Table 1 Evidence of structural brain alterations (MRI) in children with ASD along with associated symptoms

Hazlett et al. [44], Courchesne et al. [37]

Total brain volume

Increased brain volumes. Both GMV and WMV in autism compared to TD

Social interaction and communication deficits

Carper et al. [45]

Hazlett et al. [46]

Frontal lobe

Temporal lobe

Increased Volume

Language delay and impaired social cognition

Courchesne et al. [47]

dmPFC, Medial frontal region

Increased volume

Impaired social cognition

Sato et al. [49]

IOG, fusiform gyrus, STS, amygdala, vmPFC, IFG, and dmPFC

GMV and cortical thickness reduced

Impaired capacity to understand mental states

Pereira et al. [50], Pappaiann et al. [51]

STS, Fusiform gyrus

Amygdala and IFG

GMV and cortical thickness reduced

Impaired facial recognition

Schumann et al. [56]

Amygdala

Enlarged in children

Social interaction and communication deficits

Schumann et al. [57]

Enlarged in children and not in adolescents

Aylward et al. [55] and Xu et al. [60]

Smaller

Haznedar et al. [58]

No change in volumes

Aylward et al. [55] and Xu et al. [60]

Hippocampus

Decreased volume

Disruptive activity during repetitive behavior

Spark [61]

Increased volume

Piven et al. [62]

No change in volumes

Hollander et al. [65], Estes et al. [66], Thabault et al. [67], Voelbel et al. [68] and Langenet al [69]

Caudate

Increased Volume

Repetitive or restricted behavior

Murakami et al. [74], Courchesne [75] and Stoodley et al. [83]

Cerebellum

Reduced size

Motor deficits and impairment in cognitive functions such as associative learning, verbal ability, planning, and working memory

Hardan et al. [73], Sparks et al. [61], Carper et al. [77]

Enlarged

Kilian et al. [84]

Corpus callosum

Increased volume in children with ASD

Deficit in executive functioning

Anderson et al. [85] and Frazier et al. [86]

Decreased volume in youth with ASD

Lo et al. [52]

SLF, which connects the STS and IFG

Reduced white matter connectivity

Inability to infer intentions of others

d’Albis et al. [53]

Frontal, parietal, and temporal regions, including STS and vmPFC,

Reduced white matter connectivity

Social interaction and communication deficits

Gibbard et al. [54]

Between amygdala and neocortex

Reduced white matter connectivity

Impaired emotional regulation