The Relation of Digit Ratio (2D:4D) and Absolute Finger Length to Pavlovian Temperament Dimensions

2008 ◽  
Vol 103 (3) ◽  
pp. 783-792 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Voracek
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Digit Ratio ◽  
Left Hand ◽  
Finger Length ◽  
Androgen Action ◽  
Androgen Exposure ◽  
Self Reports ◽  
Prenatal Androgen Exposure ◽  
Strength Of Excitation ◽  
Prenatal Androgen

The associations of digit ratio (2D:4D), a likely marker for prenatal androgen exposure, and absolute finger length, a likely marker for postnatal androgen exposure, with self-reports on three Pavlovian temperament dimensions (strength of excitation, strength of inhibition, and mobility of nervous processes) were investigated in a sample of 84 men and 114 women. In men, left-hand 2D:4D was weakly, but significantly, negatively associated with strength of inhibition, and also weakly negatively, but not significantly, associated with the two other temperament dimensions. These effects were absent for men's right-hand 2D:4D. Finger lengths of both hands in men were weakly, but significantly, positively associated with mobility of nervous processes scores. All associations for women were negligible. Both prenatal and postnatal androgen action may contribute to small amounts of individual differences in Pavlovian temperament dimensions in men but apparently not in women.

Exploration of alternative digit ratios as a predictor of prostate cancer aggressiveness.

2014 ◽  
Vol 32 (4_suppl) ◽  
pp. 231-231
Author(s):  
Michael Stolten ◽  
Elisa Ledet ◽  
Aryeneesh Dotiwala ◽  
Eric Luk ◽  
A. Oliver Sartor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prostate Cancer ◽  
Age Of Onset ◽  
Digit Ratio ◽  
Finger Length ◽  
Digit Ratios ◽  
Androgen Exposure ◽  
Cancer Aggressiveness ◽  
Prenatal Androgen Exposure ◽  
Prenatal Androgen ◽  
Androgen Levels

231 Background: During gestation, development of the prostate is dependent on a functional androgen receptor and the presence of dihydrotestosterone. Prenatal androgen exposure has been correlated with a range of diseases including prostate cancer (PCa). Historically, the ratio of the second to the fourth digit (2D:4D) has been linked to prenatal androgen levels; however, the use of alternate finger ratios have been shown to be a greater indicator of prenatal androgen exposure compared to the traditional 2D:4D ratio. Studies have shown that the distal fingertip extent of the second digit (2T:2D) was also associated with prenatal androgens. This study aims to use alternative digit ratio measurements to determine aggressiveness of PCa. Our hypothesis is that alternative digit ratios are more sensitive to prenatal androgen levels, and a better predictor of disease than the traditional 2D:4D ratio. Methods: Digital measurements were made from hand scans of PCa patients. All fingers on the right hand were measured from the basal crease to the fingertip as well as the distal fingertip extent of the second digit. Race, family history (FH) (first degree relatives with PCa), and age at diagnosis were recorded. These clinical covariates were then compared to the finger length ratios which were dichotomized based on the median values and analyzed for possible correlations. Results: Hand measurements were taken on 350 Caucasian (CA) and 100 African American (AA) PCa patients. AA men were more likely to have a smaller 2D:3D (P < 0.0001) and 2D:4D digit ratio (P < 0.0001), and larger 3D:5D (P = 0.0002) and 4D:5D (P = 0.0125) when compared to CA men. AA men with a smaller 2T:2D ratio were younger at the time of diagnosis (P = 0.0446). Additionally, AA men with a larger 2D:5D ratio were more likely to have a FH of PCa (P= 0.0238). Conclusions: Alternative finger length ratios show strong differences between AA and CA men. In AA men, alternative digit ratios are associated with age of PCa diagnosis and FH of PCa. These hypothesis generating results require validation in a larger cohort, but may provide insight to the underlying racial disparity observed in PCa. Finger length may represent a unique, non-invasive predictor of PCa, specifically age of onset and FH in AA men.

