Sex Differences in the Striatal Contributions to Longitudinal Fine Motor Development in Autistic Children.

This study followed 356 children (234 autistic) over several years, using brain scans and motor skill tests. Researchers found that brain areas involved in movement work differently in autistic boys versus girls. The brain structure at age 3 could predict which autistic girls would improve their fine motor skills over time, but this wasn't true for autistic boys. This suggests that motor difficulties in autism may have different underlying causes depending on the child's sex, which could be important for developing targeted therapies.

This longitudinal study examined sex differences in brain structure and fine motor development in 356 children (234 autistic, 128 girls), with follow-up data from 195 children. Researchers used brain imaging to assess striatal volume and white matter microstructure, measuring fine motor skills at age 3 and 2-3 years later. Key findings revealed distinct sex-specific patterns in autistic children: associations between fine motor skills, putamen volume, and white matter microstructure differed between autistic boys and girls at age 3. Importantly, brain microstructure predicted fine motor improvement in autistic girls but not boys.

These findings suggest the dorsal striatum contributes to motor abilities differently in autistic boys versus girls, highlighting the importance of considering sex in understanding neurobiological mechanisms underlying motor challenges in autism.

Findings suggest need for sex-specific approaches to motor skill interventions in autism. Early brain imaging might help identify autistic girls likely to benefit from motor interventions. Results support personalized therapy approaches considering both autism diagnosis and biological sex when addressing fine motor challenges.

Study type not specified in metadata. Sample size reduced at follow-up (195 from 356 children). Abstract doesn't provide details on methodology, control for confounding variables, or statistical significance levels. Long-term outcomes beyond 2-3 years unknown.

Fine motor challenges are prevalent in autistic populations. However, little is known about their neurobiological underpinnings or how their related neural mechanisms are influenced by sex. The dorsal striatum, which comprises the caudate nucleus and putamen, is associated with motor learning and control and may hold critical information. We investigated how autism diagnosis and sex assigned at birth influence associations between the dorsal striatum and fine motor development in autistic and nonautistic children.

We used multimodal assessment of striatal structures (volume and corticostriatal white matter microstructure) and longitudinal assessment of fine motor skills, first at approximately 3 years of age (time 1) and again 2 to 3 years later (follow-up). Fine motor and magnetic resonance imaging (T1 and diffusion) data were collected at time 1 from 356 children (234 autistic; 128 girls) and at follow-up from 195 children (113 autistic; 76 girls). At time 1, associations among fine motor skills, putamen volume, and sensorimotor-striatal fractional anisotropy (sensorimotor-affiliated dorsal striatal structures) were different in autistic boys compared with autistic girls and were not significant for nonautistic children. Further, time 1 sensorimotor-striatal and prefrontal-striatal microstructure predicted fine motor development for autistic girls but not boys.

Sensorimotor-affiliated dorsal striatum structures may contribute to concurrent motor ability and predict fine motor improvement during critical windows of development in a sex-specific and diagnosis-dependent way. Moreover, the dorsal striatum may play a key role in the distinct neural mechanisms underlying motor challenges in autistic boys and girls.