Amygdalar Volume and Behavioral Development in Autism

Open Access
Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impairments in social relatedness and communication skills and a restricted range of interests, including stereotyped behaviors. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can be reliably diagnosed by age 2 years, with some symptoms appearing by the end of the first year of life.1 By preschool age, behavioral symptoms of autism include deficits in socially coordinated eye gaze, emotional responses, and motor imitation.2,3 Despite recognition of the syndrome and the prediction more than half a century ago by Kanner4 that its associated social-affective difficulties are innate and biologically driven, the neuropathologic etiology of autism remains poorly understood.