Study finds that the structure of male brains predisposes them to the disease. PHOTO | FILE
What you need to know:
Study finds that the structure of male brains predisposes them to the disease.
Autism refers to a mental condition that is usually present from childhood.
It is characterised by difficulty in communicating and forming relationships with other people.
Men face a higher risk of developing autism compared to women based on their brain anatomy.
According to a new study published in the JAMA Psychiatry journal, the anatomy of male brains tends to predispose them more to the disease.
The research further noted that women whose brain structure is similar to that of men are also more vulnerable to the ailment.
Both men and women usually have some degree of feminine and masculine features in their brain anatomy.
However, the higher the ratio of masculine features in women, the more likely they are to develop the disease.
Difficulty communicating
Autism refers to a mental condition that is usually present from childhood. It is characterised by difficulty in communicating and forming relationships with other people.
Symptoms of the disease, often recognised in the first two years of life, also include increased indulgence in repetitive behaviours and limited interest in activities.
These effects can be mild or severe. However, treatment is available to alleviate the pain and improve normal body and mental functioning for those affected.
Even though autism is known to affect men by up to five times more than women, most researchers studying the disease have largely failed to figure out the role that sex plays in its development.
But tides are slowly shifting.
“Increasingly, investigators recognise sex influences as fundamental to understanding both normal and abnormal brain function,” said Dr Larry Cahill, a lecturer in the department of neurobiology at the University of California in an editorial commentary of the study.
