Reduction in retinal nerve fiber layer thickness in young adults with autism spectrum disorders

J Autism Dev Disord. 2014 Apr;44(4):873-82. doi: 10.1007/s10803-013-1939-z.

Abstract

Recent years have seen an increase in the use of retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) evaluation as an easy-to-use, reproducible, proxy-measure of brain structural abnormalities. Here, we evaluated RNFL thickness in a group of subjects with high functioning autism (HFA) or with Asperger Syndrome (AS) to its potential as a tool to study autism pathophysiology. All subjects underwent high-resolution spectral domain optical coherence tomography to evaluate RNFL thickness. HFA subjects presented with reduced global RNFL thickness compared both to AS subjects and controls. AS subjects showed a reduced nasal quadrant RNFL thickness compared to controls. Verbal-IQ/performance-IQ discrepancy correlated with RNFL thickness. Our data suggest that RNFL evaluation could help in the development of biological markers of autism pathophysiology.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Child Development Disorders, Pervasive / pathology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Nerve Fibers / pathology*
  • Retinal Ganglion Cells / pathology*
  • Tomography, Optical Coherence
  • Young Adult