Sex Differences in Autism Spectrum Disorder: Diagnostic, Neurobiological, and Behavioral Features
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder with a worldwide prevalence of about 1%, characterized by impairments in social interaction, communication, repetitive patterns of behaviors, and can be associated with hyper- or hypo-reactivity of sensory stimulation and cognit...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-05-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.889636/full |
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| author | Antonio Napolitano Sara Schiavi Piergiorgio La Rosa Maria Camilla Rossi-Espagnet Maria Camilla Rossi-Espagnet Sara Petrillo Francesca Bottino Emanuela Tagliente Daniela Longo Elisabetta Lupi Laura Casula Giovanni Valeri Fiorella Piemonte Viviana Trezza Stefano Vicari Stefano Vicari |
| author_facet | Antonio Napolitano Sara Schiavi Piergiorgio La Rosa Maria Camilla Rossi-Espagnet Maria Camilla Rossi-Espagnet Sara Petrillo Francesca Bottino Emanuela Tagliente Daniela Longo Elisabetta Lupi Laura Casula Giovanni Valeri Fiorella Piemonte Viviana Trezza Stefano Vicari Stefano Vicari |
| author_sort | Antonio Napolitano |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder with a worldwide prevalence of about 1%, characterized by impairments in social interaction, communication, repetitive patterns of behaviors, and can be associated with hyper- or hypo-reactivity of sensory stimulation and cognitive disability. ASD comorbid features include internalizing and externalizing symptoms such as anxiety, depression, hyperactivity, and attention problems. The precise etiology of ASD is still unknown and it is undoubted that the disorder is linked to some extent to both genetic and environmental factors. It is also well-documented and known that one of the most striking and consistent finding in ASD is the higher prevalence in males compared to females, with around 70% of ASD cases described being males. The present review looked into the most significant studies that attempted to investigate differences in ASD males and females thus trying to shade some light on the peculiar characteristics of this prevalence in terms of diagnosis, imaging, major autistic-like behavior and sex-dependent uniqueness. The study also discussed sex differences found in animal models of ASD, to provide a possible explanation of the neurological mechanisms underpinning the different presentation of autistic symptoms in males and females. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T09:18:57Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-568dd186cb2e485297662bc420c83d32 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-0640 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T09:18:57Z |
| publishDate | 2022-05-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj.art-568dd186cb2e485297662bc420c83d322022-12-22T00:29:18ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychiatry1664-06402022-05-011310.3389/fpsyt.2022.889636889636Sex Differences in Autism Spectrum Disorder: Diagnostic, Neurobiological, and Behavioral FeaturesAntonio Napolitano0Sara Schiavi1Piergiorgio La Rosa2Maria Camilla Rossi-Espagnet3Maria Camilla Rossi-Espagnet4Sara Petrillo5Francesca Bottino6Emanuela Tagliente7Daniela Longo8Elisabetta Lupi9Laura Casula10Giovanni Valeri11Fiorella Piemonte12Viviana Trezza13Stefano Vicari14Stefano Vicari15Medical Physics Department, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, ItalySection of Biomedical Sciences and Technologies, Science Department, Roma Tre University, Rome, ItalyDivision of Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, ItalyNeuroradiology Unit, Imaging Department, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, ItalyNESMOS, Neuroradiology Department, S. Andrea Hospital Sapienza University, Rome, ItalyHead Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Unit, Neuroscience Department, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, ItalyMedical Physics Department, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, ItalyMedical Physics Department, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, ItalyNeuroradiology Unit, Imaging Department, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, ItalyHead Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Unit, Neuroscience Department, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, ItalyHead Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Unit, Neuroscience Department, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, ItalyHead Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Unit, Neuroscience Department, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, ItalyNeuromuscular and Neurodegenerative Diseases Unit, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, ItalySection of Biomedical Sciences and Technologies, Science Department, Roma Tre University, Rome, ItalyChild Neuropsychiatry Unit, Neuroscience Department, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, ItalyLife Sciences and Public Health Department, Catholic University, Rome, ItalyAutism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder with a worldwide prevalence of about 1%, characterized by impairments in social interaction, communication, repetitive patterns of behaviors, and can be associated with hyper- or hypo-reactivity of sensory stimulation and cognitive disability. ASD comorbid features include internalizing and externalizing symptoms such as anxiety, depression, hyperactivity, and attention problems. The precise etiology of ASD is still unknown and it is undoubted that the disorder is linked to some extent to both genetic and environmental factors. It is also well-documented and known that one of the most striking and consistent finding in ASD is the higher prevalence in males compared to females, with around 70% of ASD cases described being males. The present review looked into the most significant studies that attempted to investigate differences in ASD males and females thus trying to shade some light on the peculiar characteristics of this prevalence in terms of diagnosis, imaging, major autistic-like behavior and sex-dependent uniqueness. The study also discussed sex differences found in animal models of ASD, to provide a possible explanation of the neurological mechanisms underpinning the different presentation of autistic symptoms in males and females.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.889636/fullASDgenderanimal modelsimagingneurobiological mechanism |
| spellingShingle | Antonio Napolitano Sara Schiavi Piergiorgio La Rosa Maria Camilla Rossi-Espagnet Maria Camilla Rossi-Espagnet Sara Petrillo Francesca Bottino Emanuela Tagliente Daniela Longo Elisabetta Lupi Laura Casula Giovanni Valeri Fiorella Piemonte Viviana Trezza Stefano Vicari Stefano Vicari Sex Differences in Autism Spectrum Disorder: Diagnostic, Neurobiological, and Behavioral Features Frontiers in Psychiatry ASD gender animal models imaging neurobiological mechanism |
| title | Sex Differences in Autism Spectrum Disorder: Diagnostic, Neurobiological, and Behavioral Features |
| title_full | Sex Differences in Autism Spectrum Disorder: Diagnostic, Neurobiological, and Behavioral Features |
| title_fullStr | Sex Differences in Autism Spectrum Disorder: Diagnostic, Neurobiological, and Behavioral Features |
| title_full_unstemmed | Sex Differences in Autism Spectrum Disorder: Diagnostic, Neurobiological, and Behavioral Features |
| title_short | Sex Differences in Autism Spectrum Disorder: Diagnostic, Neurobiological, and Behavioral Features |
| title_sort | sex differences in autism spectrum disorder diagnostic neurobiological and behavioral features |
| topic | ASD gender animal models imaging neurobiological mechanism |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.889636/full |
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