scholarly journals Personality and congenital adrenal hyperplasia: Possible effects of prenatal androgen exposure

2009 ◽  
Vol 55 (2) ◽  
pp. 285-291 ◽  
Author(s):  
Greta A. Mathews ◽  
Briony A. Fane ◽  
Gerard S. Conway ◽  
Charles G.D. Brook ◽  
Melissa Hines
Keyword(s):  
Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia ◽  
Adrenal Hyperplasia ◽  
Androgen Exposure ◽  
Prenatal Androgen Exposure ◽  
Prenatal Androgen

scholarly journals No Evidence for a Difference in 2D:4D Ratio between Youth with Elevated Prenatal Androgen Exposure due to Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia and Controls

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gideon Nave ◽  
Christina M. Koppin ◽  
Dylan Manfredi ◽  
Gareth Richards ◽  
Steven J. Watson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia ◽  
Large Body ◽  
Adrenal Hyperplasia ◽  
Hydroxylase Deficiency ◽  
Left Hand ◽  
Androgen Exposure ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Prenatal Androgen Exposure ◽  
21 Hydroxylase Deficiency ◽  
Prenatal Androgen

AbstractThe second-to-fourth digit ratio (2D:4D) has been associated with sexual dimorphism, with a lower 2D:4D in males. A large body of research has relied on the 2D:4D as a proxy for prenatal androgen exposure, and includes reports of relationships between 2D:4D and a wide range of human traits. Here, we examine the validity of the 2D:4D proxy by studying the association between 2D:4D and classical Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH) due to 21-hydroxylase deficiency, a condition characterized by excessive prenatal exposure to androgens during most of the gestational period. To this end, we retrospectively examine 513 serial radiographs of the left hand obtained clinically in 90 youth with classical CAH (45 female) and 70 control youth (31 female). Replicating previous reports, we observe associations of the 2D:4D with sex (lower 2D:4D in males) and age (increase of 2D:4D through development). However, we find no evidence for differences in 2D:4D between CAH and controls (full sample: □ = -0.001 (−0.008, 0.006)]; females: □ = -0.004 [-0.015, 0.007]; males: □ = 0.001, [-0.008, 0.011]). Although our findings do not rule out a small association between the 2D:4D and CAH, they cast doubt on the usefulness of the 2D:4D as a biomarker for prenatal androgen exposure in behavioral research.

scholarly journals Prenatal androgen exposure alters girls' responses to information indicating gender-appropriate behaviour

2016 ◽  
Vol 371 (1688) ◽  
pp. 20150125 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa Hines ◽  
Vickie Pasterski ◽  
Debra Spencer ◽  
Sharon Neufeld ◽  
Praveetha Patalay ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Individual Variability ◽  
Adrenal Hyperplasia ◽  
Genetic Condition ◽  
Developmental Systems ◽  
Behavioural Effects ◽  
Androgen Exposure ◽  
Prenatal Androgen Exposure ◽  
High Concentrations ◽  
Prenatal Androgen ◽  
The Brain

Individual variability in human gender-related behaviour is influenced by many factors, including androgen exposure prenatally, as well as self-socialization and socialization by others postnatally. Many studies have looked at these types of influences in isolation, but little is known about how they work together. Here, we report that girls exposed to high concentrations of androgens prenatally, because they have the genetic condition congenital adrenal hyperplasia, show changes in processes related to self-socialization of gender-related behaviour. Specifically, they are less responsive than other girls to information that particular objects are for girls and they show reduced imitation of female models choosing particular objects. These findings suggest that prenatal androgen exposure may influence subsequent gender-related behaviours, including object (toy) choices, in part by changing processes involved in the self-socialization of gendered behaviour, rather than only by inducing permanent changes in the brain during early development. In addition, the findings suggest that some of the behavioural effects of prenatal androgen exposure might be subject to alteration by postnatal socialization processes. The findings also suggest a previously unknown influence of early androgen exposure on later processes involved in self-socialization of gender-related behaviour, and thus expand understanding of the developmental systems regulating human gender development.

scholarly journals Investigating the reliability and sex differences of digit lengths, ratios, and hand measures in infants

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Luisa Ernsten ◽  
Lisa M. Körner ◽  
Martin Heil ◽  
Gareth Richards ◽  
Nora K. Schaal
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Measurement Techniques ◽  
Directional Asymmetry ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Sexually Dimorphic ◽  
Digit Ratios ◽  
Androgen Exposure ◽  
Prenatal Androgen Exposure ◽  
Test Retest Reliability ◽  
Prenatal Androgen

AbstractHands and digits tend to be sexually dimorphic and may reflect prenatal androgen exposure. In the past years, the literature introduced several hand and digit measures, but there is a lack of studies in prepubertal cohorts. The available literature reports more heterogeneous findings in prepubertal compared to postpubertal cohorts. The comparability of the available studies is further limited by the study design and different measurement techniques. The present study compared the reliability and sex differences of available hand and digit measures, namely digit lengths of 2D, 3D, 4D, 5D, digit ratios 2D:4D, 2D:5D, 3D:4D, 3D:5D, 4D:5D, relative digit lengths rel2, rel3, rel4, rel5, directional asymmetry of right and left 2D:4D (Dr-l), hand width, length, and index of 399 male and 364 female 6-month-old German infants within one study using only indirect and computer-assisted measurements. The inter-examiner reliability was excellent while the test-retest reliability of hand scans was only moderate to high. Boys exhibited longer digits as well as wider and longer hands than girls, but smaller digit ratios, with ratios comprising the fifth digit revealing the largest effect sizes. Other hand and digit ratios revealed sex differences to some extent. The findings promote the assumption of sexual dimorphic hand and digit measures. However, by comparing the results of the available literature, there remains an uncertainty regarding the underlying hypothesis. Specifically in prepubertal cohorts, i.e. before the influence of fluctuating hormones, significant effects should be expected. It seems like other factors than the influence of prenatal androgens contribute to the sexual dimorphism in hand and digit lengths.

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