ArticleMolecular autism2017
No preliminary evidence of differences in astrocyte density within the white matter of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in autism.
Article in Molecular autism, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
9 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 17 citations in OpenAlex.
- Postmortem Studies of Neuroinflammation in Autism Spectrum Disorder: a Systematic Review.Molecular neurobiology · 2020Pooled it
- The role of astrocytes in autism spectrum disorder and associated syndromes: Evidence, animal models, mechanisms, and therapeutic potential.Zoological research · 2026Review
- Neuroinflammation and autism: what have we learned so far?International journal of developmental disabilities · 2026Article
- Valproate-Induced Autism and Sexual Hormone Disturbances: A Literature Review and Hypotheses.Neurochemical research · 2025Review
- Glial cells are affected more than interneurons by the loss of Engrailed 2 gene in the mouse cerebellum.Journal of anatomy · 2024Article
- Inflammation and the Potential Implication of Macrophage-Microglia Polarization in Human ASD: An Overview.International journal of molecular sciences · 2023Review
- Pathology and Astrocytes in Autism.Neuropsychiatric disease and treatment · 2023Review
- Decreased number and increased activation state of astrocytes in gray and white matter of the prefrontal cortex in autism.Cerebral cortex (New York, N.Y. : 1991) · 2022Article
- Neuronal and glial cell number is altered in a cortical layer-specific manner in autism.Autism : the international journal of research and practice · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: While evidence for white matter and astrocytic abnormalities exist in autism, a detailed investigation of astrocytes has not been conducted. Such an investigation is further warranted by an increasing role for neuroinflammation in autism pathogenesis, with astrocytes being key players in this process. We present the first study of astrocyte density and morphology within the white matter of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in individuals with autism. Methods: DLPFC formalin-fixed sections containing white matter from individuals with autism ( Results: We found no evidence for alteration in astrocyte density within DLPFC white matter of individuals with autism versus controls, together with no differences in astrocyte somal size and process length. Conclusion: Our results suggest that astrocyte abnormalities within the white matter in the DLPFC in autism may be less pronounced than previously thought. However, astrocytic dysregulation may still exist in autism, even in the absence of gross morphological changes. Our lack of evidence for astrocyte abnormalities could have been confounded to an extent by having a small sample size and wide age range, with pathological features potentially restricted to early stages of autism. Nonetheless, future investigations would benefit from assessing functional markers of astrocytes in light of the underlying pathophysiology of autism.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.