Sex

Recent articles

Illustration of children looking at a gigantic set of building blocks, some of which display genetic sequences on their surfaces.

Autism is more heritable in boys than in girls

If boys have greater inherited liability for autism, the female protective effect may not fully explain the sex difference in prevalence.

Illustration of X and Y chromosomes against a psychedelic, checkered pattern.

Accounting for a mosaic of sex differences: Q&A with Nicola Grissom

Breaking the binary view of sex traits can enable researchers to represent the broader complexity of behavior and cognition.

By Olivia Gieger
10 July 2024 | 7 min read
Photograph of a family of rhesus macaque monkeys.

Father’s genes may drive sociability in male monkeys

The findings in rhesus macaque monkeys may provide clues to sex differences in the heredity of social behavior in people.

By Charles Q. Choi
18 August 2023 | 3 min read
Illustration of hybrid objects: part light bulb, part lab vial, some in blue and some in red to signify null and replicated results.

The true meaning of a null result

This edition of Null and Noteworthy highlights results that reveal the difficulty in drawing definitive conclusions from data, including new findings about epidurals that contradict several others and an apparent null result on sex differences that may derive from “circular logic.”

By Laura Dattaro
14 August 2023 | 4 min read
Position heatmaps of mice performing a behavioral assay.

New test taps nose pokes as a proxy for social motivation in mice

Over one hour, a particularly motivated mouse poked its nose 350 times into a hole in the test chamber in the hopes of meeting a playmate.

By Holly Barker
10 August 2023 | 5 min read
Blurry photograph of a crowd of people on a street.

Some who lack autism diagnosis carry variants tied to the condition

The variants are associated with slight differences in measures of intelligence, income and employment, but the relationship may not be causal.

By Charles Q. Choi
13 July 2023 | 4 min read
A man looks out the window

New estimate suggests most autistic adults in England lack a formal diagnosis

The finding underscores a need for adult autism diagnostic services.

By Emmet Fraizer
9 June 2023 | 2 min read
Illustration of a brain.

Cortical differences in autism vary by sex

Compared with their non-autistic peers, young autistic girls have a thicker cortex that thins more quickly with age.

By Giorgia Guglielmi
4 May 2023 | 2 min read
Illustration of a diverse group of bodies floating in space.

New measure characterizes gender diversity in study participants

The Gender Self-Report could help autism researchers include more gender-diverse people across a range of ages and neurotypes in their work.

By Emmet Fraizer
12 April 2023 | 5 min read
Research image of the posterior insular cortex.

Maternal immune response dulls male rats’ social radar

Male rats prenatally exposed to a maternal immune response have atypical responses to other rats in distress, according to a new study.

By Angie Voyles Askham
27 March 2023 | 6 min listen

Explore more from The Transmitter

Sox different neurons.

Early trajectory of Alzheimer’s tracked in single-cell brain atlases

Inflammation in glia and the loss of certain inhibitory cells may kick off a disease cascade decades before diagnosis.

By Angie Voyles Askham
23 October 2024 | 8 min read
Research image of four brain scans with green areas indicating Parasagittal dura volume.

Okur-Chung neurodevelopmental syndrome; excess CSF; autistic girls

Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 21 October.

By Jill Adams
22 October 2024 | 2 min read
A collage illustration of a woman’s face fragmented by a mosaic of X chromosomes, lines and shapes.

Brains, biases and amyloid beta: Why the female brain deserves a closer look in Alzheimer’s research

New results suggest the disease progresses differently in women, but we need more basic science to unpack the mechanisms involved.

By Rachel Buckley
22 October 2024 | 7 min read