摘要Background Behavioral research has shown that children with autism spectrum disorder(ASD)have a higher empathizing-systemizing difference(D score)than normal children.However,there is no research about the neuroanatomical mechanisms of the empathizing-systemizing difference in children with ASD.Methods Participants comprised 41 children with ASD and 39 typically developing(TD)children aged 6-12 years.Empa-thizing-systemizing difference was estimated using the D score from the Chinese version of Children's Empathy Quotient and Systemizing Quotient.We quantified brain morphometry,including global and regional brain volumes and surface-based cortical measures(cortical thickness,surface area,and gyrification)via structural magnetic resonance imaging.Results We found that the D score was significantly negatively associated with amygdala gray matter volume[β=-0.16;95％confidence interval(CI):-0.30,-0.02;P value=0.030]in children with ASD.There was a significantly negative asso-ciation between D score and gyrification in the left lateral occipital cortex(LOC)in children with ASD(B=-0.10;SE=0.03;cluster-wise P value=0.006)and a significantly positive association between D score and gyrification in the right fusiform in TD children(B=0.10;SE=0.03;cluster-wise P value=0.022).Moderation analyses demonstrated significant interactions between D score and diagnosed group in amygdala gray matter volume(p=0.19;95％CI 0.04,0.35;P value=0.013)and left LOC gyrification(β=0.11;95％CI 0.05,0.17;P value=0.001)but not in right fusiform gyrification(β=0.08;95％CI-0.02,0.17;P value=0.105).Conclusions Neuroanatomical variation in amygdala volume and gyrification of LOC could be potential biomarkers for the empathizing-systemizing difference in children with ASD but not in TD children.Large-scale neuroimaging studies are necessary to test the replicability of our findings.