HIPPOCAMPUS IN AUTISM - A GOLGI ANALYSIS

Autism is a behaviorally defined syndrome in which neuropathological a bnormalities have been identified in the limbic system and cerebellum. The morphology of hippocampal neurons in two cases of infantile autis m was studied and compared to age-matched controls. CA4 neurons in aut istic children were smaller in perikaryon area and dendritic branching of both CA4 and CAI neurons was less than in controls. These findings are consistent with previous studies and suggest a curtailment in mat uration in the pathogenesis of autism.