Brain structure or neuron type | Volume deficit in 4- to 8-year-old autistic subjects | Alterations of neuron soma size detected in previous studies | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Nucleus | Cytoplasm | Soma | ||
N. accumbens | −42%* | −32% | −34%* |  |
Thalamus | −42%* | −24% | −27%* |  |
Claustrum | −41%* | −27% | −29%* |  |
Purkinje cells | −31%* | −31% | −31%* | 24% Purkinje cell area deficit [45] |
Amygdala | −29%* | −23% | −24%* | Reduced neuron soma size in some amygdala nuclei [47] |
Magnocellular basal complex | −27%* | −21% | −22%* |  |
Putamen | −27%* | −15% | −17% ns |  |
Entorhinal cortex | −27%* | −23% | −24%* | Reduced neuron soma size [47] |
Globus pallidus | −19%* | −20% | −20%* |  |
Parvocellular LGN | −19%* | −4% | −5%* |  |
Ammon’s horn | −18%* | −10% | −12%* | 27% neuron volume deficit in CA4 of 9 y old [48] |
Inferior olive | −17%* | −14% | −14% ns | Enlarged neurons in less than 12 years old and smaller in over the age of 22 years [50] |
Substantia nigra | −7%* | −4% | −5%* |  |
Magnocellular LGN | −16% ns | −11% | −12%* |  |
Caudate nucleus | −29% ns | −20% | −22%* |  |
Dentate nucleus | −40% ns | −23% | −25%* | Enlarged neurons in less than 12 years old and smaller in over the age of 22 years [50] |
Superior olive | * Significant neuron volume deficit in medial superior olive [46] | |||
Superior and middle frontal gyrus | *Significantly smaller neurons in six autistic subjects 4 to 24Â years of age [42] | |||
Inferior frontal cortex (BA 44 and 45) | *Significant neuron volume deficit by 18% in layer III and V, and by 22% in layer VI [32] | |||
Fusiform gyrus | *Significant neuron volume deficit by 21% in layer V and by 13.4% in layer VI [34] | |||
Anterior midcingulate cortex | *Significant pyramidal neurons volume deficit in young children [43] | |||
Posteroinferior occipitotemporal gyrus | *No significant difference in pyramidal neurons volume [53] | |||
Prefrontal cortex | *Unchanged size of neurons [54] | |||
Anterior cingulate cortex | Significant neuron volume deficit in layers I-III and V-VI [44] | |||
Mammillary body | Smaller neurons [47] | |||
Medial septal nucleus | Smaller neurons [49] | |||
Fastigial, globose, emboliform nucleus | Enlarged neurons in less than 12Â years old and smaller in over the age of 22Â years [50] |