Commentary: Sex difference differences? A reply to Constantino Dr Meng-Chuan Lai

Daniel S. Messinger; Gregory S. Young; Sara Jane Webb; Sally Ozonoff; Susan E. Bryson; Alice Carter; Leslie Carver; Tony Charman; Katarzyna Chawarska; Suzanne Curtin; Karen Dobkins; Irva Hertz-Picciotto; Ted Hutman; Jana M. Iverson; Rebecca Landa; Charles A. Nelson; Wendy L. Stone; Helen Tager-Flusberg; Lonnie Zwaigenbaum

doi:10.1186/s13229-016-0093-9

Commentary: Sex difference differences? A reply to Constantino Dr Meng-Chuan Lai

Daniel S. Messinger, Gregory S. Young, Sara Jane Webb, Sally Ozonoff, Susan E. Bryson, Alice Carter, Leslie Carver, Tony Charman, Katarzyna Chawarska, Suzanne Curtin, Karen Dobkins, Irva Hertz-Picciotto, Ted Hutman, Jana M. Iverson, Rebecca Landa, Charles A. Nelson, Wendy L. Stone, Helen Tager-Flusberg, Lonnie Zwaigenbaum

Kennedy Krieger Institute

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

Abstract

Messinger et al. found a 3.18 odds ratio of male to female ASD recurrence in 1241 prospectively followed high-risk (HR) siblings. Among high-risk siblings (with and without ASD), as well as among 583 low-risk controls, girls exhibited higher performance on the Mullen Scales of Early Learning, as well as lower restricted and repetitive behavior severity scores on the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) than boys. That is, female-favoring sex differences in developmental performance and autism traits were evident among low-risk and non-ASD high-risk children, as well as those with ASD. Constantino (Mol Autism) suggests that sex differences in categorical ASD outcomes in Messinger et al. should be understood as a female protective effect. We are receptive to Constantino's (Mol Autism) suggestion, and propose that quantitative sex differences in autism-related features are keys to understanding this female protective effect.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	93
Journal	Molecular Autism
Volume	7
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1186/s13229-016-0093-9
State	Published - Jun 29 2016

Keywords

Autism spectrum disorder
Female protective effect
High-risk siblings
Sex differences

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Molecular Biology
Developmental Neuroscience
Developmental Biology
Psychiatry and Mental health

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10.1186/s13229-016-0093-9

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Messinger, D. S., Young, G. S., Webb, S. J., Ozonoff, S., Bryson, S. E., Carter, A., Carver, L., Charman, T., Chawarska, K., Curtin, S., Dobkins, K., Hertz-Picciotto, I., Hutman, T., Iverson, J. M., Landa, R., Nelson, C. A., Stone, W. L., Tager-Flusberg, H., & Zwaigenbaum, L. (2016). Commentary: Sex difference differences? A reply to Constantino Dr Meng-Chuan Lai. Molecular Autism, 7(1), [93]. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13229-016-0093-9

Messinger, DS, Young, GS, Webb, SJ, Ozonoff, S, Bryson, SE, Carter, A, Carver, L, Charman, T, Chawarska, K, Curtin, S, Dobkins, K, Hertz-Picciotto, I, Hutman, T, Iverson, JM, Landa, R, Nelson, CA, Stone, WL, Tager-Flusberg, H & Zwaigenbaum, L 2016, 'Commentary: Sex difference differences? A reply to Constantino Dr Meng-Chuan Lai', Molecular Autism, vol. 7, no. 1, 93. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13229-016-0093-9

@article{e1535cdaf33f455a93a4d108d4cd7eab,

title = "Commentary: Sex difference differences? A reply to Constantino Dr Meng-Chuan Lai",

abstract = "Messinger et al. found a 3.18 odds ratio of male to female ASD recurrence in 1241 prospectively followed high-risk (HR) siblings. Among high-risk siblings (with and without ASD), as well as among 583 low-risk controls, girls exhibited higher performance on the Mullen Scales of Early Learning, as well as lower restricted and repetitive behavior severity scores on the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) than boys. That is, female-favoring sex differences in developmental performance and autism traits were evident among low-risk and non-ASD high-risk children, as well as those with ASD. Constantino (Mol Autism) suggests that sex differences in categorical ASD outcomes in Messinger et al. should be understood as a female protective effect. We are receptive to Constantino's (Mol Autism) suggestion, and propose that quantitative sex differences in autism-related features are keys to understanding this female protective effect.",

keywords = "Autism spectrum disorder, Female protective effect, High-risk siblings, Sex differences",

author = "Messinger, {Daniel S.} and Young, {Gregory S.} and Webb, {Sara Jane} and Sally Ozonoff and Bryson, {Susan E.} and Alice Carter and Leslie Carver and Tony Charman and Katarzyna Chawarska and Suzanne Curtin and Karen Dobkins and Irva Hertz-Picciotto and Ted Hutman and Iverson, {Jana M.} and Rebecca Landa and Nelson, {Charles A.} and Stone, {Wendy L.} and Helen Tager-Flusberg and Lonnie Zwaigenbaum",

