Autism and the Brain: How Boys and Girls Differ

Ever wondered how autism affects the brain differently in boys and girls? Let's dig into a study that used a fancy tool called FOCA (FOur-dimensional Consistency of local neural Activities) to check out the brain activity of 64 boys and 64 girls with autism, plus the same number of boys and girls without autism. The study found some interesting stuff in the precuneus, a tiny part of the brain. In boys with autism, this area was super active, but in girls with autism, it wasn't. They also looked at how this part connects with other brain areas and found some weird connections. Turns out, the default mode network, a specific group of brain areas, might play a big role in these differences between boys and girls with autism. Why is this important? Understanding these differences can help us figure out better ways to support people with autism.