OBJECTIVE: The authors investigated the metabolic maturation of the
frontal cortex in pre-school autistic children. METHOD: Regional cerebral
blood flow (CBF) in five children with primary autism diagnosed according
to the DSM-III-R criteria was studied longitudinally. Regional CBF in each
of the autistic children was measured with single photon emission computed
tomography twice during their development: at the age of 3-4 years and 3
years later. At each stage, the autistic children were compared to an
age-matched comparison group of five nonautistic children with normal
development. RESULTS: A transient frontal hypoperfusion was found in the
autistic children at ages 3-4 years; this corresponded to the pattern of
perfusion observed in much younger normal children. By the ages of 6-7, the
autistic children's frontal perfusion had attained normal values.
CONCLUSIONS: Since CBF patterns in children are related to maturational
changes in brain function, these results indicate a delayed frontal
maturation in childhood autism. Such a delayed brain maturational process
is consistent with the clinical data and cognitive performance of autistic
children.Abstract Teaser