Review assesses published research on brain changes associated with autism

A recent review that examined all published studies on anatomical abnormalities in the brains of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder found substantial discrepancy throughout the literature regarding the reported presence and significance of neuroanatomical findings.

An ideal study would include hundreds of well-characterized individuals of both sexes, with and without Autism Spectrum Disorder, who would undergo brain imaging at birth and be followed at least until late childhood or late adolescence

"We still have a long way to go in better understanding anatomical variations in the brain that can be definitely associated with this disorder," said Dr. R. Shane Tubbs, senior author of the Clinical Anatomy review.