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Updated: Dec 20, 2025

Probing the Brain in Autism Using fMRI and Diffusion Tensor Imaging
Published on: September 12, 2011
Grey-Matter Thickness of the Left But Not the Right Primary Visual Area Correlates with Autism Traits in Typically
Gizem Y Yildiz1, Julian S Vilsten1, Amy Siobhan Millard1
1Department of Psychology and Counselling, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
Abstract:
We examined whether functional and structural variability in the primary visual area (V1) correlated with autism traits. Twenty-nine participants (16 males; MAge = 26.4 years, SDAge = 4.0 years) completed the autism-spectrum quotient (AQ) questionnaire prior to a magnetic resonance imaging session. The total AQ scores was used to assess the degree of self-reported autism traits. The average functional activation in V1 to visual stimulation and its average grey-matter thickness were calculated. There were no correlations between functional activation in V1 and autism traits. Conversely, grey-matter thickness of the left but not the right V1 correlated with autism traits. We conclude that structural changes in the left V1 could be a marker for the presence of autism traits.
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