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Autism & Asperger's Syndrome (Expert Forum)
Asymmetrical ventricles
Answered by
William H Ahearn, Ph.D., BCBA - Behavior Analysis, Learning Deficits, Severe Problem Behav, autism
The New England Center for Children
Questions in the Autism & Asperger's Syndrome forum are answered by researchers at the New England Center for Children. Topics covered include Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Antisocial Personality Disorder, Asperger Syndrome, Autism, blindness, bullying, clinical depression, deafness, dyslexia, mental retardation, and social alienation.
Asymmetrical ventricles
by PRAllen, Nov 27, 2007 09:00AM
My son is 15 yo and has mild Asperger's Syndrome. He has been having problems with headaches over the past several months. He had an MRI that shows asymmetrical ventricles. Could this be a cause of the Asperger's?
Doctor's Answer
by William H Ahearn, Ph.D., BCBA, Dec 03, 2007 02:25PM
, Dec 03, 2007 02:25PM
To: PRAllen
This is actually a very complicated matter. For starters, it is likely that the ventricular asymmetry and Asperger's have a common origin. Asperger's is a milder form of the family of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). ASDs are thought to have a strong genetic origin and it is likely that your son's asymmetry is similarly genetic in origin. Current neurological evidence suggests that ASDs are the product of abnormal brain growth regulation.
In a somewhat recent review of studies of brain development in children with autism, Eric Courchesne (2004) describes two converging lines of research that have revealed a good deal of information about abnormal brain growth related to this disorder. Head circumference is accepted as a sound measure of brain volume. Several studies have found that children with autism tend to have normal or slightly smaller than typical head circumference at birth (e.g., Courchesne et al., 2003). However, from 6-14 months of age head circumference increases rapidly and excessively in children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with very little growth from then through the 28th month. So it is assumed that brain growth occurs earlier and rapidly in children with an ASD, but also slows or shuts down too early. Head circumference changes more gradually and is more evenly distributed across the first two years of life in typically developing children.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) investigations have confirmed and extended the results obtained by measuring head circumference. For example, Sparks and colleagues (2002) found that the brain volume of children with an ASD at 3-4 years of age was significantly larger when compared to typically developing children. This study also noted that the size of specific regions of the brain, the cerebrum, cerebellum, and amygdala, were all larger for children with an ASD than in typically developing children. Other regions of the brain, such as the occipital lobes, however, have been found to be similar in the typically developing and ASD populations, indicating that the brain is not uniformly enlarged (Carper et al., 2002). Courchesne (2004) and others speculate that this neurodevelopmental abnormality contributes to many of the behavioral manifestations of autism spectrum disorders. One of these regions, the cerebellum, is thought to be involved in perception, language, and emotion. Abnormal development in the cerebellum likely underlies difficulties observed in these areas in persons with autism. Clearly much more work is to be done to confirm and extend these results, but Courchesne is hopeful that these lines of research will help to clarify the prenatal factors that lead to this abnormal brain growth regulation in children with ASDs.
Additionally, there are a number of developmental issues that involve asymmetric development that are associated with a greater likelihood of ASDs. One of these is oculo-auriculo-vertebral spectrum or OAV. Another disorder that is associated with autism and can involve the ventricles is tuberous sclerosis. More information on this disorder can be found through MedlinePlus at the link below:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tuberoussclerosis.html
Carper, R.A., Moses, P., Tigue, Z.D., & Courchesne, E. (2002). Cerebral lobes in autism: Early hyperplasia and abnormal age effects. Neuroimage, 16, 1038-1051.
Courchesne, E. (2004). Brain development in autism: Early overgrowth followed by premature arrest of growth. Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Research Reviews, 10, 106-111.
Courchesne, E., Carper, R., & Akshoomoff, N. (2003). Evidence of brain overgrowth in the first year of life in autism. Journal of the American Medical Association, 290, 337-344.
Sparks, B.F. et al. (2002). Brain structural abnormalities in young children with autism spectrum
disorder. Neurology, 59, 184-192.
In a somewhat recent review of studies of brain development in children with autism, Eric Courchesne (2004) describes two converging lines of research that have revealed a good deal of information about abnormal brain growth related to this disorder. Head circumference is accepted as a sound measure of brain volume. Several studies have found that children with autism tend to have normal or slightly smaller than typical head circumference at birth (e.g., Courchesne et al., 2003). However, from 6-14 months of age head circumference increases rapidly and excessively in children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with very little growth from then through the 28th month. So it is assumed that brain growth occurs earlier and rapidly in children with an ASD, but also slows or shuts down too early. Head circumference changes more gradually and is more evenly distributed across the first two years of life in typically developing children.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) investigations have confirmed and extended the results obtained by measuring head circumference. For example, Sparks and colleagues (2002) found that the brain volume of children with an ASD at 3-4 years of age was significantly larger when compared to typically developing children. This study also noted that the size of specific regions of the brain, the cerebrum, cerebellum, and amygdala, were all larger for children with an ASD than in typically developing children. Other regions of the brain, such as the occipital lobes, however, have been found to be similar in the typically developing and ASD populations, indicating that the brain is not uniformly enlarged (Carper et al., 2002). Courchesne (2004) and others speculate that this neurodevelopmental abnormality contributes to many of the behavioral manifestations of autism spectrum disorders. One of these regions, the cerebellum, is thought to be involved in perception, language, and emotion. Abnormal development in the cerebellum likely underlies difficulties observed in these areas in persons with autism. Clearly much more work is to be done to confirm and extend these results, but Courchesne is hopeful that these lines of research will help to clarify the prenatal factors that lead to this abnormal brain growth regulation in children with ASDs.
Additionally, there are a number of developmental issues that involve asymmetric development that are associated with a greater likelihood of ASDs. One of these is oculo-auriculo-vertebral spectrum or OAV. Another disorder that is associated with autism and can involve the ventricles is tuberous sclerosis. More information on this disorder can be found through MedlinePlus at the link below:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/tuberoussclerosis.html
Carper, R.A., Moses, P., Tigue, Z.D., & Courchesne, E. (2002). Cerebral lobes in autism: Early hyperplasia and abnormal age effects. Neuroimage, 16, 1038-1051.
Courchesne, E. (2004). Brain development in autism: Early overgrowth followed by premature arrest of growth. Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Research Reviews, 10, 106-111.
Courchesne, E., Carper, R., & Akshoomoff, N. (2003). Evidence of brain overgrowth in the first year of life in autism. Journal of the American Medical Association, 290, 337-344.
Sparks, B.F. et al. (2002). Brain structural abnormalities in young children with autism spectrum
disorder. Neurology, 59, 184-192.
