中国科学院心理研究所机构知识库

在孤独症谱系障碍中，男性患病比例要远高于女性，且男性和女性孤独症表现存在差异。本文从基因、神经内分泌和脑结构几个角度梳理了孤独症患病比性别差异的影响因素。基因研究表明孤独症基因具有“女性保护效应”，男性孤独症患者较多可能是由于男性对孤独症风险基因更敏感。性激素研究则表明睾酮素和性激素对男性和女性脑发育影响的差异可能是导致孤独症性别差异的原因。脑结构的研究则进一步揭示了这种差异的具体表现以及其与孤独症之间的关系。未来研究需要运用多种手段对孤独症个体及其亲代的基因、内分泌以及脑结构差异开展研究。

One of the most consistent features of the autism spectrum disorders(ASDs) is the predominance among males. There are also remarkable performance differences between males and females with autism. To better understand the biological basis for sex-differential risk, we reviewed the current state of genetic, endocrinological and brain structure works concentrating on ASD prevalence and liability in males and females. Recent studies showed that females had a“female protect effect”against with autism genetic liability. Antenatal and postnatal sex hormones had great impact on the brain development, accounting for the gender difference in brain structure. Brain structure studies further supported the gender differences in autism. Future research needs to study autistic individuals and their parents genetic, neuroendocrine and structural brain differences by multiple methods.