ReviewJournal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry2015
Sex/gender differences and autism: setting the scene for future research.
Review in Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT04942522 (Application of Probiotic PS128), which is not on this map. Cited by 487 papers, 12 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Application of Probiotic PS128 (Lactobacillus Plantarum, PS128) in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Who cites it
487 citing papers in PubMed, 12 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 1,086 citations in OpenAlex.
- Predicting early intervention outcomes in autism via individual participant data mega-analysis.Molecular autism · 2026Pooled it
- Auditory Sensitivity in Autism: A Systematic Review of Mismatch Negativity and Mismatch Field Responses.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism Research · 2026Pooled it
- Social functioning in autism: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Nature human behaviour · 2026Pooled it
- Alexithymia in neurodevelopmental populations: a scoping review of Down syndrome, autism spectrum disorder, and dual diagnosis.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Pooled it
- The role of artificial intelligence interventions to improve eye contact for children with autism spectrum disorder: a systematic review.BMC psychiatry · 2025Pooled it
- A meta-analytic review of quantification methods for camouflaging behaviors in autistic and neurotypical individuals.Scientific reports · 2025Pooled it
- A systematic review of ecological momentary assessment in autism research.Autism : the international journal of research and practice · 2025Pooled it
- Disability barriers autistic girls face in secondary education: A systematic review.Autism : the international journal of research and practice · 2025Pooled it
- Who, when, where, and why: A systematic review of "late diagnosis" in autism.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism Research · 2025Pooled it
- The effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions for children with autism and their parents: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Pooled it
- Investigating the Presence of Autistic Traits and Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder Symptoms in Anorexia Nervosa: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.The International journal of eating disorders · 2025Pooled it
- Characteristics of restricted interests in girls with ASD compared to boys: a systematic review of the literature.European child & adolescent psychiatry · 2024Pooled it
- Feasibility Study of a Novel App-Based Anxiety Intervention for Autistic People.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism Research · 2026Trial
- The impact of probiotic treatment on sex-specific behavioral differences in valproic acid-induced autism animal model.Brain, behavior, & immunity - health · 2026Article
- Prevalence, Phenotypic Correlates and Predictive Factors of Catatonia in Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR · 2026Article
- Exploring Family Experiences With Section 504 Plans for Their Autistic Children.Journal of autism and developmental disorders · 2026Article
- Sex differences in post-traumatic stress disorder risk among autistic individuals: a population-based matched cohort study.European child & adolescent psychiatry · 2026Article
- Clinical Profile of First-Time Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder in School-Aged Youth.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Visual Integration Mechanisms in Young Adults with High and Low Autistic Traits.Life (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Diametrically opposed sex-specific effects of autistic traits on risk-taking in poker.PCN reports : psychiatry and clinical neurosciences · 2026Article
427 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors at 4 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
Abstract
objectiveThe relationship between sex/gender differences and autism has attracted a variety of research ranging from clinical and neurobiological to etiological, stimulated by the male bias in autism prevalence. Findings are complex and do not always relate to each other in a straightforward manner. Distinct but interlinked questions on the relationship between sex/gender differences and autism remain underaddressed. To better understand the implications from existing research and to help design future studies, we propose a 4-level conceptual framework to clarify the embedded themes.
methodWe searched PubMed for publications before September 2014 using search terms "'sex OR gender OR females' AND autism." A total of 1,906 articles were screened for relevance, along with publications identified via additional literature reviews, resulting in 329 articles that were reviewed.
resultsLevel 1, "Nosological and diagnostic challenges," concerns the question, "How should autism be defined and diagnosed in males and females?" Level 2, "Sex/gender-independent and sex/gender-dependent characteristics," addresses the question, "What are the similarities and differences between males and females with autism?" Level 3, "General models of etiology: liability and threshold," asks the question, "How is the liability for developing autism linked to sex/gender?" Level 4, "Specific etiological-developmental mechanisms," focuses on the question, "What etiological-developmental mechanisms of autism are implicated by sex/gender and/or sexual/gender differentiation?"
conclusionsUsing this conceptual framework, findings can be more clearly summarized, and the implications of the links between findings from different levels can become clearer. Based on this 4-level framework, we suggest future research directions, methodology, and specific topics in sex/gender differences and autism.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.