Sex differences in multisensory speech processing in both @entity245 @entity1 and those on the XXXX spectrum.

@entity1 @entity72 @entity245 @entity2438
BACKGROUND: Previous work has revealed sizeable deficits in the abilities of @entity1 with an @entity72 ( @entity72 ) to integrate auditory and visual speech signals, with clear implications for social communication in this population. There is a strong male preponderance in @entity72 , with approximately four affected males for every female. The presence of sex differences in @entity72 symptoms suggests a sexual dimorphism in the @entity72 phenotype, and raises the question of whether this dimorphism extends to @entity72 traits in the neurotypical population. Here, we investigated possible sexual dimorphism in multisensory speech integration in both @entity72 and neurotypical individuals. METHODS: We assessed whether males and females differed in their ability to benefit from visual speech when target words were presented under varying levels of signal-to-noise, in samples of neurotypical @entity1 and adults, and in @entity1 diagnosed with an @entity72 . RESULTS: In @entity245 ( @entity245 ) @entity1 and @entity1 with @entity72 , females (n = 47 and n = 15, respectively) were significantly superior in their ability to recognize words under audiovisual listening conditions compared to males (n = 55 and n = 58, respectively). This sex difference was absent in our sample of neurotypical adults (n = 28 females; n = 28 males). CONCLUSIONS: We propose that the development of audiovisual integration is delayed in male relative to female @entity1 , a delay that is also observed in @entity72 . In neurotypicals, these sex differences disappear in early adulthood when females approach their performance maximum and males "catch up." Our findings underline the importance of considering sex differences in the search for @entity2438 endophenotypes and strongly encourage increased efforts to study the underrepresented population of females within @entity72 .
