Sex/gender differences in the human autistic brains: A systematic review of 20 years of neuroimaging research.

ABSTRACT: Our current understanding of autism is largely based on clinical experiences and research involving male individuals given the male-predominance in prevalence and the under-inclusion of female individuals due to small samples, co-occurring conditions, or simply being missed for diagnosis. There is a significantly biased 'male lens' in this field with autistic females insufficiently understood. We therefore conducted a systematic review to examine how sex and gender modulate brain structure and function in autistic individuals. Findings from the past 20 years are yet to converge on specific brain regions/networks with consistent sex/gender-modulating effects. Despite at least three well-powered studies identifying specific patterns of significant sex/gender-modulation of autism-control diff

SUBMITTER: Mo K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8436080 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature