title: Executive functioning in autism spectrum disorders: a gender comparison of response inhibition.
abstract: Although autism spectrum disorders (ASD) affect more males than females, it is not clear whether neurobehavioural correlates of ASD are equivalent across genders. This study examined gender differences in neurobehavioural functioning in boys and girls with ASD. Participants were males with ASD (n = 10), females with ASD (n = 13), typically developing males (n = 8), and typically developing females (n = 14). Each completed the stop task, a common measure of response inhibition. Females with ASD demonstrated a significant increase in stopping time (indicating poorer inhibition). By contrast, no response inhibition impairments were evident among males with ASD. Females with ASD may have a different neurobehavioural profile, and therefore different clinical needs, when compared with males with ASD.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Developmental Psychiatry and Psychology, School of Psychology and Psychiatry, Monash University, 270 Ferntree Gully Rd, Nottinghill, VIC 3168, Australia.
authors.forename: Janine M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Lemon
authors.forename: Belinda
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gargaro
authors.forename: Peter G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Enticott
authors.forename: Nicole J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Rinehart
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology*; D002659:Child Development Disorders, Pervasive / Q000523:psychology*; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D012727:Sex Characteristics