New findings provide possible insight into why autism affects more boys than girls.
Wired PR News – A new clue may help unlock the mystery of why autism affects more boys than it does girls. As reported by TIME, researchers have identified a gene that may help lead to understanding why there is a disparity.
As noted in the report, the gene referred to as CACNA1G is found in males more commonly than in females, and is possibly linked to the risk of the development of autism. Geri Dawson with the advocacy group Autism Speaks is quoted in the TIME report as stating of the findings, “Our current theories about autism suggest that the disorder is related to overexcitability at nerve endings…It’s interesting to see that the gene they identified appears to modulate excitability of neurons.”
The study has been published by the Molecular Psychiatry journal online.
Photo Credit: Wikipedia User TimVickers