note = "Funding Information: Autism Speaks provided support for the creation of the Baby Siblings Research Consortium (BSRC) Database. Data collection, analyses, and manuscript preparation were supported by the National Institutes of Health (C.A.N. R01DC010290; D.M. R01HD057284; D.M. R01GM105004; H.T.F. R01DC010290; H.T.F.R21DC008637; K.C. R01MH087554; K.C. PO1HD003008, Project 1; J.M.I. R01HD054979; R.L. R01MH059630; S.O R01MH068398; S.J.W. P50HD055782; S.J.W. R01HD064820; T.H. K01MH096961; T.H. U54 MH068172; T. H. P50 HD55784; W.L.S. R01HD057284); the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (S.B., L.Z.); the UK Medical Research Council (T.C.); NeuroDevNet (S.B., L.Z.), Autism Speaks Canada (S.B., L.Z.); Autism Speaks [U.S.] Pilot Grant (H.T.F., J.M.I.); Autistica (T.C.); the FAR Fund (K.C.); and the Simons Foundation (C.A.N.). Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2016 The Author(s).",

year = "2016",

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day = "29",

doi = "10.1186/s13229-016-0093-9",

language = "English (US)",

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journal = "Molecular Autism",

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T2 - Sex difference differences? A reply to Constantino Dr Meng-Chuan Lai

AU - Messinger, Daniel S.

AU - Young, Gregory S.

AU - Webb, Sara Jane

AU - Ozonoff, Sally

AU - Bryson, Susan E.

AU - Carter, Alice

AU - Carver, Leslie

AU - Charman, Tony

AU - Chawarska, Katarzyna

AU - Curtin, Suzanne

AU - Dobkins, Karen

AU - Hertz-Picciotto, Irva

AU - Hutman, Ted

AU - Iverson, Jana M.

AU - Landa, Rebecca

AU - Nelson, Charles A.

AU - Stone, Wendy L.

AU - Tager-Flusberg, Helen

AU - Zwaigenbaum, Lonnie

N1 - Funding Information: Autism Speaks provided support for the creation of the Baby Siblings Research Consortium (BSRC) Database. Data collection, analyses, and manuscript preparation were supported by the National Institutes of Health (C.A.N. R01DC010290; D.M. R01HD057284; D.M. R01GM105004; H.T.F. R01DC010290; H.T.F.R21DC008637; K.C. R01MH087554; K.C. PO1HD003008, Project 1; J.M.I. R01HD054979; R.L. R01MH059630; S.O R01MH068398; S.J.W. P50HD055782; S.J.W. R01HD064820; T.H. K01MH096961; T.H. U54 MH068172; T. H. P50 HD55784; W.L.S. R01HD057284); the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (S.B., L.Z.); the UK Medical Research Council (T.C.); NeuroDevNet (S.B., L.Z.), Autism Speaks Canada (S.B., L.Z.); Autism Speaks [U.S.] Pilot Grant (H.T.F., J.M.I.); Autistica (T.C.); the FAR Fund (K.C.); and the Simons Foundation (C.A.N.). Publisher Copyright: © 2016 The Author(s).

PY - 2016/6/29

Y1 - 2016/6/29

N2 - Messinger et al. found a 3.18 odds ratio of male to female ASD recurrence in 1241 prospectively followed high-risk (HR) siblings. Among high-risk siblings (with and without ASD), as well as among 583 low-risk controls, girls exhibited higher performance on the Mullen Scales of Early Learning, as well as lower restricted and repetitive behavior severity scores on the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) than boys. That is, female-favoring sex differences in developmental performance and autism traits were evident among low-risk and non-ASD high-risk children, as well as those with ASD. Constantino (Mol Autism) suggests that sex differences in categorical ASD outcomes in Messinger et al. should be understood as a female protective effect. We are receptive to Constantino's (Mol Autism) suggestion, and propose that quantitative sex differences in autism-related features are keys to understanding this female protective effect.

AB - Messinger et al. found a 3.18 odds ratio of male to female ASD recurrence in 1241 prospectively followed high-risk (HR) siblings. Among high-risk siblings (with and without ASD), as well as among 583 low-risk controls, girls exhibited higher performance on the Mullen Scales of Early Learning, as well as lower restricted and repetitive behavior severity scores on the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) than boys. That is, female-favoring sex differences in developmental performance and autism traits were evident among low-risk and non-ASD high-risk children, as well as those with ASD. Constantino (Mol Autism) suggests that sex differences in categorical ASD outcomes in Messinger et al. should be understood as a female protective effect. We are receptive to Constantino's (Mol Autism) suggestion, and propose that quantitative sex differences in autism-related features are keys to understanding this female protective effect.

KW - Autism spectrum disorder

KW - Female protective effect

KW - High-risk siblings

KW - Sex differences

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DO - 10.1186/s13229-016-0093-9

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C2 - 27358719

AN - SCOPUS:84978901489

SN - 2040-2392

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JO - Molecular Autism

JF - Molecular Autism

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ER -

Commentary: Sex difference differences? A reply to Constantino Dr Meng-Chuan Lai

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Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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