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Table 1 The difference between the mean volume of neuronal nucleus in three age groups of control and autistic subjects

From: Neuronal nucleus and cytoplasm volume deficit in children with autism and volume increase in adolescents and adults

Brain structure

4- to 8-year-old subjects

11- to 23-year-old subjects

29- to 64-year-old subjects

Control

Autism

Control

Autism

Control

Autism

Mean ± SD (100%)

Mean ± SD p  < (%)

Mean ± SD (100%)

Mean ± SD p  < (%)

Mean (SD) (100%)

Mean ± SD p  < (%)

Nucleus accumbens

281 ± 44

163 ± 49 -42% 0.001

226 ± 52

213 ± 54 0.959 ns

239 ± 34

253 ± 7 0.224 ns

Purkinje cells

575 ± 63

394 ± 77 -31% 0.001

561 ± 83

552 ± 168 0.635 ns

569 ± 63

654 ± 189 0.368 ns

Claustrum

395 ± 32

233 ± 371 -41% 0.001

360 ± 49

255 ± 67 -29% 0.001

267 ± 16

307 ± 76 0.841 ns

Thalamus

645 ± 56

371 ± 56 -42% 0.001

439 ± 95

433 ± 77 0.186 ns

462 ± 68

581 ± 103 0.035 ns

Globus pallidus

625 ± 93

503 ± 55 -19% 0.001

417 ± 103

479 ± 95 0.611 ns

478 ± 60

489 ± 75 0.918 ns

Dentate nucleus

510 ± 168

305 ± 152 0.104 ns

448 ± 20

489 ± 122 0.312 ns

397 ± 53

501 ± 128 + 26% 0.008

Entorhinal cortex

561 ± 67

408 ± 49 -27% 0.001

502 ± 110

444 ± 98 -11% 0.002

452 ± 69

484 ± 102 0.465 ns

Amygdala

606 ± 24

431 ± 74 -29% 0.001

595 ± 60

520 ± 88 0.691 ns

548 ± 48

498 ± 116 0.184 ns

Magnocellular basal complex

656 ± 45

476 ± 45 -27% 0.001

575 ± 46

581 ± 51 0.051 ns

558 ± 116

611 ± 131 0.028 ns

Putamen

246 ± 39

180 ± 32 -27% 0.014

244 ± 52

231 ± 51 0.443 ns

213 ± 27

223 ± 34 + 5% 0.004

Caudate nucleus

256 ± 54

181 ± 52 0.269 ns

229 ± 44

234 ± 49 0.284 ns

182 ± 26

234 ± 56 + 28% 0.001

Inferior olive

613 ± 122

507 ± 125 -17% 0.001

525 ± 67

553 ± 103 0.905 ns

508 ± 68

551 ± 73 0.481 ns

Magnocellular LGN

455 ± 66

382 ± 85 0.364 ns

457 ± 33

483 ± 85 + 5% 0.001

502 ± 20

567 ± 36 + 13% 0.002

Parvocellular LGN

268 ± 50

217 ± 47 -19% 0.005

264 ± 25

263 ± 48 0.145 ns

284 ± 28

335 ± 37 + 18% 0.001

Substantia nigra

815 ± 122

756 ± 50 -7% 0.001

811 ± 114

816 ± 97 0.202 ns

646 ± 56

685 ± 65 0.057 ns

Ammon’s horn

702 ± 40

576 ± 72 -18% 0.001

702 ± 72

631 ± 79 0.246 ns

683 ± 110

706 ± 138 + 3% 0.002

  1. Significance levels computed controlling for post-mortem interval, days of fixation, days of dehydration, and weight loss during dehydration. Mean nucleus volume ± SD; SD, standard deviation; ns, not significant; LGN, lateral geniculate nucleus.