Structural MRI and Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) in Asperger Sydrome

(MRC-AIMS study)

Mike Lombardo, Bhismadev Chakrabarti, Simon Baron-Cohen, Ed Bullmore, John Suckling, Declan Murphy, Meng-Chuan Lai, AIMS Consortium, Amber Ruigrok

The ARC and the Brain Mapping Unit are the Cambridge node of a multi-centre study of neuroanatomy in autism, called the MRC AIMS (Autism Imaging Multicentre Study). The other key centre is London (Institute of Psychiatry, MRC AIMS Project Director Prof Declan Murphy). This project scanned 100 adults with Asperger Syndrome or high functioning autism and 100 age-matched controls (all male) to measure cortical thickness, major tracts (using DTI) and volumetric differences in defined brain regions (using structural MRI). A related project is also examining brain structure and function in women with Asperger Syndrome.