EVIDENCE FOR ASSORTATIVE MATING ON DIGIT RATIO (2D:4D), A BIOMARKER FOR PRENATAL ANDROGEN EXPOSURE

2007 ◽  
Vol 39 (4) ◽  
pp. 599-612 ◽  
Author(s):  
MARTIN VORACEK ◽  
STEFAN G. DRESSLER ◽  
JOHN T. MANNING
Keyword(s):  
Assortative Mating ◽  
Age Differences ◽  
Research Programme ◽  
Digit Ratio ◽  
Left Hand ◽  
Right Hand ◽  
Androgen Exposure ◽  
The Right ◽  
Prenatal Androgen ◽  
Spousal Similarity

SummaryThe second-to-fourth digit ratio (2D:4D) presents an anatomical sex difference in humans. On average, men tend to have lower 2D:4D compared with women. There is fairly strong evidence for a role of the 2D:4D ratio as a biomarker for the organizational (permanent) effects of prenatal testosterone on the brain and behaviour. Recently, an accumulating research programme has shown 2D:4D to be related to a multitude of sex-dependent, hormonally influenced biosocial traits and phenotypes which reach into the domains of ability, behaviour, fertility, health, personality and sexuality. This study investigated the degree of assortative mating (spousal similarity) in a sample of 239 native Austrian couples of parental or grandparental age, all of them having reproduced. Results included: (i) significant spousal correlations of +0·19 and +0·18 for right-hand and left-hand 2D:4D, respectively, and +0·24 for average 2D:4D; (ii) no assortative mating effect on the right-minus-left difference in 2D:4D; (iii) indications consistent with a possible generational decrease of spousal similarity in 2D:4D; (iv) a prevalence of couples with a lower right-hand 2D:4D observed in the husband compared with his wife; and (v) relations of spousal 2D:4D patterns to spousal age differences, such that matings of men with more male-typical trait expressions (namely, a generally low right-hand 2D:4D or showing a lower right-minus-left 2D:4D difference than their wives) implicated larger male-minus-female age differences, i.e. younger wives. It is argued that assortative mating on 2D:4D operates indirectly and may be mediated through the assortment on other, more perceptible, physical traits and psychological phenotypes that entertain associations with 2D:4D and are relevant for courtship and mate choice.

scholarly journals Does the 2nd and 4th digit ratio reflect prenatal androgen exposure?

2019 ◽  
Vol 120 (09) ◽  
pp. 703-710
Author(s):  
M. Suchonova ◽  
V. Borbelyova ◽  
E. Renczes ◽  
B. Konecna ◽  
B. Vlkova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Digit Ratio ◽  
Androgen Exposure ◽  
Prenatal Androgen Exposure ◽  
Prenatal Androgen

scholarly journals An association between body image dissatisfaction and digit ratio among Chinese children and adolescents

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yongting Yuan ◽  
Jingyao Hu ◽  
Lili Sun ◽  
Yifei Zhang ◽  
Bangxuan Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Image ◽  
Body Shape ◽  
Body Image Dissatisfaction ◽  
The Body ◽  
Negative Evaluation ◽  
Digit Ratio ◽  
Exposure Level ◽  
Androgen Exposure ◽  
Prenatal Androgen Exposure ◽  
Prenatal Androgen

AbstractBody image dissatisfaction (BID) is a negative evaluation of personal physical characteristics, including dissatisfaction with body shape, gender, sexual organs, appearance and so forth, and it plays an important role in growth and development. The second-to-fourth digit ratio (2D:4D) is recognized as a putative indicator of intra-uterine testosterone to estrogen ratio exposure, and it has been observed that higher levels of fetal testosterone exposure are associated with a lower 2D:4D. The present paper contributes to a better understanding of the biological underpinnings of BID by analyzing BID and the digit ratio (2D:4D). We found that the 2D:4D was positively related to appearance dissatisfaction in boys with first spermatorrhea, which means that low prenatal androgen exposure may increase boys’ dissatisfaction with their appearance. In girls with breast development being lower than Tanner stage II, their 2D:4D was negatively related to their body shape dissatisfaction, which means that high prenatal androgen exposure may increase girls’ dissatisfaction with their body shape. These results suggest that the prenatal androgen exposure level might play an important role in the body image dissatisfaction of the offspring.

