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Updated: Jul 12, 2026
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Probing the Brain in Autism Using fMRI and Diffusion Tensor Imaging
Published on: September 12, 2011
Structural brain alterations in autism: A voxel-based morphometry mega-analysis in 3,051 participants across 51 sites
Biorxiv : the Preprint Server for Biology
|July 10, 2026
Summary
This large autism brain study found smaller gray and white matter volumes across many brain regions. These structural differences are linked to reward processing and sensorimotor functions in autism.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Neuroanatomy
- Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
Background:
- Previous MRI studies in autism identified gray matter (GM) differences in broad regions.
- These analyses lacked spatial specificity, potentially obscuring focal neuroanatomical alterations.
- Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) offers greater precision for localizing GM and white matter (WM) differences in autism.
Purpose of the Study:
- To conduct the largest VBM mega-analysis to date.
- To identify voxel-wise GM and WM volume differences in autism with high spatial resolution.
Main Methods:
- Included 3,051 participants (1,519 with autism, 1,532 neurotypicals).
- Analyzed structural 3D T1-weighted MRI scans using the ENIGMA CAT12 VBM pipeline.
- Employed linear mixed-effects regression to assess group differences in voxel-wise volumes.
Main Results:
- Autism associated with widespread lower GM volume in cortical, subcortical, and cerebellar regions.
- Significant alterations observed in orbitofrontal cortex, amygdala, thalamus, and cerebellum.
- Lower WM volume detected in major tracts, including the corona radiata, internal capsule, and cerebellar peduncles.
Conclusions:
- Autism is characterized by smaller GM and WM volumes across widespread brain regions.
- Findings provide high-resolution localization of structural brain differences in autism.
- Supports involvement of distributed neural systems in reward processing, sensory integration, and motor function.
