Different parts of the brain are affected in women with autism[1] than in men with autism, according to a new study.


Autism is known to affect boys more often than girls -- one in 54 boys[2] , versus one in 252 girls -- and this new finding provides evidence for researchers that the disease might not manifest in the brain exactly the same way between the sexes. Because there are so many more males with autism than females, research on how autism affects the brain is skewed toward males.


The study, published in the journal Brain[3] , is based on MRI brain scans of 120 men and women (30 men with autism, 30 women with autism, 30 men without autism and 30 women without autism).


"We compared the brains of male patients with and without autism, so we have a pattern to demonstrate how autism manifests in the brain[4] , and then do the same thing for females," study researcher Dr. Meng-Chuan Lai explained to Fox News. "So if autism manifests the same for males and females, then the (patterns would be) quite alike. If it manifests differently by gender, then the two patterns would be quite distinct. And that's what we found."


Indeed, researchers found that the brains of the women with autism showed neuroanatomical "masculinization." [5]


Lai explained to Fox News that "in terms of brain morphology, females with autism[6] look more alike to typical developing males when they are compared to typical developing females … So the brain change in females with autism (are) actually shifting towards typical developing males."


This isn't the first time autism has appeared to be different between males and females. HealthDay reported on research earlier this year showing that there are differences in social disability between boys and girls that can be deduced from how long they learn from their eyes.



"In boys, the more they looked at the eyes, the less socially disabled they are. In girls, the more they looked at the eyes, the more disabled they are," Ami Klin, who is the chief of the division of autism and related disorders at Emory University School of Medicine and Children's Healthcare, told HealthDay[7] .


In addition, TIME reported on a potential genetic difference between boys and girls with autism[8] -- boys are more likely to possess a gene for autism risk, called CACNA1G, than girls.



Also on HuffPost:




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  • 1 In 50 School-Age Children In The U.S. Has An Autism Spectrum Disorder


    According to <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2012/p0329_autism_disorder.html" target="_blank">a parental survey conducted by the CDC</a>, prevalence has increased <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/21/health/parental-study-shows-rise-in-autism-spectrum-cases.html?_r=0" target="_blank">from 1 in 86 in 2007</a>. In 2012, <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/data.html" target="_blank">the CDC estimated that 1 in 88 kids have an ASD</a>, an estimate that is not incorrect, but relies on different sources. Rather than parental report, it looked at medical and school records to determine prevalence.




  • Boys Are More Likely To Have Autism Than Girls


    Autism is found in <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/features/countingautism/" target="_blank">1 in 54 boys</a>, compared to 1 in 252 girls.




  • The Symptoms Of An ASD Can Present Themselves In Infancy


    <a href="http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/autism/detail_autism.htm#233533082" target="_blank">According to the NIH</a>, early indicators include: No babbling by age 1, no single words by 16 months, poor eye contact and more. (<a href="http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/autism/detail_autism.htm#233533082" target="_blank">Click here for more information from NIH</a>.)




  • Scientists Are Not Certain What Causes Autism


    <a href="http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/autism/detail_autism.htm#233543082" target="_blank">According to the NIMH</a>, both <a href="http://www.childmind.org/en/health/disorder-guide/autism-spectrum-disorder" target="_blank">genetic and environmental factors</a> could contribute.




  • There Is No Cure For Autism, But There Are Ways To Treat It


    Autism is treated with <a href="http://www.childmind.org/en/health/disorder-guide/autism-spectrum-disorder" target="_blank">therapy, education plans and medication</a>. Doctors and scientists say that <a href="http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/autism/detail_autism.htm#233563082" target="_blank">early identification and intervention</a> for children with an ASD can help them thrive in academically and socially in the future.




  • Research Shows That There Is No Link Between The Onset Of Autism And Vaccinations


    Even when <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/03/29/175626824/the-number-of-early-childhood-vaccines-not-linked-to-autism" target="_blank">multiple vaccines</a> are given to a child on the same day, they are still <a href="http://vitals.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/29/17516929-new-study-finds-no-link-between-too-many-vaccines-and-autism?lite" target="_blank">not at risk</a> of developing <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/geraldine-dawson-/autism-awareness-day_b_2979117.html" target="_blank">autism</a>.




  • If A Child Has An ASD, Their Sibling Has A 2–18 Percent Chance Of Also Being Affected


    Studies have also shown that if a child with an ASD has an identical twin, the other will be affected anywhere from <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/data.html" target="_blank">36-95 percent of the time</a>.




  • 20 To 30 Percent Of Children With An ASD Develop Epilepsy


    Children whose <a href="http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/autism/detail_autism.htm#233563082" target="_blank">language skills regress before they turn 3</a> have been found to have a higher risk of developing epilepsy.




  • About 10 Percent Of Children Who Have An ASD Also Have Another Genetic, Metabolic Or Neurologic Disorder


    These <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/23/us-anxiety-autism-idUSTRE80M0EO20120123" target="_blank">disorders</a> include Bipolar Disorder, Fragile X syndrome and Down syndrome according to the <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/research.html" target="_blank">CDC</a>.




  • Infants And Young Children Should Be Screened For Developmental Delays At Periodic Intervals


    The CDC recommends <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/screening.html" target="_blank">children be screened</a> when the are 9, 18 and 24-30 months.




  • Keep Reading


    <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/15/this-is-autism_n_3064385.html" target="_blank">LOOK: This Is What Autism Looks Like</a> <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/20/autism-prevalence_n_2909533.html" target="_blank">Study Shows Big Leap In Autism Prevalence</a> <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brenda-rothman/autism_b_2733094.html?utm_hp_ref=parents-autism" target="_blank">Autism Is Not a Parenting Fail </a>