The brain in infantile autism: are posterior fossa structures abnormal?

Abstract

We conducted a detailed MRI study of posterior fossa structures in 13 autistic children, 10 without seizures and three with seizures, and 28 controls, 17 without seizures and 11 with seizures, using computer-assisted planimetry, and measured midsagittal areas of cerebellar vermal lobule group I-V, vermal lobule group VI-VII, the pons, and fourth ventricle height. There were no significant differences between autistic and control subjects in any of the four regions measured, or in the ratio of areas of vermal lobules VI-VII to I-V.