ArticlePediatric research2025
Associations between vitamin D and brain volume in children with autism spectrum disorder.
Article in Pediatric research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
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
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Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- The Vitamin D-Gut-Brain Axis in Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Bidirectional Crosstalk.International journal of general medicine · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundA deficiency in vitamin D has been associated with neurodevelopmental traits related to autism spectrum disorder (ASD), potentially influencing brain maturation. This study focuses on children aged 24-72 months, a critical window for early neurodevelopment and ASD diagnosis, aiming to explore the impact of vitamin D on brain structure and developmental outcomes.
methodsA total of 234 children diagnosed with ASD were divided into mild-to-moderate and severe ASD groups based on the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS), and further grouped by serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) status as normal, insufficient, or deficient. Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) was used to assess gray matter volume (GMV), and associations with symptom severity and developmental quotients were analyzed.
resultsVBM revealed GMV differences across vitamin D subgroups, particularly in frontal and cerebellar regions. These structural differences were linked to variations in symptom severity and developmental functioning. Mediation analysis further showed that certain frontal regions partially accounted for the relationship between vitamin D levels and both clinical and developmental outcomes.
conclusionThese findings highlight the potential role of vitamin D in the neurodevelopment of children with ASD and may inform individualized intervention strategies. IMPACT: This study identifies a significant link between vitamin D levels and region-specific gray matter volume in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). It demonstrates that these structural differences are associated with both symptom severity and developmental outcomes. Mediation analysis reveals that brain volume in specific frontal regions partially explains the relationship between vitamin D and clinical measures. These findings contribute to a growing understanding of neurodevelopmental mechanisms in ASD and highlight vitamin D as a potential modifiable factor. The results may inform early intervention strategies targeting nutritional status to support brain development in ASD.
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Registered trials
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