behaviors and social-communication deficits.
- The neurobiological underpinnings of Asperger's syndrome remain poorly understood, with limited research on brain anatomy.
- Differences in limbic circuits are increasingly suggested, potentially linked to sensorimotor gating deficits.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare brain anatomy and sensorimotor gating in adults with Asperger's syndrome and neurotypical controls.
- To investigate potential neurobiological correlates of repetitive thoughts and actions in Asperger's syndrome.
- To explore age-related volumetric changes in brain regions associated with Asperger's syndrome.
Main Methods:
- Quantitative MRI was used to assess brain anatomy in 21 adults with Asperger's syndrome and 24 controls.
- Sensorimotor gating was evaluated using prepulse inhibition of startle in a subset of participants.
- Participants were adults aged 18-49 years with normal IQ.
Main Results:
- Significant age-related differences in cerebral hemisphere and caudate nucleus volumes were observed.
- Individuals with Asperger's syndrome showed reduced grey matter in fronto-striatal and cerebellar regions compared to controls.
- Widespread white matter differences and significantly impaired sensorimotor gating were found in Asperger's syndrome.
Conclusions:
- Asperger's syndrome is associated with generalized alterations in brain development and specific anatomical differences in fronto-striatal and cerebellar regions.
- Defective sensorimotor gating, linked to fronto-striatal pathway abnormalities, may underlie difficulties in inhibiting repetitive behaviors.
- These findings provide neurobiological insights into the characteristic symptoms of Asperger's syndrome.
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