The DOI matches its Crossref record; 225 of the 225 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Sex Differences in Autism Spectrum Disorder: a Review
Open accessAbstract
Purpose of review Neurodevelopmental disorders disproportionately affect males. The mechanisms underlying male vulnerability or female protection are not known and remain understudied. Determining the processes involved is crucial to understanding the etiology and advancing treatment of neurodevelopmental disorders. Here, we review current findings and theories that contribute to male preponderance of neurodevelopmental disorders, with a focus on autism.Recent findings Recent work on the biological basis of the male preponderance of autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders includes discussion of a higher genetic burden in females and sex-specific gene mutations or epigenetic changes that differentially confer risk to males or protection to females. Other mechanisms discussed are sex chromosome and sex hormone involvement. Specifically, fetal testosterone is involved in many aspects of development and may interact with neurotransmitter, neuropeptide, or immune pathways to contribute to male vulnerability. Finally, the possibilities of female underdiagnosis and a multi-hit hypothesis are discussed. This review highlights current theories of male bias in developmental disorders. Topics include environmental, genetic, and epigenetic mechanisms; theories of sex chromosomes, hormones, neuroendocrine, and immune function; underdiagnosis of females; and a multi-hit hypothesis.
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“ASD is ~4 times more prevalent in boys than in girls (16, 31).”
From Where Sex Meets Gender: How Sex and Gender Come Together to Cause Sex Differences in Mental Illness (2022) · cites this paper as [31]
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Items 201–225 of 225
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The contribution of environmental exposure to the etiology of autism spectrum disorder
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Sex differences in neurodevelopmental disorders
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Sociability Deficits and Altered Amygdala Circuits in Mice Lacking Pcdh10, an Autism Associated Gene
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Self-citation
Metadata
- Authors
- Ferri, S. L., Abel, T., & Brodkin, E. S.
- Affiliations
- University of Iowa (US)
- University of Pennsylvania (US)
- Corresponding author
- Brodkin, Edward S.
- Venue
- Current Psychiatry Reports
- Published
- 2018-02
- Volume
- 20
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 9-9
- ISSN
- 1523-3812 (ISSN-L)
- 1535-1645
- PMC
- PMC6477922
- OpenAlex
- W2790546718
- Cited by
- 392
- References
- 225
- Citations by year
- 2026: 33 · 2025: 54 · 2024: 63 · 2023: 51 · 2022: 58 · 2021: 50 · 2020: 44 · 2019: 30 · 2018: 7
- FWCI
- 4.41
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- Current Psychiatry Reports (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- University of Pennsylvania
- National Institute of Mental Health (R34MH104407)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Genetics and Neurodevelopmental Disorders
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism › Sexual Differentiation and Disorders
- Keywords
- autism spectrum disorder, sex differences, male preponderance, neurodevelopmental disorders, fetal testosterone, sex hormones, sex chromosomes, epigenetics, immune function, neurotransmitters, neuropeptides
- MeSH terms
- Autism Spectrum Disorder, Female, Humans, Male, Psychopathology, Sex Factors, Epigenesis, Genetic, Protective Factors
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