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 Fingers as a Marker of Prenatal Androgen Exposure

Endocrinology ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 150 (11) ◽  
pp. 5119-5124 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheri A. Berenbaum ◽  
Kristina Korman Bryk ◽  
Nicole Nowak ◽  
Charmian A. Quigley ◽  
Scott Moffat
Keyword(s):  
Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome ◽  
Digit Ratio ◽  
Complete Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome ◽  
Good Marker ◽  
Digit Ratios ◽  
Androgen Exposure ◽  
Prenatal Androgen Exposure ◽  
Hormone Exposure ◽  
Biological Substrates ◽  
Prenatal Androgen

Interest in biological substrates of sex-related variations in psychological and physiological characteristics has led to a search for biomarkers of prenatal hormone exposure that can be measured postnatally. There has been particular interest in digit ratio, the relative lengths of the second and fourth fingers (2D:4D), but its validity as a measure of prenatal androgen has not been established. We report the strongest evaluation of the value of 2D:4D as a biomarker for early androgen exposure. Individuals with 46,XY karyotype but no effective prenatal androgen exposure due to complete androgen insensitivity syndrome had digit ratios that were feminized: they were higher than those of typical men and similar to those of typical women. Nevertheless, the effect was modest in size, and there was considerable within-group variability and between-group overlap, indicating that digit ratio is not a good marker of individual differences in prenatal androgen exposure.

scholarly journals Handgrip strength and 2D : 4D in women: homogeneous samples challenge the (apparent) gender paradox

2021 ◽  
Vol 288 (1964) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nora Bäck ◽  
Katrin Schaefer ◽  
Sonja Windhager
Keyword(s):  
Handgrip Strength ◽  
Body Height ◽  
Correlation Coefficients ◽  
Detection Sensitivity ◽  
Left Hand ◽  
Digit Ratios ◽  
Androgen Exposure ◽  
Study Population ◽  
Prenatal Androgen Exposure ◽  
Prenatal Androgen

The length ratio between the second and the fourth digit (2D : 4D) is a retrospective, non-invasive biomarker for prenatal androgen exposure. It was found to be negatively correlated with handgrip strength (HGS) in men, but the evidence for women is mixed. Such studies in women call for increased detection sensitivity. The present study was designed to reduce potential confounding factors, especially age and ethnicity variation. We measured the digit ratios and HGS of 125 healthy women between 19 and 31 years of age from a remote region in Austria. 2D : 4D of both hands was significantly and negatively correlated with HGS ( n = 125, right hand: r = –0.255, p = 0.002, left hand: r = –0.206, p = 0.011). Size, direction and significance of correlation coefficients remained stable when statistically controlling for age, body weight, body height, body mass index or hours of exercise per week. This yields theory-consistent evidence that HGS and 2D : 4D are clearly associated in women—when sufficiently reducing genetic variation (confounding 2D : 4D), the ontogenetic environment and age ranges (confounding HGS) in the study population. This finding implies similar organizing effects of prenatal androgens as in men, pointing to a more parsimonious developmental mechanism and a new look into its proximate and ultimate causes.

Finger, Sex, and Side Differences in Fingertip Size and Lack of Association with Image-Based Digit Ratio (2D:4D) Measurements

2008 ◽  
Vol 107 (2) ◽  
pp. 507-512 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Voracek ◽  
Jakob Pietschnig ◽  
Michael Oeckher
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Digit Ratio ◽  
Fourth Digit ◽  
Androgen Exposure ◽  
Direct Measurements ◽  
Measurement Protocol ◽  
Prenatal Androgen Exposure ◽  
The Right ◽  
Putative Marker ◽  
Prenatal Androgen

Different methods for measuring the second-to-fourth digit ratio (2D:4D), a putative marker for prenatal androgen exposure, may lead to varying values of 2D:4D. Specifically, it has been hypothesized that fingertip fat pads may be differentially deformed when taking palm images (photocopies or flatbed scans), but not when fingers are measured directly, thus yielding lower 2D:4D values from image-based measurements rather than direct ones. A measurement protocol for fingertip size is unavailable, as are data on finger and sex differences in this trait. Introducing such a protocol, this study found very large finger differences in adult fingertip size (largest for 4D, smaller for 3D and 5D, smallest for 2D), large side differences (larger in the left than in the right hand of right-handed subjects), but only small and not significant sex differences. Fingertip size was unrelated to image-based 2D:4D measurements, suggesting that fingertip size and the extent of finger and sex differences therein are unlikely to explain discrepant 2D:4D values obtained from image-based versus direct measurements.

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