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Teramoto Y, Elahi Najafi MA, Matsukawa T, Sharma A, Goto T, Miyamoto H. Latrophilins as Downstream Effectors of Androgen Receptors including a Splice Variant, AR-V7, Induce Prostate Cancer Progression. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:7289. [PMID: 39000396 PMCID: PMC11242678 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25137289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2024] [Revised: 06/25/2024] [Accepted: 07/01/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Latrophilins (LPHNs), a group of the G-protein-coupled receptor to which a spider venom latrotoxin (LTX) is known to bind, remain largely uncharacterized in neoplastic diseases. In the present study, we aimed to determine the role of LPHNs in the progression of prostate cancer. We assessed the actions of LPHNs, including LPHN1, LPHN2, and LPHN3, in human prostate cancer lines via their ligand (e.g., α-LTX, FLRT3) treatment or shRNA infection, as well as in surgical specimens. In androgen receptor (AR)-positive LNCaP/C4-2/22Rv1 cells, dihydrotestosterone considerably increased the expression levels of LPHNs, while chromatin immunoprecipitation assay revealed the binding of endogenous ARs, including AR-V7, to the promoter region of each LPHN. Treatment with α-LTX or FLRT3 resulted in induction in the cell viability and migration of both AR-positive and AR-negative lines. α-LTX and FLRT3 also enhanced the expression of Bcl-2 and phosphorylated forms of JAK2 and STAT3. Meanwhile, the knockdown of each LPHN showed opposite effects on all of those mediated by ligand treatment. Immunohistochemistry in radical prostatectomy specimens further showed the significantly elevated expression of each LPHN in prostate cancer, compared with adjacent normal-appearing prostate, which was associated with a significantly higher risk of postoperative biochemical recurrence in both univariate and multivariable settings. These findings indicate that LPHNs function as downstream effectors of ARs and promote the growth of androgen-sensitive, castration-resistant, or even AR-negative prostate cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuki Teramoto
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
- James P. Wilmot Cancer Institute, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Mohammad Amin Elahi Najafi
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
- James P. Wilmot Cancer Institute, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Takuo Matsukawa
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
- James P. Wilmot Cancer Institute, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Adhya Sharma
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Takuro Goto
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
- James P. Wilmot Cancer Institute, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Hiroshi Miyamoto
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
- James P. Wilmot Cancer Institute, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
- Department of Urology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
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Goto T, Yasui M, Teramoto Y, Nagata Y, Mizushima T, Miyamoto H. Latrophilin-3 as a downstream effector of the androgen receptor induces urothelial tumorigenesis. Mol Carcinog 2024. [PMID: 38925569 DOI: 10.1002/mc.23783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2024] [Revised: 06/03/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
Emerging evidence indicates that androgen receptor (AR) signaling plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of male-dominant urothelial cancer. Meanwhile, latrophilins (LPHNs), a group of the G-protein-coupled receptor to which a spider venom latrotoxin is known to bind, remain largely uncharacterized in neoplastic diseases. The present study aimed to determine the functional role of LPHN3 (encoded by the ADGRL3 gene), in association with AR signaling, in urothelial tumorigenesis. In human normal urothelial SVHUC cells, AR overexpression and androgen treatment considerably increased the expression levels of ADGRL3/LPHN3, while chromatin immunoprecipitation assay revealed the binding of AR to the promoter region of ADGRL3. In SVHUC or SVHUC-AR cells with exposure to a chemical carcinogen 3-methylcholanthrene, LPHN3 activation via ligand (e.g., α-latrotoxin, FLRT3) treatment during the process of the neoplastic/malignant transformation or LPHN3 knockdown via shRNA virus infection induced or reduced, respectively, the oncogenic activity. In N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl)nitrosamine-treated female mice, α-latrotoxin or FLRT3 injection accelerated the development of bladder tumors. Immunohistochemistry in surgical specimens further showed the significantly elevated expression of LPHN3 in non-muscle-invasive bladder tumors, compared with adjacent normal urothelial tissues, which was associated with a marginally (p = 0.051) higher risk of disease recurrence after transurethral resection. In addition, positivity of LPHN3 and AR in these tumors was strongly correlated. These findings indicate that LPHN3 functions as a downstream effector of AR and promotes urothelial tumorigenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takuro Goto
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, USA
- James P. Wilmot Cancer Institute, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Masato Yasui
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, USA
- James P. Wilmot Cancer Institute, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Yuki Teramoto
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, USA
- James P. Wilmot Cancer Institute, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Yujiro Nagata
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, USA
- James P. Wilmot Cancer Institute, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Taichi Mizushima
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, USA
- James P. Wilmot Cancer Institute, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Hiroshi Miyamoto
- Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, USA
- James P. Wilmot Cancer Institute, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, USA
- Department of Urology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York, USA
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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Cao Q, Wang R, Zhou R, Huang X, Li Y, Zhu H, Qiao X, Huang W. The early development of offspring born to women with polycystic ovary syndrome: Insights from a prospective birth cohort study in Southwestern China. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2024; 163:106984. [PMID: 38340540 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2024.106984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2023] [Revised: 01/28/2024] [Accepted: 02/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE This prospective cohort study aimed to investigate the effect of maternal polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) on the offspring early development. METHODS A total of 91 mother-child pairs, consisting of 33 PCOS and 58 non-PCOS, were recruited. Peripheral blood tests were performed during 12-16, 24-28, and 32-36 weeks of gestation. Ages & Stages Questionnaires (ASQ) were utilized to assess the motor development of offspring at 27 months of age. Logistic regression models were employed to compare groups and control confounding variables. RESULTS Women with PCOS had a higher level of testosterone and free androgen index than the non-PCOS group in all three detection windows. There were no intergroup differences in any of the five domains of specific ASQ domain scores or the body measurements of the offspring at 27 months old. Stratification by sex of offspring suggested that no significant differences were detected in the male offspring. However, in the female offspring, the PCOS group exhibited lower gross motor scores in female offspring than the non-PCOS group (48.1 ± 11.8 vs. 55.2 ± 8.1, P = 0.027), as well as lower fine motor scores (48.5 ± 8.5 vs. 53.6 ± 11.0, P = 0.028). The gross motor score of female offspring in the PCOS group remained lower even after adjustments. Each 1 ng/mL increase in testosterone at 12-16 weeks of gestation was associated with a decrease in gross motor score of female offspring by 12.2 (95% CI = -23.3 to -1.0, P = 0.038). The highest tertile of testosterone at 12-16 weeks of gestation was associated with a 7.75-point decrease in gross motor score of female offspring compared to the lowest tertile of testosterone (95% CI = -14.9 to -0.6, P = 0.040), with a significant linear trend observed (P for trend = 0.031). CONCLUSIONS The findings of this study suggest that maternal PCOS could exert a negative influence on the gross motor development of female offspring, potentially associated with intrauterine androgen exposure during the early stages of pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Cao
- Department of Reproductive Medical Center, West China Second University Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, PR China; Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University), Ministry of Education, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, PR China; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, PR China
| | - Ruiying Wang
- Department of Reproductive Medical Center, West China Second University Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, PR China; Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University), Ministry of Education, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, PR China; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, PR China
| | - Rong Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University), Ministry of Education, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, PR China; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, PR China
| | - Xin Huang
- Department of Reproductive Medical Center, West China Second University Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, PR China; Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University), Ministry of Education, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, PR China; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, PR China
| | - Yujing Li
- Department of Reproductive Medical Center, West China Second University Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, PR China; Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University), Ministry of Education, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, PR China; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, PR China
| | - Huili Zhu
- Department of Reproductive Medical Center, West China Second University Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, PR China; Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University), Ministry of Education, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, PR China; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, PR China
| | - Xinyu Qiao
- Department of Reproductive Medical Center, West China Second University Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, PR China; Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University), Ministry of Education, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, PR China; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, PR China
| | - Wei Huang
- Department of Reproductive Medical Center, West China Second University Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, PR China; Key Laboratory of Birth Defects and Related Diseases of Women and Children (Sichuan University), Ministry of Education, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, PR China; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, PR China; Key Laboratory of Chronobiology of National Health Commission (Sichuan University), Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, PR China.
