As Professor Christine Wu Nordahls put it, it is clear that there exists a bias towards males in the diagnosis of autism, which could be attributed to the underdiagnosis of females. As you probably already know, autism affects more males than females, with nearly four males being diagnosed for every one female.
Professor Christine explained that there has to be more to the disparity, and that could be due to biological factors.
Cortical differences between autistic boys and girls
According to Nordahl, the findings imply that longitudinal studies that involve both males and females are essential. If the study had solely focused on boys at age 3, it could have concluded that there were no significant differences between the sexes.
One research that has taken an extra step to examine cortical differences between autistic boys and girls, ages 2-13 years old has found an interesting outcome. The study, recently published in the reputable journal Molecular Psychiatry, revealed distinct variations in cortical development. The researchers analyzed brain scans from a sample of 290 children who are Autistic.
Out of the 290. 202 were male, and 88 were female. Usually, a control group or rather a group that is not Autistic would be used in studies like these; that way, the researchers can compare and contrast results. In this case, the control group consisted of 139 typically developing individuals, with 79 males and 60 females included in the study. These individuals also underwent MRI scans at up to four different time intervals, spanning from ages 2 to 13.
The study results
The study found that in girls, aged 3 and diagnosed with autism, there was a higher cortical thickness compared to girls without autism of the same age. This increase in thickness accounted for about 9% of the entire cortical surface. In contrast, there were fewer widespread differences observed in autistic boys compared to non-autistic boys of the same age.
Nordhal has stated that the decision to launch the GAIN study in 2014 was fueled by this realization. GAIN was necessary to expand the sample size of autistic girls from a mere 30 to a more substantial number, allowing for a more comprehensive examination of potential similarities and differences between the genders. By including both males and females in research, a better understanding of autism can be achieved.
Support and treatment
It’s wonderful to witness the growing interest in understanding Autism as it can have a positive impact on individuals with this condition and their families.
At Sacramento ABA Therapy we are committed to offering information, advocacy, resources and guidance to build a support system for families. Learn more about SAT and how we can offer help.
