Sex-specific Axonal Conduction Velocity Development Drives Differential Changes in Frontal, Parietal, and Insular Cortices in Autism Spectrum Disorder

This longitudinal study examined how neuronal development differs between autistic girls and boys during adolescence, finding that pubertal development accelerates increases in neural conduction velocity with distinct sex-based patterns in cortical versus white matter growth. Autistic girls showed greater increases in frontal and parietal cortices alongside rising anxiety and depression symptoms, while autistic boys exhibited higher insular cortex increases but slower white matter development compared to non-autistic peers.