IS AUTISM AN EXTREME MALE CONDION Flashcards
1
Q
DEFINE AUTISM
A
- A DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDER WHICH AFFECTS A CHILD’S ABILITY TO INTERACT AND BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHERS
2
Q
SYMPTOMS ? V
A
- LOWER LANGUAGE CAPABILITY THAN OTHERS SAME AGE
- TAKE MEANINGS LITERALLY
- LIKE ROUTINE
- REPETITIVE BEHAVIOUR
- GIFTED TALENTS
- SPECIAL INTERESTS
- RESISTANCE TO CHANGE
- DIFFICULTY UNDERSTANDING FACIAL EXPRESSIONS
- DIFFICULTY RECOGNISING EMOTIONS
- LOW CREATIVITY
- THOUGHT TO BE PRESENT FROM BIRTH BUT USUALLY DIAGNOSED AGE 3 OR 4
3
Q
EXPLAIN AUTISM USING BIOLOGICAL APPROACH
A
- MALE BRAIN STRUCTURE IS DIFFERENT FROM FEMALE BRAIN STRUCTURE
- MALE BRAIN FUNCTION IS DIFFERENT FROM FEMALE BRAIN FUNCTION
- MALE HORMONES AFFECT DEVELOPMENT
- AUTISM MAY BE GENETIC
- AUTISM MAY BE CAUSED BY OTHER BIOLOGICAL CAUSES
4
Q
HOW ARE MALE AND FEMALE BRAINS DIFFERENT IN STRUCTURE
A
- ALMOST 75% OF PEOPLE WITH AUTISM ARE MALE
- BARON-COHEN (2005) (think Ali G)
SUGGESTED AUTISTIC BRAINS ARE AN ‘EXAGGERATION’ OF MALE BRAINS - MALE BRAINS ARE HEAVIER THAN FEMALE BRAINS AND IN AUTISTIC PEOPLE BRAIN IS EVEN HEAVIER THAN NORMAL MALE BRAIN (BAILEY 1994)
- MALE BRAINS GROW MORE QUICKLY THAN FEMALE BRAINS, IN AUTISM THIS IS EVEN MORE RAPID
- NORMAL MALES HAVE SMALLER
CORPUS CALLOSUM THAN FEMALES, IN AUTISM IT IS EVEN SMALLER - IN MALES AMYGDALA IS LARGER THAN IN FEMALES,
TESTS ON TODDLERS WITH AUTISM SHOW THIS IS ABNORMALLY LARGE
5
Q
HOW ARE MALE AND FEMALE BRAINS DIFFERENT IN FUNCTION
A
- MALES STRONGER AT SPACIAL TASKS, AUTISTIC PEOPLE EVEN STRONGER
- MALES DEVELOP LANGUAGE MORE SLOWLY, AUTISTIC PEOPLE EVEN SLOWER
6
Q
HOW COME WOMEN CAN HAVE AUTISM IF EXAGGERATED MALE PROPOSITION IS TRUE
A
MALES HAVE MORE EXPOSURE TO MALE HORMONES AS THEY ARE PRODUCED BY TESTES BUT WOMEN ALSO PRODUCE A LOW LEVEL OF MALE HORMONES IN THEIR ADRENAL GLANDS
7
Q
EVIDENCE THAT AUTISM MAY BE GENETIC ?
A
MZ TWINS SHOW 60-90% CONCORDANCE RATE FOR AUTISM, ONLY 5% IN DZ TWINS
8
Q
WHAT OTHER BIOLOGICAL ISSUES COULD CAUSE AUTISM
A
UNDIAGNOSED PKU
(PHENYLALANINE)
- PHENY LALA NINE
9
Q
DATE AND YEAR OF RELEVANT STUDIES
A
BARON-COHEN - 2005
BAILEY ET AL-1994
