Morphometric analysis of Corpus Callosum in autistic and typically developing Indian children

Abstract

Corpus callosum (CC) is the largest commissural white matter bundle in the brain, responsible for the integration of information between hemispheres. Reduction in the size of the CC structure has been predominantly reported in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) compared to typically developing children (TD). However, most of these studies are based on high-functioning individuals with ASD but not on an inclusive sample of individuals with ASD with varying abilities. Our current study aimed to examine the CC morphometry between children with ASD and TD in the Indian population. We also compared CC morphometry in autistic children with autism severity, verbal IQ (VIQ) and full-scale IQ (FSIQ). T1-weighted structural images were acquired using a 3T MRI scanner to examine the CC measures in 62 ASD and 17 TD children. The length and height of the CC and the width of genu were decreased in children with ASD compared to TD. There was no significant difference in CC measures based on autism severity, VIQ or FSIQ among children with ASD. To our knowledge, this is the first neuroimaging study to include a significant number (n = 56) of low-functioning ASD children. Our findings suggest the atypical interhemispheric connectivity of CC in ASD.

Keywords: Autism severity; Autism spectrum disorder; Intelligence quotient; Neuroimaging.