应用IBASPM分析孤独症儿童脑灰质结构改变

Analysis of cerebral gray matter structural changes in autistic children by IBASPM

目的 :运用基于统计学参数图(Statistical parametric mapping,SPM)的个体脑图谱形态分析(Individual brain atlases using Statistical Parametric Mapping,IBASPM)软件,分析孤独症儿童不同脑区灰质结构体积变化。资料与方法 :采用GE HDx 1.5T磁共振扫描仪对23例经临床诊断为孤独症的患儿和28例年龄、性别匹配的健康儿童进行全脑扫描,采用3D快速扰相梯度回波(Fast spoiled gradient echo,FSPGR)序列获得高分辨力T_1WI像。在SPM5平台上,运用IBASPM软件对原始数据进行处理,获得各脑区体积值。采用两独立样本t-检验进行组间比较。结果:符合实验要求的被试包括孤独症组16例,正常对照组18例。孤独症组,男性11例,女性5例,平均年龄(2.81±0.91)岁;正常对照组,男性11例,女性7例,平均年龄(2.61±0.50)岁。与正常对照组相比,孤独症组体积增大的脑区包括左侧中扣带回、左侧缘上回、双侧杏仁体、双侧尾状核;孤独症组体积减小的脑区为小脑蚓部Ⅷ区。结论:孤独症儿童脑灰质结构存在异常,这些脑区均与情绪、语言、行为控制相关,可为孤独症的临床症状的解释和诊断提供客观依据。运用IBASPM软件可自动化对不同脑区进行体积测量,从形态学角度对孤独症儿童脑灰质结构进行分析。

Objective： To analyse the volume changes of gray matter structures in different brain regions of autistic children by using IBASPM software based on SPM. Methods： Twenty-three autistic children diagnosed by clinical features and 28 healthy children were selected in this study, whose age and sex were matched. High resolution T1 weighted images of each child＇s whole brain were acquired by using 3D FSPGR sequence on GE HDx 1.5T MRI. The raw data was dealed with IBASPM software based on SPM5, to obtain the volume value of every brain region. Two independent sample t-test was used to compare the groups. Results： The data of 16 autistic children and 18 normal controls matched the experimental requirements. The autism group included 11 males and 5 females, whose mean age was 2.81 ±0.91 years old. The normal control group included 11 males and 7 females, whose mean age was 2.61±0.50 years old. Compared with the normal control group,the volume values of the left mid cingulum, left supramarginal gyrus, bilateral amygdaloid body and bilateral caudate nucleus were enlarged in the autism group; the volume value of vermis Ⅷ area was decreased. Conclusion： Some gray matter structures of autistic children were abnormally changed, which were related to emotion, language and behavior control, and then provided an objective basis for the interpretation and diagnosis of clinical symptoms of autism. The IBASPM software can be used to automatically measure the volumes of different brain regions, and to morphologically analyse the gray matter structures of autistic children.