biostudies-literatureLawrence KENCRR NIH HHSNIMH NIH HHSNational Institute of Mental HealthNINDS NIH HHSNIH HHS378-387https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC8967090biostudies-literatureUnknown145(1)The biological mechanisms underlying the greater prevalence of autism spectrum disorder in males than females remain poorly understood. One hypothesis posits that this female protective effect arises from genetic load for autism spectrum disorder differentially impacting male and female brains. To test this hypothesis, we investigated the impact of cumulative genetic risk for autism spectrum disorder on functional brain connectivity in a balanced sample of boys and girls with autism spectrum disorder and typically developing boys and girls (127 youth, ages 8-17). Brain connectivity analyses focused on the salience network, a core intrinsic functional connectivity network which has previously been implicated in autism spectrum disorder. The effects of polygenic risk on salience network funcBrain : a journal of neurologyImpact of autism genetic risk on brain connectivity: a mechanism for the female protective effect.PMC8967090R01MH100028T32 NS048004F31 MH110140R01 MH100028C06 RR012169S10 OD011939C06 RR015431F32 MH105167R01 MH117982K00 MH119663GENDAAR ConsortiumMacDonnell ENaples APatterson GBernier RAKresse AMcDonald NBookheimer SYDepedro-Mercier DJacokes ZOkada NJGuilford DLibsack ETsapelas HPelphrey KANeuhaus EHernandez LMWolf JDapretto MAnkenman KVentola PGeschwind DHWebb SJVan Horn JDSullivan CAWJung JLawrence KEGaab NKeifer CMMcPartland JCJack ATorgerson CMJeste SLowe JKWelker OPadgaonkar NTFuster EGupta ARAylward ENelson CACorrigan SHoekstra JNGreen SAfalseImpact of autism genetic risk on brain connectivity: a mechanism for the female protective effect.The biological mechanisms underlying the greater prevalence of autism spectrum disorder in males than females remain poorly understood. One hypothesis posits that this female protective effect arises from genetic load for autism spectrum disorder differentially impacting male and female brains. To test this hypothesis, we investigated the impact of cumulative genetic risk for autism spectrum disorder on functional brain connectivity in a balanced sample of boys and girls with autism spectrum disorder and typically developing boys and girls (127 youth, ages 8-17). Brain connectivity analyses focused on the salience network, a core intrinsic functional connectivity network which has previously been implicated in autism spectrum disorder. The effects of polygenic risk on salience network func2022-01-01T00:00:00Z2022 Mar2025-04-06T23:23:31.04Z2025-04-04T11:29:12.081ZS-EPMC89670903405074310.1093/brain/awab204