Sex-specific cortical networks drive social behavior differences in an autism spectrum disorder model.

ABSTRACT: Social behavior is highly sensitive to brain network dysfunction caused by neuropsychiatric conditions like autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Some studies suggest that autistic females show fewer social skill impairments than autistic males. However, the relationship between sex differences in social behavior and sexually dimorphic brain neurophysiology in ASD remains unclear. We hypothesize that sex-specific changes in cortical neurophysiology drive the sexual dimorphism observed in social behavior for ASD. To test this, we used male and female Tsc2^+/- mice, a genetic ASD model, to examine cortical neuron morphology, the serotonergic system, E/I balance, structural connectivity, and social behavior. At the cellular level, transgenic males had shorter and less complex cortical b

SUBMITTER: Pais ML 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12279983 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature