ERIC Number: EJ1160199
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2017-Dec
Pages: 10
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0162-3257
EISSN: N/A
Amygdala Volume Differences in Autism Spectrum Disorder Are Related to Anxiety
Herrington, John D.; Maddox, Brenna B.; Kerns, Connor M.; Rump, Keiran; Worley, Julie A.; Bush, Jennifer C.; McVey, Alana J.; Schultz, Robert T.; Miller, Judith S.
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, v47 n12 p3682-3691 Dec 2017
Recent studies suggest that longstanding findings of abnormal amygdala morphology in ASD may be related to symptoms of anxiety. To test this hypothesis, fifty-three children with ASD (mean age = 11.9) underwent structural MRI and were divided into subgroups to compare those with at least one anxiety disorder diagnosis (n = 29) to those without (n = 24) and to a typically developing control group (TDC; n = 37). Groups were matched on age and intellectual level. The ASD and anxiety group showed decreased right amygdala volume (controlled for total brain volume) relative to ASD without anxiety (p = 0.04) and TDCs (p = 0.068). Results suggest that youth with ASD and co-occurring anxiety have a distinct neurodevelopmental trajectory.
Descriptors: Autism, Pervasive Developmental Disorders, Children, Brain Hemisphere Functions, Neurological Impairments, Symptoms (Individual Disorders), Anxiety Disorders, Hypothesis Testing, Control Groups, Comorbidity
Springer. 233 Spring Street, New York, NY 10013. Tel: 800-777-4643; Tel: 212-460-1500; Fax: 212-348-4505; e-mail: service-ny@springer.com; Web site: http://www.springerlink.com
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) (NIH); National Institute of Mental Health (DHHS/NIH)
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: P30HD026979; RC1MH08879; R01MH07308401