Cerebellar Crus I and Crus II Structure and Excitation/Inhibition Balance in Autism Spectrum Disorder
This publication is included in the Autistic Autism Scholarship Project. one author of this publication is identified as autistic in the project.
About the autistic author markerHegarty, J. P., Komaki, H., Gu, M., Young, K., Ogbonnaya, N., Spielman, D. M., & Hardan, A. Y. (2026). Cerebellar Crus I and Crus II Structure and Excitation/Inhibition Balance in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-026-07529-4
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Authors
Abstract
PURPOSE: Cerebro-cerebellar network dynamics are highly implicated in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), particularly the posterolateral cerebellar hemispheres. Cellular alterations in the cerebellum are also consistently reported in post-mortem research, suggesting potential impacts on the balance between excitatory glutamatergic (Glu) and inhibitory GABAergic signaling (E/I). Emerging evidence further indicates that the cerebellum supports multiple cognitive and behavioral domains associated with the diagnostic criteria for ASD. METHODS: The current study collected structural T1-weighted MRI and novel 1H MR spectroscopy data (MEGA-SPECIAL) to examine neurometabolites of Glu and GABA from the cerebellar hemispheres of autistic (n=13) and neurotypical children (n =16). We also explored preliminary comparisons with autistic adolescents (n=7) and assessed relationships for social communication, restricted and repetitive behaviors, and sensory processing differences. RESULTS: Crus I and II were significantly thinner in autistic children compared to neurotypical children. While there were no significant group differences in the subset of participants with quality neurometabolite measurements, p > 0.05, there were salient relationships between E/I, cerebellar structure, and core ASD domains. Thinner Crus I grey matter and smaller Crus II volume were correlated with higher E/I, especially for Glu in left Crus I and right Crus II. Morphometric properties and E/I were also associated with self-injurious and other restricted and repetitive behaviors. CONCLUSION: Our preliminary findings are limited by the small sample size but suggest a potential relationship between cerebellar structure, the balance of excitation-inhibition in cerebro-cerebellar networks, and the core domains of autism spectrum disorder.
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