Asperger's Syndrome and Cortical Neuropathology

Abstract

Asperger's disorder or syndrome is characterized by impaired social interaction, normal intelligence, and adequate language skills in the areas of grammar and vocabulary. The symptoms are pervasive in nature and usually manifested in childhood. Despite the gravity and chronicity of the condition, the medical literature remains sparse and offers no information about possible neuropathologic underpinnings. The present study is a case report on two patients with Asperger's syndrome. Neuropathologic examination revealed no degenerative changes or gliosis. A more detailed assessment with computerized image analysis indicated abnormalities in the minicolumnar organization of the three areas examined (9, 21, 22) (P = .032). Specifically, minicolumns were smaller, and their component cells were more dispersed than normal. A similar neuropathology has recently been reported for autism and disputes the uniqueness of these findings. The minicolumnar changes provide a possible link to receptive field abnormalities and a useful clinicopathologic correlate to Asperger's syndrome.

Enhanced Pitch Sensitivity in Individuals with Autism: A Signal Detection Analysis

“…Recent arguments for the latter proposition arose from the discovery of abnormal spatial organization and density of cortical cells both in the frontal cortex (area 9) and in the temporal cortex (areas 21 and 22) in autism and Asperger syndrome (Casanova, Buxoeveden, Switala, & Roy, 2002a, 2002b.…”

Measuring neural excitation and inhibition in autism: Different approaches, different findings and different interpretations

“…See table 2 for a summary of these data. For example, some studies have found reduced neuropil space and narrower minicolumn width in frontal and temporal brain regions in ASD (Buxhoeveden et al, 2007;Casanova, Buxhoeveden, Switala, & Roy, 2002a;Casanova, Buxhoeveden, Switala, & Roy, 2002b;Casanova et al, 2006), whereas a recent study has reported wider minicolumns in sensory, frontal and parietal cortical areas in ASD (McKavanagh, Buckley, & Chance, 2015).…”

Proton MR Spectroscopy: Higher Right Anterior Cingulate N-Acetylaspartate/Choline Ratio in Asperger Syndrome Compared with Healthy Controls

“…Another neuropathologic study had indicated abnor- malities in the mini columnar organization of neurons in patients with AS and autism subjects, which could possibly lead to overconnected and insufficiently inhibited neural networks. 22 Areas of aberrant white matter, evaluated by diffusion tensor imaging, were reported between regions activated in the theory of mind tests, including the anterior cingulate and amygdala. 23 On the other hand, another study reported smaller anterior cingulate volumes related to lower metabolic activity.…”