1
|
Parcha E, Bitsanis E, Halazonetis DJ. Morphometric covariation between palatal shape and skeletal pattern in children and adolescents: a cross-sectional study. Eur J Orthod 2018; 39:377-385. [PMID: 27694577 DOI: 10.1093/ejo/cjw063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Objective To assess shape covariation of the palate and craniofacial complex (CFC) in children and adolescents. Methods Pre-treatment lateral cephalometric radiographs and corresponding maxillary casts of 100 children (8-10 years) and 100 adolescents (15-20 years) were digitized. Exclusion criteria were previous orthodontic treatment, craniofacial syndromes, mouth breathing, finger sucking, crossbite, tooth agenesis, and tooth impaction. Palatal shape was described with 239 surface and curve semilandmarks and craniofacial shape with 10 fixed landmarks and 117 curve semilandmarks. Procrustes superimposition and principal component analysis were applied for evaluation of shape variability. Shape covariation between palate and CFC was assessed with partial least squares analysis. Results The first five principal components explained 77 per cent (palate) and 60 per cent (CFC) of total shape variability. The palate varied mainly in height (adolescent group) and width-length (both groups), whereas the CFC varied mainly in the vertical dimension. Significant covariation was found between the craniofacial and palatal components (RV coefficient: 0.27, children; RV: 0.23, adolescents). Variation of the CFC in the vertical and anteroposterior direction was mainly related to variation in the height-width and the width-length ratio of the palate, respectively. Limitations The use of lateral cephalometric radiographs eliminated the transverse dimension from the craniofacial shape analysis. The study was cross-sectional, so the observed intergroup differences should be interpreted with caution. Conclusions Covariation strength and pattern were similar in children and adolescents. The closer a subject was to the high-angle end of the variability spectrum, the higher and narrower was the palate, and conversely.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eleni Parcha
- Department of Orthodontics, School of Dentistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece
| | - Elias Bitsanis
- Department of Orthodontics, School of Dentistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece
| | - Demetrios J Halazonetis
- Department of Orthodontics, School of Dentistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Whitehouse AJO, Gilani SZ, Shafait F, Mian A, Tan DW, Maybery MT, Keelan JA, Hart R, Handelsman DJ, Goonawardene M, Eastwood P. Prenatal testosterone exposure is related to sexually dimorphic facial morphology in adulthood. Proc Biol Sci 2016; 282:20151351. [PMID: 26400740 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2015.1351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Prenatal testosterone may have a powerful masculinizing effect on postnatal physical characteristics. However, no study has directly tested this hypothesis. Here, we report a 20-year follow-up study that measured testosterone concentrations from the umbilical cord blood of 97 male and 86 female newborns, and procured three-dimensional facial images on these participants in adulthood (range: 21-24 years). Twenty-three Euclidean and geodesic distances were measured from the facial images and an algorithm identified a set of six distances that most effectively distinguished adult males from females. From these distances, a 'gender score' was calculated for each face, indicating the degree of masculinity or femininity. Higher cord testosterone levels were associated with masculinized facial features when males and females were analysed together (n = 183; r = -0.59), as well as when males (n = 86; r = -0.55) and females (n = 97; r = -0.48) were examined separately (p-values < 0.001). The relationships remained significant and substantial after adjusting for potentially confounding variables. Adult circulating testosterone concentrations were available for males but showed no statistically significant relationship with gendered facial morphology (n = 85, r = 0.01, p = 0.93). This study provides the first direct evidence of a link between prenatal testosterone exposure and human facial structure.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J O Whitehouse
- Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, 100 Roberts Road, Subiaco, Perth, Western Australia 6008, Australia
| | - Syed Zulqarnain Gilani
- School of Computer Science and Software Engineering, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Perth, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Faisal Shafait
- School of Computer Science and Software Engineering, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Perth, Western Australia 6009, Australia School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, National University of Science and Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Ajmal Mian
- School of Computer Science and Software Engineering, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Perth, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Diana Weiting Tan
- Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, 100 Roberts Road, Subiaco, Perth, Western Australia 6008, Australia Neurocognitive Development Unit, School of Psychology, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Perth, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Murray T Maybery
- Neurocognitive Development Unit, School of Psychology, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Perth, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Jeffrey A Keelan
- School of Women's and Infants' Health, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Perth, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Roger Hart
- School of Women's and Infants' Health, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Perth, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - David J Handelsman
