Sex Differences in Functional Connectivity Between Resting State Brain Networks in Autism Spectrum Disorder

Overview

Journal J Autism Dev Disord

Publisher Springer

Date 2021 Jul 17

PMID 34272649

Citations 5

Authors

Vania Tavares

Luis Afonso Fernandes

Marilia Antunes

Hugo Ferreira

Diana Prata

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Functional brain connectivity (FBC) has previously been examined in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) between-resting-state networks (RSNs) using a highly sensitive and reproducible hypothesis-free approach. However, results have been inconsistent and sex differences have only recently been taken into consideration using this approach. We estimated main effects of diagnosis and sex and a diagnosis by sex interaction on between-RSNs FBC in 83 ASD (40 females/43 males) and 85 typically developing controls (TC; 43 females/42 males). We found increased connectivity between the default mode (DM) and (a) the executive control networks in ASD (vs. TC); (b) the cerebellum networks in males (vs. females); and (c) female-specific altered connectivity involving visual, language and basal ganglia (BG) networks in ASD-in suggestive compatibility with ASD cognitive and neuroscientific theories.

Citing Articles

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Social affective behaviors among female rats involve the basolateral amygdala and insular cortex.

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Social affective behaviors among female rats involve the basolateral amygdala and insular cortex.

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Adolescent female valproic acid rats have impaired extra-dimensional shifts of attention and enlarged anterior cingulate cortices.

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PMID: 35633791 PMC: 9136002. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.889636.

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