University of Michigan, Ann Arbor 48109-0390, USA. mghaziud@umich.edu
Several recent reports have described the presence of increased head
circumference (megalencephaly) in patients with autism. Although some studies
have described reports of megalencephaly in other disorders such as
schizophrenia in adults, few such studies have been performed in children and
adolescents. In the present study, the authors compared 20 subjects with autism/
pervasive developmental disorder (DSM-IV; all males; mean age = 10.9 years) with
20 controls with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (DSM-IV; all males;
mean age = 11.1 years). Four subjects and five controls had evidence of
megalencephaly. In addition to their core symptoms, the autistic subjects with
megalencephaly were hyperactive and impulsive. These findings suggest that
megalencephaly may not be specific to autism, and when present, it may index the
presence of additional symptoms such as hyperactivity and impulsivity.
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