- ANZAC Research Institute, University of Sydney, Concord Hospital, New South Wales 2139, Australia
| | - Mithran Goonawardene
- School of Dentistry/Oral Health Centre of Western Australia, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Perth, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Peter Eastwood
- Centre for Sleep Science, School of Anatomy, Physiology and Human Biology, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Perth, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Whitehouse AJO, Gilani SZ, Shafait F, Mian A, Tan DW, Maybery MT, Keelan JA, Hart R, Handelsman DJ, Goonawardene M, Eastwood P. Prenatal testosterone exposure is related to sexually dimorphic facial morphology in adulthood. Proc Biol Sci 2015. [PMID: 26400740 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2015.1351.] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Prenatal testosterone may have a powerful masculinizing effect on postnatal physical characteristics. However, no study has directly tested this hypothesis. Here, we report a 20-year follow-up study that measured testosterone concentrations from the umbilical cord blood of 97 male and 86 female newborns, and procured three-dimensional facial images on these participants in adulthood (range: 21-24 years). Twenty-three Euclidean and geodesic distances were measured from the facial images and an algorithm identified a set of six distances that most effectively distinguished adult males from females. From these distances, a 'gender score' was calculated for each face, indicating the degree of masculinity or femininity. Higher cord testosterone levels were associated with masculinized facial features when males and females were analysed together (n = 183; r = -0.59), as well as when males (n = 86; r = -0.55) and females (n = 97; r = -0.48) were examined separately (p-values < 0.001). The relationships remained significant and substantial after adjusting for potentially confounding variables. Adult circulating testosterone concentrations were available for males but showed no statistically significant relationship with gendered facial morphology (n = 85, r = 0.01, p = 0.93). This study provides the first direct evidence of a link between prenatal testosterone exposure and human facial structure.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J O Whitehouse
- Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, 100 Roberts Road, Subiaco, Perth, Western Australia 6008, Australia
| | - Syed Zulqarnain Gilani
- School of Computer Science and Software Engineering, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Perth, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Faisal Shafait
- School of Computer Science and Software Engineering, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Perth, Western Australia 6009, Australia School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, National University of Science and Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Ajmal Mian
- School of Computer Science and Software Engineering, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Perth, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Diana Weiting Tan
- Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, 100 Roberts Road, Subiaco, Perth, Western Australia 6008, Australia Neurocognitive Development Unit, School of Psychology, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Perth, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Murray T Maybery
- Neurocognitive Development Unit, School of Psychology, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Perth, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Jeffrey A Keelan
- School of Women's and Infants' Health, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Perth, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Roger Hart
- School of Women's and Infants' Health, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Perth, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - David J Handelsman
- ANZAC Research Institute, University of Sydney, Concord Hospital, New South Wales 2139, Australia
| | - Mithran Goonawardene
- School of Dentistry/Oral Health Centre of Western Australia, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Perth, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Peter Eastwood
- Centre for Sleep Science, School of Anatomy, Physiology and Human Biology, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Perth, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Identifying craniofacial features associated with prenatal exposure to androgens and testing their relationship with brain development. Brain Struct Funct 2014; 220:3233-44. [PMID: 25074752 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-014-0852-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2014] [Accepted: 07/15/2014] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
We used magnetic resonance (MR) images obtained in same-sex and opposite-sex dizygotic twins (n = 119, 8 years of age) to study possible effects of prenatal androgens on craniofacial features. Using a principal component analysis of 19 craniofacial landmarks placed on the MR images, we identified a principal component capturing craniofacial features that distinguished females with a presumed differential exposure to prenatal androgens by virtue of having a male (vs. a female) co-twin (Cohen's d = 0.76). Subsequently, we tested the possibility that this craniofacial "signature" of prenatal exposure to androgens predicts brain size, a known sexually dimorphic trait. In an independent sample of female adolescents (singletons; n = 462), we found that the facial signature predicts up to 8% of variance in brain size. These findings are consistent with the organizational effects of androgens on brain development and suggest that the facial signature derived in this study could complement other indirect measures of prenatal exposure to androgens.
Collapse
|