Disentangling the role of gray matter volume and concentration in autism spectrum disorder: A meta-analytic investigation of 25 years of voxel-based morphometry research

Donato Liloia; Denisa Adina Zamfira; Masaru Tanaka; Jordi Manuello; Annachiara Crocetta; Roberto Keller; Mauro Cozzolino; Sergio Duca; Franco Cauda; Tommaso Costa

doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105791

Disentangling the role of gray matter volume and concentration in autism spectrum disorder: A meta-analytic investigation of 25 years of voxel-based morphometry research

Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2024 Sep:164:105791. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105791. Epub 2024 Jul 2.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ GCS-fMRI, Koelliker Hospital and Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy; Functional Neuroimaging and Complex Neural Systems (FOCUS) Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.
² School of Psychology, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy; Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.
³ HUN-REN-SZTE Neuroscience Research Group, Hungarian Research Network, University of Szeged (HUN-REN-SZTE), Danube Neuroscience Research Laboratory, Szeged, Hungary.
⁴ GCS-fMRI, Koelliker Hospital and Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy; Functional Neuroimaging and Complex Neural Systems (FOCUS) Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁵ Adult Autism Center, DSM Local Health Unit, ASL TO, Turin, Italy.
⁶ Department of Humanities, Philosophical and Educational Sciences, University of Salerno, Fisciano, Italy.
⁷ GCS-fMRI, Koelliker Hospital and Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy; Functional Neuroimaging and Complex Neural Systems (FOCUS) Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy; Neuroscience Institute of Turin (NIT), Turin, Italy.

PMID: 38960075
DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105791

Abstract

Despite over two decades of neuroimaging research, a unanimous definition of the pattern of structural variation associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has yet to be found. One potential impeding issue could be the sometimes ambiguous use of measurements of variations in gray matter volume (GMV) or gray matter concentration (GMC). In fact, while both can be calculated using voxel-based morphometry analysis, these may reflect different underlying pathological mechanisms. We conducted a coordinate-based meta-analysis, keeping apart GMV and GMC studies of subjects with ASD. Results showed distinct and non-overlapping patterns for the two measures. GMV decreases were evident in the cerebellum, while GMC decreases were mainly found in the temporal and frontal regions. GMV increases were found in the parietal, temporal, and frontal brain regions, while GMC increases were observed in the anterior cingulate cortex and middle frontal gyrus. Age-stratified analyses suggested that such variations are dynamic across the ASD lifespan. The present findings emphasize the importance of considering GMV and GMC as distinct yet synergistic indices in autism research.

Keywords: Cerebellum; Default mode network; FMRI; Heterogeneity; Magnetic resonance imaging; NeuroSynth; Signed differential mapping; Voxel-based morphometry.

Publication types

Meta-Analysis
Review

MeSH terms

Autism Spectrum Disorder* / diagnostic imaging
Autism Spectrum Disorder* / pathology
Brain / diagnostic imaging
Brain / pathology
Gray Matter* / diagnostic imaging
Gray Matter* / pathology
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Neuroimaging