Study uncovers why autism is more common in males

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2014-02/cp-suw022014.php

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE: 27-Feb-2014
Contact: Mary Beth O'Leary
Cell Press

Study uncovers why autism is more common in males

Males are at greater risk for neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), than females, but the underlying reasons have been unclear. A large cohort study published by Cell Press on February 27th in the American Journal of Human Genetics provides compelling evidence in support of the "female protective model," which proposes that females require more extreme genetic mutations than do males to push them over the diagnostic threshold for neurodevelopmental disorders.

"This is the first study that convincingly demonstrates a difference at the molecular level between boys and girls referred to the clinic for a developmental disability," says study author Sébastien Jacquemont of the University Hospital of Lausanne. "The study suggests that there is a different level of robustness in brain development, and females seem to have a clear advantage."

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