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Al-Beltagi M. Pre-autism: What a paediatrician should know about early diagnosis of autism. World J Clin Pediatr 2023; 12:273-294. [PMID: 38178935 PMCID: PMC10762597 DOI: 10.5409/wjcp.v12.i5.273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Revised: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism, also known as an autism spectrum disorder, is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder usually diagnosed in the first three years of a child's life. A range of symptoms characterizes it and can be diagnosed at any age, including adolescence and adulthood. However, early diagnosis is crucial for effective management, prognosis, and care. Unfortunately, there are no established fetal, prenatal, or newborn screening programs for autism, making early detection difficult. This review aims to shed light on the early detection of autism prenatally, natally, and early in life, during a stage we call as "pre-autism" when typical symptoms are not yet apparent. Some fetal, neonatal, and infant biomarkers may predict an increased risk of autism in the coming baby. By developing a biomarker array, we can create an objective diagnostic tool to diagnose and rank the severity of autism for each patient. These biomarkers could be genetic, immunological, hormonal, metabolic, amino acids, acute phase reactants, neonatal brainstem function biophysical activity, behavioral profile, body measurements, or radiological markers. However, every biomarker has its accuracy and limitations. Several factors can make early detection of autism a real challenge. To improve early detection, we need to overcome various challenges, such as raising community awareness of early signs of autism, improving access to diagnostic tools, reducing the stigma attached to the diagnosis of autism, and addressing various culturally sensitive concepts related to the disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammed Al-Beltagi
- Department of Pediatric, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta 31511, Algahrbia, Egypt
- Department of Pediatric, University Medical Center, King Abdulla Medical City, Arabian Gulf University, Dr. Sulaiman Al Habib Medical Group, Manama 26671, Manama, Bahrain
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Ozsvar J, Gissler M, Lavebratt C, Nilsson IAK. Exposures during pregnancy and at birth are associated with the risk of offspring eating disorders. Int J Eat Disord 2023; 56:2232-2249. [PMID: 37646613 DOI: 10.1002/eat.24053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Revised: 08/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Eating disorders (ED) are severe psychiatric disorders, commonly debuting early. Aberrances in the intrauterine environment and at birth have been associated with risk of ED. Here, we explore if, and at what effect size, a variety of such exposures associate with offspring ED, that is, anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), and eating disorder not otherwise specified (EDNOS). METHODS This population-based cohort study, conducted from September 2021 to August 2023, used Finnish national registries of all live births in 1996-2014 (N = 1,097,753). Cox proportional hazards modeling was used to compare ED risk in exposed versus unexposed offspring, adjusting for potential confounders and performing sex-stratified analyses. RESULTS A total of 6614 offspring were diagnosed with an ED; 3668 AN, 666 BN, and 4248 EDNOS. Lower risk of offspring AN was seen with young mothers, continued smoking, and instrumental delivery, while higher risk was seen with older mothers, inflammatory disorders, prematurity, small for gestational age, and low Apgar. Offspring risk of BN was higher with continued smoking and prematurity, while lower with postmature birth. Offspring risk of EDNOS was lower with instrumental delivery, higher for older mothers, polycystic ovary syndrome, insulin-treated pregestational diabetes, antibacterial treatment, prematurity, and small for gestational age. Sex-specific associations were found. CONCLUSIONS Several prenatal and at birth exposures are associated with offspring ED; however, we cannot exclude confounding by maternal BMI. Nevertheless, several exposures selectively associate with risk of either AN, BN, or EDNOS, and some are sex-specific, emphasizing the importance of subtype- and sex-stratified analyses of ED. PUBLIC SIGNIFICANCE We define environmental factors involved in the development of different ED, of importance as preventive measure, but also in order to aid in defining the molecular pathways involved and thus in the longer perspective contribute to the development of pharmacological treatment of ED.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judit Ozsvar
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Mika Gissler
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Knowledge Brokers, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
- Research Centre for Child Psychiatry, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Catharina Lavebratt
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ida A K Nilsson
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
- Centre for Eating Disorders Innovation, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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Aguilar R. Finger-Length Ratios and Sexual Orientation in Southern Spain: A Large Sample Study on Sex-Linked Personality and Cognitive Traits. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2023; 52:3301-3312. [PMID: 37537427 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-023-02670-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Revised: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023]
Abstract
Some similarities between sex differences and sexual orientation differences, with gay men shifted in female-typical directions and lesbians shifted in male-typical directions, have been hypothesized to reflect the effects of prenatal androgen exposure. This report assessed sex-linked personality and cognitive traits in a Spanish sample of 1117 straight (i.e., heterosexual) and non-straight (i.e., non-heterosexual) men and women, using finger-length ratio (2D:4D) as an index of prenatal androgen exposure. Observed sex differences were in the expected direction: Measures of right-hand 2D:4D, left-hand 2D:4D, and anxiety were higher in straight women than men, whereas impulsivity, dominance, cognitive reflection, and mathematical proficiency were higher in straight men than women. Gay men proved to be shifted in a female-typical direction compared to straight men for right-hand 2D:4D, left-hand 2D:4D, anxiety, and cognitive reflection; they were intermediate for dominance and mathematics, and were shifted in a male-typical direction for impulsivity. Lesbians were shifted in a male-typical direction compared to straight women for left-hand 2D:4D, anxiety, cognitive reflection, and mathematics; and they were shifted in a highly female-typical direction for impulsivity and dominance (scoring lower than straight women). Observed sex-linked shifts in gay men and lesbians were larger for psychological traits that displayed larger sex differences, and smallest for impulsivity (which displayed the smallest sex difference). Evidence also suggested that sex-related measures were linked to 2D:4D in theoretically meaningful ways. In conclusion, this report suggests a plausible role of androgens as prenatal determinants of sex-linked personality and cognitive traits in straight and non-straight men and women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raúl Aguilar
- Departamento de Psicología Básica, Facultad de Psicología y Logopedia, Universidad de Málaga, C/ Doctor Ortiz Ramos, 12, Ampliación de Teatinos, 29010, Málaga, Spain.
