Three-dimensional mapping of the lateral ventricles in autism

Vidal, Christine N.; Nicolson, Rob; Boire, Jean-Yves; Barra, Vincent; DeVito, Timothy J.; Hayashi, Kiralee M.; Geaga, Jennifer A.; Drost, Dick J.; Williamson, Peter C.; Rajakumar, Nagalingam; Toga, Arthur W.; Thompson, Paul M.

doi:10.1016/j.pscychresns.2007.11.002

« Previous Next »Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging
Volume 163, Issue 2 , Pages 106-115, 15 July 2008

Three-dimensional mapping of the lateral ventricles in autism

Christine N. Vidal
- Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, Brain Mapping Division, Dept. Neurology, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, USA
Rob Nicolson
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
- Corresponding author. London Health Sciences Centre, 800 Commissioners Road East, E2-601, London, Ontario, Canada N6C-2V5. Tel.: +1 519 685 8427; fax: +1 519 685 8595.
Jean-Yves Boire
- Faculte du Medicine, INSERM, Clermont-Ferrand, France
Vincent Barra
- Department of Computer Sciences, ISIMA Campus Scientifique des Cezaux, Aubiere, France
Timothy J. DeVito
- Department of Medical Biophysics, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
Kiralee M. Hayashi
- Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, Brain Mapping Division, Dept. Neurology, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, USA
Jennifer A. Geaga
- Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, Brain Mapping Division, Dept. Neurology, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, USA
Dick J. Drost
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
Peter C. Williamson
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Medical Biophysics, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
Nagalingam Rajakumar
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
Arthur W. Toga
- Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, Brain Mapping Division, Dept. Neurology, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, USA
Paul M. Thompson
- Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, Brain Mapping Division, Dept. Neurology, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, California, USA

Received 16 November 2006; received in revised form 22 October 2007; accepted 7 November 2007.

Abstract

In this study, a computational mapping technique was used to examine the three-dimensional profile of the lateral ventricles in autism. T1-weighted three-dimensional magnetic resonance images of the brain were acquired from 20 males with autism (age: 10.1±3.5 years) and 22 male control subjects (age: 10.7±2.5 years). The lateral ventricles were delineated manually and ventricular volumes were compared between the two groups. Ventricular traces were also converted into statistical three-dimensional maps, based on anatomical surface meshes. These maps were used to visualize regional morphological differences in the thickness of the lateral ventricles between patients and controls. Although ventricular volumes measured using traditional methods did not differ significantly between groups, statistical surface maps revealed subtle, highly localized reductions in ventricular size in patients with autism in the left frontal and occipital horns. These localized reductions in the lateral ventricles may result from exaggerated brain growth early in life.