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NEURODEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS

Sex bias in autism: new insights from Chd8 mutant mice?

A study has found that young male mice with a mutation of the autism-associated gene Chd8 show abnormal behaviors and elevated neuronal activation in several brain areas under stressful conditions, while female mice with the same mutation have reduced baseline neuronal activity, which may protect them from developing these abnormal phenotypes.

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Fig. 1: Sex differences in Chd8+/− mice.

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Correspondence to M. Albert Basson.

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Andreae, L.C., Basson, M.A. Sex bias in autism: new insights from Chd8 mutant mice?. Nat Neurosci 21, 1144–1146 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-018-0217-y

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