A quarterly publication of the Autism Research Institute
Summer, 2024 | Number 3, Volume 38
A study by researchers in the United States and Germany indicates that there are significant differences in brain development between boys and girls with autism spectrum disorders (ASD).
In neurotypical children, the cortex of the brain thickens until the children are about two years of age and then begins to thin. While previous research has revealed alterations in this process in children with ASD, this research did not investigate sex differences. To explore this issue, Derek Andrews and colleagues analyzed the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of 290 autistic children, including 202 males and 88 females, and 139 neurotypical controls. Scans were performed at up to four points when the children were between two and 13 years of age.
The researchers report, “Relative to their nonautistic peers, autistic females had more extensive cortical differences than autistic males. These differences involved multiple functional networks, and were mainly characterized by thicker cortex at around three years of age and faster cortical thinning in autistic females.” They also note, “Cortical regions in which autistic alterations were different between the sexes significantly overlapped with regions that differed by sex in neurotypical development.” The researchers say, “Larger differences associated with autism in females compared to males in regions that undergo neurotypical sex differentiation suggest that females have a larger liability threshold to develop autism, which may contribute to higher rates of autism in males.”
“Sex differences in trajectories of cortical development in autistic children from 2–13 years of age,” Derek S. Andrews, Kersten Diers, Joshua K. Lee, Danielle J. Harvey, Brianna Heath, Devani Cordero, Sally J. Rogers, Martin Reuter, Marjorie Solomon, David G. Amaral, and Christine Wu Nordahl, Molecular Psychiatry, May 16, 2024. Address: Derek Andrews, [email protected].
—and—
“Researchers find key differences in brain development between autistic boys and girls,” news release, UC Davis MIND Institute, May 23, 2024.
