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Amygdala Volume Differences in Autism Spectrum Disorder Are Related to Anxiety

  • S.I. : Anxiety in Autism Spectrum Disorders
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Abstract

Recent studies suggest that longstanding findings of abnormal amygdala morphology in ASD may be related to symptoms of anxiety. To test this hypothesis, fifty-three children with ASD (mean age = 11.9) underwent structural MRI and were divided into subgroups to compare those with at least one anxiety disorder diagnosis (n = 29) to those without (n = 24) and to a typically developing control group (TDC; n = 37). Groups were matched on age and intellectual level. The ASD and anxiety group showed decreased right amygdala volume (controlled for total brain volume) relative to ASD without anxiety (p = .04) and TDCs (p = .068). Results suggest that youth with ASD and co-occurring anxiety have a distinct neurodevelopmental trajectory.

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Acknowledgments

We are very grateful to the many families who participated in this research. The design and conduct of the study, collection, management, and analysis were supported by grants from the Pennsylvania Department of Health (SAP # 4100042728 to R. Schultz), the National Institute of Child Health and Development (P30 HD026979, to M. Yudkoff), and National Institute of Mental Health (RC1MH08879 and R01 MH073084-01 to R. Schultz). The data collection, management, and analysis for the manuscript were also supported by funds from Shire Pharmaceuticals. Additionally, R. Schultz reported receiving lecture fees and research funds from Pfizer. Portions of this manuscript were presented at the 14th Annual International Meeting for Autism Research (Salt Lake City, 2015).

Funding

The design and conduct of the study, collection, management, and analysis were supported by grants from the Pennsylvania Department of Health (SAP # 4100042728 to R. Schultz), the National Institute of Child Health and Development (P30 HD026979, to M. Yudkoff), and National Institute of Mental Health (RC1MH08879 and R01 MH073084-01 to R. Schultz). The data collection, management, and analysis for the manuscript were also supported by funds from Shire Pharmaceuticals.

Author Contributions

JDH, RTS, and JSM conceived of the study and participated in study design. JDH, BBM, CMK, JAW, JCB, AJM, and JSM participated in data collection. JDH and JSM participated in data analysis. All authors participated in manuscript preparation.

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Correspondence to John D. Herrington.

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J. Herrington, J. Miller, and R. Schultz reported having received lecture fees and/or research funds from Shire Pharmaceuticals. Additionally, R. Schultz reported receiving research funding from Pfizer. Coauthors Maddox, Kerns, Rump, Worley, Bush, and McVey reported no potential conflicts of interest.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed Consent

Informed consent was obtained from the parent or legal guardian of all individual participants included in the study, in accordance with the guidelines of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Institutional Review Board.

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Herrington, J.D., Maddox, B.B., Kerns, C.M. et al. Amygdala Volume Differences in Autism Spectrum Disorder Are Related to Anxiety. J Autism Dev Disord 47, 3682–3691 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-017-3206-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-017-3206-1

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