Research Sheds Light on Why Autism Is More Prevalent in Boys

A new study is helping unravel an enduring mystery surrounding autism: Why boys are much more likely to be affected by the disorder than girls. An international team led by Dr. John Vincent, of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto, examined specific genes in almost 3,000 people with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and 246 others with intellectual disability. They then compared that data to genes from more than 10,000 control individuals. Reporting in the Sept. 15 issue of Science Translational Medicine, the team found that mutations in the PTCHD1 gene are linked to inherited forms of autism and intellectual disability in about 1 percent of affected people in the study. It was not found in any of the controls, however. "Our data indicate that mutations at the PTCHD1 locus are strongly associated with ASD," the researchers concluded. They also noted that this gene is typically located on the single X-chromosome in males.

The study "provides further clues as to why ASD affects four times more males than females," said Andy Shih, vice president for scientific affairs at Autism Speaks. "PTCHD1 is part of a neurobiological pathway that determines the development of human embryos. It is one of several genes recently implicated in both ASD and intellectual disabilities." The finding adds a little more clarity to the murky origins of autism, Shih said. While each new genetic discovery "may only account for a small fraction of the cases, collectively they are starting to account for a greater percentage of individuals in the autism community, as well as providing insights into possible common pathogenic mechanisms," he said. "Identification of a male-linked genetic mutation begins to address the previously unknown basis for often reported skewed male-to-female ratio in autism."

College Campuses See Rise in Cases of Severe Mental Illness

More cases of severe mental illness are being reported among college students than a decade ago, as more young people with mental health issues tackle a post secondary education and are open to getting help when they need it, a new U.S. study shows. The use of prescription medications by students to treat psychiatric illness has also risen significantly over the past decade, the research team noted. "If we look at the average college student and their level of psychological and emotional functioning and distress, on the whole they are not necessarily worse off than they were 10 years ago," explained study author John C. Guthman, director of student counseling at Hofstra University's division of student affairs.

"However, there are some students who are outliers and they have some difficulty in some areas. And these relatively few students that present in significant distress seem to have increased to a greater percentage than they were a decade ago." Guthman and his colleagues are to report their findings Thursday at the American Psychological Association annual meeting, in San Diego. The authors noted that their observations appear to be in line with what mental health professionals have observed and reported anecdotally in recent years.

To get a handle on the current state of affairs, Guthman and his team analyzed diagnostic records concerning nearly 3,300 undergraduate and graduate students who had sought college counseling at some point in the 10 years between 1997 and 2009. After examining intake information concerning mental disorders, suicidal tendencies and behavioral reports, the team determined that over the years most students had been diagnosed with mood and anxiety disorders and that, on average, the nature of these cases had remained relatively mild over time.