Abstract
The objective of this investigation was to examine the existence of minor physical anomalies (MPA) in autism. The interorbital and interlens distances were measured on MRI scans obtained from a sample of 40 non-mentally retarded individuals with autism and 41 healthy controls. No differences were observed between the two groups on any measurements. However, when the analysis was conducted using a split median procedure, individuals with autism and either low FSIQ, PIQ, or VIQ had shorter interorbital distances when compared to controls. Hypotelorism is a MPA that may be present in a subgroup of individuals with autism. Additional research is warranted using large sample sizes with a wide range of intellectual functioning.
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Acknowledgment
This work was supported in part by NIMH Grant MH 64027 to Dr. Hardan and NICHD Grant HD 35469 to Dr. Minshew. This study was also supported by an NICHD Collaborative Program of Excellence in Autism (CPEA).
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Hardan, A.Y., Keshavan, M.S., Sreedhar, S. et al. An MRI Study of Minor Physical Anomalies in Autism. J Autism Dev Disord 36, 607–611 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-006-0103-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-006-0103-4