Magnetic resonance imaging studies on autism and childhood-onset schizophrenia in children and adolescents - a review

Objective: To find out whether the neurodevelopmental disorders autism and childhood-onset schizophrenia have a common developmental pathway and whether the abnormalities detected are 'disorder-specific', by reviewing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies.

Methods: As a result of a Medline search, we were able to access 28 studies on autism and 12 studies on childhood-onset schizophrenia, which focused on children and adolescents.

Results: Larger lateral ventricles were found to be a common abnormality in both disorders. 'Disorder-specific' abnormalities in patients with autism were larger brains, a larger thalamic area, and a smaller right cingulate gyrus. Subjects with childhood-onset schizophrenia were found to have smaller brains, a smaller amygdalum and thalamus, and a larger nucleus caudatus. In subjects with childhood-onset schizophrenia, abnormalities appeared to progress over a limited period of time.

Conclusions: Because the study designs varied so much, the results should be interpreted cautiously. Before abnormalities found in the disorders can be designated as equal or 'disorder-specific', it will be essential to perform large longitudinal and cross-sectional follow-up studies.