Sexually dimorphism and social brain circuit: Its implication to Autism

Abstract

The common features of autism-spectrum disorder (ASD), a highly-heritable pervasive developmental disorder with a significant heterogeneity and multiple-genetic factors, are characterized by severe dysfunction in social reciprocity, abnormalities in social-brain regions, and disproportionately low probability in females. On the other hand, a certain domain of mental function such as emotional memory and social reciprocity shows a significant sex-difference. In addition, recent neuroimaging studies have shown significant sexually-dimorphisms in neuroanatomical correlates of social cognition and behavior. Recently, some sexuallydimorphic factors such as oxytocin have been paid attention because of its possible contribution to mental development especially in social cognitive and behavioral domain. Taken together, it is hypothesized that a sexuallydimorphic factor associating with social function could affect dysfunction in social reciprocity, abnormalities in social-brain regions, and disproportionately low probability in females of ASD. This review article overviewed sexually-dimorphisms in clinical feature of ASD, in normal social cognition, and in social brain function and structure. The association of oxytocin with sexually-dimorphisms, social reciprocity, neural correlates of social congition, and the pathogenesis of ASD were further summarized.