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Santos-Toscano R, Arevalo MA, Garcia-Segura LM, Grassi D, Lagunas N. Interaction of gonadal hormones, dopaminergic system, and epigenetic regulation in the generation of sex differences in substance use disorders: A systematic review. Front Neuroendocrinol 2023; 71:101085. [PMID: 37543184 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2023.101085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/07/2023]
Abstract
Substance use disorder (SUD) is a chronic condition characterized by pathological drug-taking and seeking behaviors. Remarkably different between males and females, suggesting that drug addiction is a sexually differentiated disorder. The neurobiological bases of sex differences in SUD include sex-specific reward system activation, influenced by interactions between gonadal hormone level changes, dopaminergic reward circuits, and epigenetic modifications of key reward system genes. This systematic review, adhering to PICOS and PRISMA-P 2015 guidelines, highlights the sex-dependent roles of estrogens, progesterone, and testosterone in SUD. In particular, estradiol elevates and progesterone reduces dopaminergic activity in SUD females, whilst testosterone and progesterone augment SUD behavior in males. Finally, SUD is associated with a sex-specific increase in the rate of opioid and monoaminergic gene methylation. The study reveals the need for detailed research on gonadal hormone levels, dopaminergic or reward system activity, and epigenetic landscapes in both sexes for efficient SUD therapy development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel Santos-Toscano
- School of Medicine, University of Central Lancashire, 135A Adelphi St, Preston PR1 7BH, United Kingdom
| | - Maria Angeles Arevalo
- Neuroactive Steroids Lab, Cajal Institute, CSIC, Avenida Doctor Arce 37, 28002 Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Fragilidad y Envejecimiento Saludable (CIBERFES), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Luis Miguel Garcia-Segura
- Neuroactive Steroids Lab, Cajal Institute, CSIC, Avenida Doctor Arce 37, 28002 Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Fragilidad y Envejecimiento Saludable (CIBERFES), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Daniela Grassi
- Neuroactive Steroids Lab, Cajal Institute, CSIC, Avenida Doctor Arce 37, 28002 Madrid, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Fragilidad y Envejecimiento Saludable (CIBERFES), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain; Department of Anatomy, Histology and Neuroscience, Autonoma University of Madrid, Calle Arzobispo Morcillo 4, 28029 Madrid, Spain.
| | - Natalia Lagunas
- Neuroactive Steroids Lab, Cajal Institute, CSIC, Avenida Doctor Arce 37, 28002 Madrid, Spain; Department of Legal Medicine, Psychiatry and Pathology, School of Medicine, Complutense University of Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria, Plaza Ramón y Cajal s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
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Parsaei M, Sanjari Moghaddam H, Aarabi MH. Sex differences in brain structures throughout the lifetime. AGING BRAIN 2023; 4:100098. [PMID: 37809276 PMCID: PMC10550774 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbas.2023.100098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Hossein Sanjari Moghaddam
- Psychiatry and Psychology Research Center, Roozbeh Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Hadi Aarabi
- Department of Neuroscience (DNS), Padova Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, Padua, Italy
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Siegmann EM, Eichler A, Buchholz VN, Gerlach J, Pontones CA, Titzmann A, Arnaud N, Consortium IMACM, Mühle C, Beckmann MW, Fasching PA, Kratz O, Moll GH, Kornhuber J, Lenz B. Effects of an App-Based Mindfulness Intervention during Pregnancy on the Infant's Prenatal Androgen Exposure: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial. J Clin Med 2023; 12:6142. [PMID: 37834786 PMCID: PMC10573842 DOI: 10.3390/jcm12196142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Prenatal androgen exposure modulates the development of the brain, with lasting effects on its function and behavior over the infant's life span. Environmental factors during pregnancy, in particular maternal stress, have been shown to influence the androgen load of the unborn child. We here addressed the research gap on whether a mindfulness intervention or a pregnancy education administered to pregnant women more affects the androgen exposure of the unborn child (quantified by the proxies of second-to-fourth digit length ratio (2D:4D) and anogenital distance assessed one year after delivery and at delivery, respectively). Moreover, we tested the mindfulness intervention's effects on maternal perceived stress, anxiety, depressiveness, and mindfulness. Pregnant women (gestation weeks 8-14) were randomized to a 15-week app-based mindfulness-oriented intervention (N = 72) or a pregnancy education intervention (control condition; N = 74). The mindfulness-oriented group did not significantly differ from the pregnancy education group in infants' 2D:4D or anogenital distance (partial η2 ≤ 0.01) or in maternal stress, anxiety, depressiveness, or mindfulness. However, the descriptive results indicate that across pregnancy, stress and anxiety decreased and mindfulness increased in both groups. Overall, this study did not show that the mindfulness intervention (relative to the pregnancy education) reduced the prenatal androgen exposure of the unborn children or improved the maternal outcomes significantly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva-Maria Siegmann
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Anna Eichler
- Department of Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Verena Nadine Buchholz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Jennifer Gerlach
- Department of Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Constanza A. Pontones
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Adriana Titzmann
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Nicolas Arnaud
- German Centre for Addiction Research in Childhood and Adolescence, University Medical Centre Hamburg–Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | | | - Christiane Mühle
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Matthias W. Beckmann
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Peter A. Fasching
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Oliver Kratz
- Department of Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Gunther H. Moll
- Department of Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Johannes Kornhuber
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Bernd Lenz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), 91054 Erlangen, Germany
- Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health (CIMH), Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
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Lenz B, Gerhardt S, Boroumand-Jazi R, Eichler A, Buchholz VN, Fasching PA, Kornhuber J, Banaschewski T, Flor H, Guldner S, Prignitz M, Nees F. Sex-specific association between prenatal androgenization (second-to-fourth digit length ratio) and frontal brain volumes in adolescents. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2023; 273:1243-1254. [PMID: 36449103 PMCID: PMC10449726 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-022-01515-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Prenatal androgenization associates sex-dependently with behavior and mental health in adolescence and adulthood, including risk-taking, emotionality, substance use, and depression. However, still little is known on how it affects underlying neural correlates, like frontal brain control regions. Thus, we tested whether prenatal androgen load is sex-dependently related to frontal cortex volumes in a sex-balanced adolescent sample. In a cross-sectional magnetic resonance imaging study, we examined 61 adolescents (28 males, 33 females; aged 14 or 16 years) and analyzed associations of frontal brain region volumes with the second-to-fourth digit length ratio (2D:4D), an established marker for prenatal androgenization, using voxel-based morphometry in a region-of-interest approach. Lower 2D:4D (indicative of higher prenatal androgen load) correlated significantly with smaller volumes of the right anterior cingulate cortex (r-ACC; β = 0.45) in male adolescents and with larger volumes of the left inferior frontal gyrus orbital part (l-IFGorb; β = - 0.38) in female adolescents. The regression slopes of 2D:4D on the r-ACC also differed significantly between males and females. The study provides novel evidence that prenatal androgenization may influence the development of the frontal brain in a sex- and frontal brain region-specific manner. These effects might contribute to the well-known sex differences in risk-taking, emotionality, substance use, and depression. Future research is needed to elucidate the role of prenatal androgenization within the biopsychosocial model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernd Lenz
- Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health (CIMH), Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany.
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany.
| | - Sarah Gerhardt
- Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health (CIMH), Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Rafat Boroumand-Jazi
- Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health (CIMH), Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Anna Eichler
- Department of Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Verena Nadine Buchholz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Peter A Fasching
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Johannes Kornhuber
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Tobias Banaschewski
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health (CIMH), Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Herta Flor
- Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, Central Institute of Mental Health (CIMH), Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Stella Guldner
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health (CIMH), Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
- Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, Central Institute of Mental Health (CIMH), Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Maren Prignitz
- Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, Central Institute of Mental Health (CIMH), Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Frauke Nees
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health (CIMH), Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
- Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, Central Institute of Mental Health (CIMH), Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, University Medical Center Schleswig Holstein, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
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11
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Eichler A, Kaufmann F, Titzmann A, Fasching PA, Beckmann MW, Gerlach J, Kratz O, Moll GH, Buchholz VN, Kornhuber J, Lenz B. 2D:4D biomarker reliability and validity in a within-subject pregnancy-childhood-adolescence cohort. Early Hum Dev 2023; 181:105776. [PMID: 37084692 DOI: 10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2023.105776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 04/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A lot of studies use the second-to-fourth digit length ratio (2D:4D) as a biomarker for intrauterine androgen load to predict behavioral and mental health problems. Thus, knowledge of 2D:4D's metric properties, namely reliability and validity, is essential. METHOD 2D:4D handscans were available from 149 adolescents (M = 13.32 years, SD = 0.35) and their mothers. For 88 adolescents, there were also primary-school age handscans (M = 7.87 years, SD = 0.68). Prenatal risks for the 1st to 3rd trimesters were recorded during the 3rd trimester of pregnancy (alcohol exposition: meconium biomarker and maternal self-report; nicotine exposition: maternal self-report; maternal depressive symptoms and subjective stress: questionnaires). RESULTS The 2D:4D ratio was highly stable from childhood to early adolescence. However, both developmental and sex effects were present: The 2D:4D ratio increased with age and was higher in adolescent girls vs. boys. Significant 2D:4D mother-child associations were found for girls. Significant main effects could be found for the prenatal risk factors alcohol (self-report) and nicotine consumption. CONCLUSION In line with earlier studies, the 2D:4D biomarker proved to be an inter-individually stable measure with an intra-individual increase from childhood to early adolescence. Sex differences in adolescence and associations with maternal prenatal health behaviour underline the validity of the biomarker. Findings on heritability emphasize the importance of interpreting 2D:4D results in a sex-specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Eichler
- Department of Child and Adolescent Mental Health, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Univesität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany.
| | - Franziska Kaufmann
- Department of Child and Adolescent Mental Health, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Univesität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Adriana Titzmann
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Univesität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Peter A Fasching
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Univesität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Matthias W Beckmann
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Univesität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Jennifer Gerlach
- Department of Child and Adolescent Mental Health, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Univesität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Oliver Kratz
- Department of Child and Adolescent Mental Health, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Univesität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Gunther H Moll
- Department of Child and Adolescent Mental Health, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Univesität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Verena N Buchholz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Univesität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Johannes Kornhuber
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Univesität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Bernd Lenz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Univesität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany; Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health (CIMH), Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
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12
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El Ahdab J, Khachan MJ, Richa S, Raad G. A comprehensive review on the role of testosterone on the neurobehavioral systems implicated in the reinforcement sensitivity theory of personality. L'ENCEPHALE 2023; 49:174-184. [PMID: 36411119 DOI: 10.1016/j.encep.2022.08.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Revised: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory (RST) is a neuropsychological theory of personality emphasizing approach and avoidance as the two core behavioral aspects. Approach is represented by the behavioral approach system (BAS). Avoidance is represented by the behavioral inhibition system (BIS) and the fight-flight-freeze system (FFFS). Although the influence of testosterone on human behavior has been demonstrated, few studies have investigated the relation between testosterone and the RST. The aim of this narrative review was to decipher the possible role of testosterone on the biological systems involved in the RST in humans. METHODS Google scholar, PubMed, PsycARTICLES, PsycINFO, Scopus and Cochrane library databases were interrogated using keywords such as testosterone, BIS, BAS, FFFS, personality, reinforcement sensitivity theory. RESULTS Seven original articles, published between 2009 and 2022, assessing the relation between testosterone and the systems implicated in the RST, were included. The results of these studies suggested the presence of a possible positive relation between testosterone and the BAS. However, the impact of testosterone on the BIS and/or FFFS seems to be less clear. DISCUSSION The consistency in the results supporting the presence of a positive relation between testosterone and the BAS might lead to the consideration of testosterone as a potential correlate in the clinical assessment of several psychopathologies. The inconsistency in the conclusions regarding the impact of testosterone on the BIS and/or the FFFS might be attributed to the different questionnaires used as measurement tools. Additional research remains needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- J El Ahdab
- Faculty of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK), Jounieh, Lebanon
| | - M-J Khachan
- Faculty of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK), Jounieh, Lebanon
| | - S Richa
- Psychiatry Department, University Hospital, Hôtel Dieu de France, Beirut, Lebanon; Faculty of Medicine, Saint-Joseph University, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - G Raad
- Faculty of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK), Jounieh, Lebanon; Al-Hadi laboratory and medical center, Beirut, Lebanon.
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Zhang Y, Lu D, Guo VY, Wang Y, Qiu S, Zhang J, Zhang Y, Chen W, Wang B, Yang W. Association between maternal polycystic ovary syndrome and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in offspring aged 3-6 years: A Chinese population-based study. Front Public Health 2023; 10:1032315. [PMID: 36699874 PMCID: PMC9868860 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.1032315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Maternal polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) may increase the risk of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in offspring; however, their association remains unexplored in Asian populations. Hence, this study aimed to investigate the association between maternal PCOS and ADHD in offspring aged 3-6 years and whether it differed by offspring sex. Methods This was a district-wide population-based study of 87,081 preschoolers from 234 kindergartens in Longhua District, Shenzhen, China. The parents were invited to complete a self-administrated questionnaire covering information on socio-demographics, maternal disease history, and child behavior. ADHD symptoms were measured with the parent-rating 26-item Swanson, Nolan, and Pelham Rating Scale (SNAP-IV). Logistic regression was performed to examine the associations between maternal PCOS and ADHD symptoms in offspring. Results The response rate was 80% and 63,390 mother-child pairs were included. Of the mothers, 1,667 (2.6%) reported PCOS diagnoses. The mean age of children at ADHD assessment was 4.86 ± 0.84[SD] years, and 53.6% were boys. Children with maternal PCOS had a higher risk of developing ADHD symptoms than other children (12.0 vs. 9.4%, adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 1.32, 95% CI: 1.13-1.54). The risk estimate was significant in boys (adjusted OR = 1.38, 95% CI: 1.14-1.66) but not in girls (adjusted OR = 1.23, 95% CI: 0.94-1.57, P for interaction = 0.391). Treatment of PCOS tended to be associated with a lower risk of ADHD symptoms than untreated PCOS albeit risk confidence intervals were overlapped (treated: adjusted OR = 1.28, 95% CI: 1.06-1.54 vs. untreated: adjusted OR = 1.14, 95% CI: 1.08-1.83). Conclusion Maternal PCOS increases the risk of developing ADHD in offspring, especially boys. Further studies are warranted to confirm our findings, and early neurodevelopmental screening may be needed in children born to mothers with PCOS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuying Zhang
- Department of Child Healthcare, Shenzhen Longhua Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Dali Lu
- Department of Child Healthcare, Shenzhen Longhua Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Vivian Yawei Guo
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuqing Wang
- Health Management Center, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shuangyan Qiu
- Department of Child Healthcare, Shenzhen Longhua Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jingyu Zhang
- Department of Child Healthcare, Shenzhen Longhua Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yan Zhang
- Department of Child Healthcare, Shenzhen Longhua Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Weiqing Chen
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Baoping Wang
- Department of Infertility and Reproductive Medicine, Shenzhen Longhua Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital, Shenzhen, China,Baoping Wang ✉
| | - Weikang Yang
- Department of Child Healthcare, Shenzhen Longhua Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital, Shenzhen, China,*Correspondence: Weikang Yang ✉
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Kacharava T, Nemsadze K, Inasaridze K. Elevated level of testosterone in amniotic fluid during prenatal stress and its association with development of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) like symptoms in toddlers. Pediatr Endocrinol Diabetes Metab 2023; 29:248-252. [PMID: 38282493 PMCID: PMC10826691 DOI: 10.5114/pedm.2023.132031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Accepted: 07/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
AIM OF THE STUDY To investigate the "prenatal testosterone hypothesis", according to which, high level of testosterone associated with the development of ADHD like symptoms in younger children, and to investigate whether maternal stress during pregnancy in-creases the risk of developing ADHD like symptoms in early childhood. DESIGN This was a prospective study with three measurement periods: the first one during pregnancy (12 to 25 weeks of gestation); the second period involved the assessment of infants of this pregnancy at the age of 6 months and the third one the assessment of the same infants at the age of 18 months. The research plan is approved by "David Tvildiani Medical University" Research Ethics Committee. The study does not contain serious predictable risks as the expected benefit overweighs them. MATERIAL AND METHODS The study group is presented by 40 pregnant women and 40 infants of these pregnancies. Pregnant women were asked about their perceived stress levels, critical life events of the past year and pregnancy-specific stress levels using standardized questionnaires. Child's temperament and behavioral regulation were assessed using the questionnaires. Amniotic fluid was collected undergoing amniocentesis. Total testosterone in amniotic fluid was measured by radioimmunoassay. RESULTS Although statistically significant relationship was identified between hyperactivity, also impulsiveness symptoms and pre-natal stress, no statistically significant relationship was identified between testosterone level and hyperactivity, also impulsivity symptoms, as well as between testosterone level and prenatal stress level. CONCLUSIONS The performed study did not support the "hypothesis about prenatal testosterone", because there was a significant negative correlation between the frequency of hyperactivity symptoms and testosterone level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamar Kacharava
- General Pediatrics, David Tvildiani Medical University, Georgia
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Suchta K, Smolarczyk R, Czajkowski K, Rudnicka E, Kokoszka A. Binge Eating Disorder-The Point Prevalence among Polish Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and Validity of Screening Tool for This Population. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 20:546. [PMID: 36612867 PMCID: PMC9819692 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20010546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common endocrine disorders which is associated with an increased risk of metabolic dysregulation. The elevated prevalence of obesity has been observed in women with PCOS. Since obesity is commonly associated with eating disturbances, including the binge eating disorder (BED), and since the hormonal changes in PCOS patients could influence the food intake model, we decided to estimate the prevalence of BED in PCOS patients and to assess the sensitivity and specificity of the Questionnaire for Binge Eating Screening (QBES) in PCOS patients. METHODS A total of 122 hospitalized women with PCOS aged 16-45 (M = 26; SD = 5.22) took part in the study. Binge eating disorder (BED) was diagnosed according to the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria. QBES was used as a screening tool for BED. RESULTS The point prevalence of BED in PCOS women according to DMS-5 criteria was 51 (42%). At least two positive answers to four QBES items had 100% sensitivity and 91% specificity. Positive answers to even only the first two questions from QBES had 98% sensitivity and 85% specificity. CONCLUSIONS Women with polycystic ovary syndrome are at a very high risk of binge eating behaviors. Screening for eating disorders should be a routine procedure in women with PCOS. The first two questions from QBES are a brief and relatively reliable screening tool that may be used in everyday practice with POSC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Suchta
- Department of Gynaecological Endocrinology, Medical University of Warsaw, Karowa 2 Str., 00-315 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Roman Smolarczyk
- Department of Gynaecological Endocrinology, Medical University of Warsaw, Karowa 2 Str., 00-315 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Krzysztof Czajkowski
- II Department of Obstetric and Gynaecology, Medical University of Warsaw, Karowa 2 Str., 00-315 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Ewa Rudnicka
- Department of Gynaecological Endocrinology, Medical University of Warsaw, Karowa 2 Str., 00-315 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Andrzej Kokoszka
- II Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of Warsaw, 02-091 Warsaw, Poland
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Orthorexia nervosa (ON) is an emerging condition featuring restrictive eating behaviors on the basis of subjective beliefs about food healthiness. Many authors have stressed the similarities between ON and anorexia nervosa (AN) in both cognitive and behavioral patterns. Despite that, while the link between AN and female autism presentations is well known in the literature, no study has yet investigated the relationship between ON and autism spectrum. This work aims to investigate the relationship between ON and autistic traits in a university population. METHODS An e-mail invitation was sent to all the students and University workers of University of Pisa. Subjects were asked to fulfill the ORTO-15 and the Adult Autism Subthreshold spectrum (AdAS spectrum) questionnaires. RESULTS A total of 2426 subjects joined the survey: 623 subjects (26.3%) reported a score associated with significant orthorexic symptoms according to ORTO-15 (ON group), while 1789 subjects (73.7%) did not report ON symptomatology and were considered as healthy controls (HC). The ON group scored significantly higher on almost all AdAS spectrum domains. Moreover, being female and scoring higher on AdAS spectrum were statistically predictive factors for the presence of ON symptomatology. Among AdAS spectrum domains, higher scores on AdAS spectrum inflexibility and adherence to routine and restricted interests and rumination domains, as well as lower scores on verbal communication domain, were statistically predictive of orthorexic symptoms. CONCLUSIONS Our findings highlight an overlap between ON and autism spectrum psychopathology. Further studies are needed to clarify the relationship between restrictive eating disorders and female autism phenotypes.
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Skorska MN, Lobaugh NJ, Lombardo MV, van Bruggen N, Chavez S, Thurston LT, Aitken M, Zucker KJ, Chakravarty MM, Lai MC, VanderLaan DP. Inter-Network Brain Functional Connectivity in Adolescents Assigned Female at Birth Who Experience Gender Dysphoria. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 13:903058. [PMID: 35937791 PMCID: PMC9353716 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.903058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Gender dysphoria (GD) is characterized by distress due to an incongruence between experienced gender and sex assigned at birth. Brain functional connectivity in adolescents who experience GD may be associated with experienced gender (vs. assigned sex) and/or brain networks implicated in own-body perception. Furthermore, sexual orientation may be related to brain functional organization given commonalities in developmental mechanisms proposed to underpin GD and same-sex attractions. Here, we applied group independent component analysis to resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) BOLD timeseries data to estimate inter-network (i.e., between independent components) timeseries correlations, representing functional connectivity, in 17 GD adolescents assigned female at birth (AFAB) not receiving gender-affirming hormone therapy, 17 cisgender girls, and 15 cisgender boys (ages 12-17 years). Sexual orientation was represented by degree of androphilia-gynephilia and sexual attractions strength. Multivariate partial least squares analyses found that functional connectivity differed among cisgender boys, cisgender girls, and GD AFAB, with the largest difference between cisgender boys and GD AFAB. Regarding sexual orientation and age, the brain's intrinsic functional organization of GD AFAB was both similar to and different from cisgender girls, and both differed from cisgender boys. The pattern of group differences and the networks involved aligned with the hypothesis that brain functional organization is different among GD AFAB (vs. cisgender) adolescents, and certain aspects of this organization relate to brain areas implicated in own-body perception and self-referential thinking. Overall, brain functional organization of GD AFAB was generally more similar to that of cisgender girls than cisgender boys.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malvina N. Skorska
- Child and Youth Psychiatry, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Nancy J. Lobaugh
- Brain Health Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Medicine, Division of Neurology, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Michael V. Lombardo
- Laboratory for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @UniTn, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Nina van Bruggen
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada
| | - Sofia Chavez
- Brain Health Imaging Centre, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Lindsey T. Thurston
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada
| | - Madison Aitken
- Department of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Kenneth J. Zucker
- Department of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - M. Mallar Chakravarty
- Cerebral Imaging Centre, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, PQ, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, PQ, Canada
- Department of Biological and Biomedical Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, PQ, Canada
| | - Meng-Chuan Lai
- Child and Youth Psychiatry, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- The Margaret and Wallace McCain Centre for Child, Youth & Family Mental Health and Azrieli Adult Neurodevelopmental Centre, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry and Autism Research Unit, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Doug P. VanderLaan
- Child and Youth Psychiatry, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada
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Erdoğan A, Özge B, Kopan M, Aktan Y, Kulaksızoğlu B. Second to fourth digit ratio (2D:4D), impulsivity and aggression levels in patients with opiate use disorder and alcohol use disorder. JOURNAL OF SUBSTANCE USE 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/14659891.2022.2098850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ali Erdoğan
- Department of Psychiatry, Akdeniz University Medical School, Antalya, Turkey
| | - Başak Özge
- Department of Psychiatry, Akdeniz University Medical School, Antalya, Turkey
| | - Metehan Kopan
- Department of Psychiatry, Akdeniz University Medical School, Antalya, Turkey
| | - Yiğitcan Aktan
- Department of Psychiatry, Akdeniz University Medical School, Antalya, Turkey
| | - Burak Kulaksızoğlu
- Department of Psychiatry, Akdeniz University Medical School, Antalya, Turkey
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Nagy Z, Karsai I, Nagy T, Kátai E, Miseta A, Fazekas G, Láng A, Kocsor F, Kállai J. Reward Dependence-Moderated Noradrenergic and Hormonal Responses During Noncompetitive and Competitive Physical Activities. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:763220. [PMID: 35558438 PMCID: PMC9087724 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.763220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study was to reveal whether increased reward dependence (RD) plays a role in the catecholamine neurotransmitter release and testosterone hormone regulation during physical activities among healthy trained participants. Twenty-two male participants (mean age: 40.27 ± 5.4 years) participated in this study. Two conditions were constructed, namely, a noncompetitive and a competitive running task (RT), which were separated by a 2-week interval. Urine and blood samples were collected prior to and following the running tasks. Noradrenaline (NA), adrenaline (A), dopamine (D), and their metabolites, vanillylmandelic acid (VMA) and homovanillic acid (HVA), were measured from urine, while testosterone levels were analyzed from blood samples. RD was assessed using the Cloninger's Personality Inventory (PI). Mental health was evaluated using the WHO Well-Being, Beck Depression, and Perceived Life Stress Questionnaires. According to our findings, levels of NA, A, D, VMA, and testosterone released underwent an increase following physical exertion, independently from the competitive condition of the RT, while HVA levels experienced a decrease. However, we found that testosterone levels showed a significantly lower tendency to elevate in the competitive RT, compared with the noncompetitive condition (p = 0.02). In contrast, HVA values were higher in the competitive compared with the noncompetitive condition (p = 0.031), both before and after the exercise. Considering the factor RD, in noncompetitive RT, its higher values were associated with elevated NA levels (p = 0.007); however, this correlation could not be detected during the competitive condition (p = 0.233). Among male runners, the NA and testosterone levels could be predicted to the degree of RD by analyzing competitive and noncompetitive physical exercises.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zsófia Nagy
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
- Sport and Medicine Research Group, Regenerative Science, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - István Karsai
- Sports and Physical Education Center, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Tamás Nagy
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Emese Kátai
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Attila Miseta
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Gábor Fazekas
- Department of Vascular Surgery, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - András Láng
- Institute of Psychology, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Ferenc Kocsor
- Institute of Psychology, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - János Kállai
- Department of Behavioral Sciences, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
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20
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Xu J, Hao L, Chen M, He Y, Jiang M, Tian T, Wang H, Wang Y, Wang D, Han ZR, Tan S, Men W, Gao J, He Y, Tao S, Dong Q, Qin S. Developmental Sex Differences in Negative Emotion Decision-Making Dynamics: Computational Evidence and Amygdala-Prefrontal Pathways. Cereb Cortex 2021; 32:2478-2491. [PMID: 34643680 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Revised: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex differences in human emotion and related decision-making behaviors are recognized, which can be traced back early in development. However, our understanding of their underlying neurodevelopmental mechanisms remains elusive. Using developmental functional magnetic resonance imaging and computational approach, we investigated developmental sex differences in latent decision-making dynamics during negative emotion processing and related neurocognitive pathways in 243 school-aged children and 78 young adults. Behaviorally, girls exhibit higher response caution and more effective evidence accumulation, whereas boys show more impulsive response to negative facial expression stimuli. These effects parallel sex differences in emotion-related brain maturity linking to evidence accumulation, along with age-related decrease in emotional response in the basolateral amygdala and medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) in girls and an increase in the centromedial amygdala (CMA) in boys. Moreover, girls exhibit age-related decreases in BLA-MPFC coupling linked to evidence accumulation, but boys exhibit increases in CMA-insula coupling associated with response caution. Our findings highlight the neurocomputational accounts for developmental sex differences in emotion and emotion-related behaviors and provide important implications into the neurodevelopmental mechanisms of sex differences in latent emotional decision-making dynamics. This informs the emergence of sex differences in typical and atypical neurodevelopment of children's emotion and related functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiahua Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China.,Key Laboratory of Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Lei Hao
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China.,Key Laboratory of Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Menglu Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China.,Key Laboratory of Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Ying He
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China.,Key Laboratory of Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Min Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China.,Key Laboratory of Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Ting Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China.,Key Laboratory of Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Hui Wang
- Faculty of Psychology, School of Artificial Intelligence, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Yanpei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Daoyang Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China.,Department of Psychology, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, 311121, China
| | - Zhuo Rachel Han
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China.,Key Laboratory of Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Shuping Tan
- Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital, Peking University, Beijing, 100096, China
| | - Weiwei Men
- Center for MRI Research, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies & McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Jiahong Gao
- Center for MRI Research, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies & McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Yong He
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China.,Key Laboratory of Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Sha Tao
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Qi Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Shaozheng Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China.,Key Laboratory of Beijing Key Laboratory of Brain Imaging and Connectomics, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China.,Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, 102206, China
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21
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Manzato E, Gualandi M, Roncarati E. Complete androgen insensitivity syndrome (CAIS) and eating disorders: a case report. Eat Weight Disord 2021; 26:2421-2426. [PMID: 33201394 DOI: 10.1007/s40519-020-01069-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome represents a disorder due to partial (PAIS), mild (MAIS) or complete (CAIS) resistance to androgens caused by X-linked mutations of androgen receptor gene. CAIS is characterized by a female phenotype and XY karyotype. Cases of patients with CAIS and associated obesity have been reported, while to date, there are no reports about the onset of an Eating Disorder (ED) in the carriers of this condition. We describe the case of a patient affected by CAIS and Anorexia Nervosa (AN) restricting type later shifted to Bulimia Nervosa (BN). A previous overweight was present since childhood, contributing to severe Body Dissatisfaction (BD) and consequent restrictive behaviour in adolescence. Beyond its peculiarity, this case highlights also the importance of diagnosing and monitoring the overweight and BD in CAIS patients to avoid the onset of an ED.Level of Evidence: V, descriptive study.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Manzato
- Psychiatrist, Former University of Ferrara and Former Chief of Eating and Weight Disorders Center, University Hospital S. Anna, chief of Eating and Weight Disorders Unit"L'Albero", Private Hospital "Salus", Via Arianuova 38, Ferrara, Italy.
| | - M Gualandi
- Medical Doctor, Former Responsible of Day Hospital of Internal Medicine and Eating Disorders, University Hospital S. Anna, Ferrara, Italy
| | - E Roncarati
- Dietitian, University of Ferrara, Dietitian of Eating and Weight Disorders "L'Albero", Private Hospital "Salus", Ferrara, Italy
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22
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Dalgaard CM, Andersen MS, Jensen RC, Larsen PV, Find LG, Boye H, Jensen TK, Bilenberg N, Glintborg D. Maternal polycystic ovary syndrome and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in offspring at 3 years of age: Odense Child Cohort. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand 2021; 100:2053-2065. [PMID: 34490610 DOI: 10.1111/aogs.14259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Revised: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 08/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Previous data suggested a link between maternal polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and offspring attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which could be mediated by higher prenatal androgen exposure. MATERIAL AND METHODS The study was part of the prospective Odense Child Cohort and included 1776 pregnant women, 165 (9%) with PCOS and 1607 (91%) controls. ADHD symptoms at 3 years of age were defined using the parent-reported questionnaire Child Behavior Checklist/1.5-5 (scores >90th centile of Danish national standard). Maternal blood samples were collected in the third trimester measuring total testosterone by mass spectrometry, sex hormone-binding globulin, and calculated free testosterone. Offspring anogenital distance was measured at 3 months of age. Regression models were performed with presence of ADHD symptoms as the dependent variable and adjusted for maternal age, body mass index, parity, smoking status, educational level, and parental psychiatric diagnoses. RESULTS ADHD symptoms were present in 105/937 (11%) boys and 72/839 (9%) girls. In boys, maternal PCOS was positively associated with ADHD symptoms (unadjusted odds ratio [OR] 1.91, 95% CI 1.07-3.43, p = 0.03, adjusted OR 2.20, 95% CI 1.20-4.02, p = 0.01), whereas maternal PCOS was not associated with ADHD symptoms in girls. Maternal total testosterone, free testosterone, and offspring anogenital distance were not associated with higher risk of ADHD symptoms in the offspring. CONCLUSIONS Higher risk of ADHD in boys born of mothers with PCOS were not associated with maternal third-trimester testosterone levels or offspring anogenital distance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cilia M Dalgaard
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.,Department of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Odense, Mental Health Services in the Region of Southern Denmark, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Marianne S Andersen
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Richard C Jensen
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Pia V Larsen
- Mental Health Services in the Region of Southern Denmark, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Laura G Find
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.,Department of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Odense, Mental Health Services in the Region of Southern Denmark, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Henriette Boye
- Odense Child Cohort, Hans Christian Andersen Hospital for Children, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark.,OPEN Patient Data Explorative Network (OPEN), University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Tina K Jensen
- Odense Child Cohort, Hans Christian Andersen Hospital for Children, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark.,OPEN Patient Data Explorative Network (OPEN), University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Pharmacy and Environmental Medicine, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
| | - Niels Bilenberg
- Department of Clinical Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.,Department of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Odense, Mental Health Services in the Region of Southern Denmark, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Dorte Glintborg
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
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23
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Chen X, Kong L, Piltonen TT, Gissler M, Lavebratt C. Association of polycystic ovary syndrome or anovulatory infertility with offspring psychiatric and mild neurodevelopmental disorders: a Finnish population-based cohort study. Hum Reprod 2021; 35:2336-2347. [PMID: 32866965 PMCID: PMC7518708 DOI: 10.1093/humrep/deaa192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2020] [Revised: 07/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
STUDY QUESTION Is maternal polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) associated with increased risks for a broad spectrum of psychiatric and mild neurodevelopmental disorders in offspring? SUMMARY ANSWER Maternal PCOS and/or anovulatory infertility is independently, and jointly with maternal obesity, perinatal problems, cesarean delivery and gestational diabetes, associated with increased risks in offspring for almost all groups of psychiatric and mild neurodevelopmental disorders with onset in childhood or adolescence. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Maternal PCOS was previously associated with autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorders and possibly developmental delay in offspring. Few studies have investigated the association between maternal PCOS and other psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders in offspring. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION This was a population-based cohort study in Finland including all live births between 1996 and 2014 (n = 1 105 997). After excluding births to mothers with symptoms similar to PCOS, a total of 1 097 753 births by 590 939 mothers remained. Children were followed up until 31 December 2018, i.e. up to the age of 22 years. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS National registries were used to link data of the included births and their mothers. Data from 24 682 (2.2%) children born to mothers with PCOS were compared with 1 073 071 (97.8%) children born to mothers without PCOS. Cox proportional hazards modeling was used to evaluate the hazard ratio (HR) and 95% CI for the risk of neuropsychiatric disorders in relation to maternal PCOS. Stratified analyses were performed to test the independent role of PCOS and the joint effects of PCOS with maternal obesity, perinatal problems, cesarean delivery, gestational diabetes and use of fertility treatment. The analysis was adjusted for maternal age, country of birth, marriage status at birth, smoking, parity, psychiatric disorders, prescription of psychotropic N05/N06 during pregnancy and systemic inflammatory diseases when applicable. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE A total of 105 409 (9.8%) children were diagnosed with a neurodevelopmental or psychiatric disorder. Firstly, maternal PCOS was associated with any psychiatric diagnosis (HR 1.32; 95% CI 1.27-1.38) in offspring. Particularly, the risk was increased for sleeping disorders (HR 1.46; 95% CI 1.27-1.67), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorders and conduct disorders (HR 1.42; 95% CI 1.33-1.52), tic disorders (HR 1.42; 95% CI 1.21-1.68), intellectual disabilities (HR 1.41; 95% CI 1.24-1.60), autism spectrum disorder (HR 1.40; 95% CI 1.26-1.57), specific developmental disorders (HR 1.37; 95% CI 1.30-1.43), eating disorders (HR 1.36; 95% CI 1.15-1.61), anxiety disorders (HR 1.33; 95% CI 1.26-1.41), mood disorders (HR 1.27; 95% CI 1.18-1.35) and other behavioral and emotional disorders (ICD-10 F98, HR 1.49; 95% CI 1.39-1.59). In short, there was no significant difference between sexes. The results were robust when restricting the analyses to the first-born children or births to mothers without psychiatric diagnosis or purchase of psychotropic medication. Secondly, stratified analysis according to maternal BMI showed that the risk of any neuropsychiatric disorder was increased in offspring to normal-weight mothers with PCOS (HR 1.20; 95% CI 1.09-1.32), and markedly higher in those to severely obese mothers with PCOS (HR 2.11; 95% CI 1.76-2.53) compared to offspring to normal-weight mothers without PCOS. When excluding perinatal problems, mothers with PCOS were still associated with increased risks of any neuropsychiatric disorders in offspring (HR 1.28; 95% CI 1.22-1.34) compared to mothers without PCOS. However, an additional increase was observed for PCOS in combination with perinatal problems (HR 1.99; 95% CI 1.84-2.16). Likewise, excluding cases with maternal gestational diabetes (HR 1.30; 95% CI 1.25-1.36), cesarean delivery (HR 1.29; 95% CI 1.23-1.35) or fertility treatment (HR 1.31; 95% CI 1.25-1.36) did not eliminate the associations. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION The register-based prevalence of PCOS was lower than previously reported, suggesting that this study may capture the most severe cases. To combine anovulatory infertility with PCOS diagnosis as PCOS exposure might introduce diagnostic bias. It was not feasible to distinguish between subtypes of PCOS. Furthermore, familial factors might confound the association between maternal PCOS and neuropsychiatric disorders in offspring. Maternal BMI was available for birth cohort 2004-2014 only and there was no information on gestational weight gain. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS This study provides further evidence that maternal PCOS and/or anovulatory infertility, independently and jointly with maternal obesity, perinatal problems, gestational diabetes and cesarean delivery, implies a broad range of adverse effects on offspring neurodevelopment. These findings may potentially help in counseling and managing pregnancies. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) This study was supported by the joint research funding of Shandong University and Karolinska Institute (SDU-KI-2019-08 to X.C and C.L.), THL Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare: Drug and pregnancy project [M.G.], the Swedish Research Council [2014-10171 to C.L.], the regional agreement on medical training and clinical research (ALF) between Stockholm County Council and Karolinska Institute Stockholm County Council [SLL20170292 to C.L.], the Swedish Brain Foundation [FO2018-0141 and FO2019-0201 to C.L.]. X.C. was supported by the China Scholarship Council during her training in Karolinska Institute. L.K. was supported by the China Scholarship Council for his PhD study in Karolinska Institute. The authors have no competing interests to disclose. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER N/A.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinxia Chen
- School of Nursing, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong, China.,Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.,Centre for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Linghua Kong
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.,Centre for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Terhi T Piltonen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, PEDEGO Research Unit, Medical Research Center, Oulu University Hospital, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | - Mika Gissler
- Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Oulu, Finland.,Division of Family Medicine, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.,Research Centre for Child Psychiatry, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Catharina Lavebratt
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.,Centre for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
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24
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Delvecchio G, Maggioni E, Pigoni A, Crespo-Facorro B, Nenadić I, Benedetti F, Gaser C, Sauer H, Roiz-Santiañez R, Poletti S, Rossetti MG, Bellani M, Perlini C, Ruggeri M, Diwadkar VA, Brambilla P. Sexual Regional Dimorphism of Post-Adolescent and Middle Age Brain Maturation. A Multi-center 3T MRI Study. Front Aging Neurosci 2021; 13:622054. [PMID: 33613268 PMCID: PMC7892767 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2021.622054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex-related differences are tied into neurodevelopmental and lifespan processes, beginning early in the perinatal and developmental phases and continue into adulthood. The present study was designed to investigate sexual dimorphism of changes in gray matter (GM) volume in post-adolescence, with a focus on early and middle-adulthood using a structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) dataset of healthy controls from the European Network on Psychosis, Affective disorders and Cognitive Trajectory (ENPACT). Three hundred and seventy three subjects underwent a 3.0 T MRI session across four European Centers. Age by sex effects on GM volumes were investigated using voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and the Automated Anatomical Labeling atlas regions (ROI). Females and males showed overlapping and non-overlapping patterns of GM volume changes during aging. Overlapping age-related changes emerged in bilateral frontal and temporal cortices, insula and thalamus. Both VBM and ROI analyses revealed non-overlapping changes in multiple regions, including cerebellum and vermis, bilateral mid frontal, mid occipital cortices, left inferior temporal and precentral gyri. These findings highlight the importance of accounting for sex differences in cross-sectional analyses, not only in the study of normative changes, but particularly in the context of psychiatric and neurologic disorders, wherein sex effects may be confounded with disease-related changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Delvecchio
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Eleonora Maggioni
- Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Alessandro Pigoni
- MoMiLab Research Unit, IMT School for Advanced Studies Lucca, Lucca, Italy
| | - B Crespo-Facorro
- Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Virgen del Rocío, IBiS, University of Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain.,CIBERSAM, Centro Investigación Biomédica en Red Salud Mental, Santander, Spain
| | - Igor Nenadić
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University Marburg/Marburg University Hospital - UKGM, Marburg, Germany
| | - Francesco Benedetti
- Division of Neuroscience, Unit of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychobiology, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Christian Gaser
- Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Heinrich Sauer
- Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Roberto Roiz-Santiañez
- CIBERSAM, Centro Investigación Biomédica en Red Salud Mental, Santander, Spain.,Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University Hospital Marqués de Valdecilla, University of Cantabria-IDIVAL, Santander, Spain
| | - Sara Poletti
- Division of Neuroscience, Unit of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychobiology, IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Maria G Rossetti
- Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.,Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, Section of Psychiatry, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Marcella Bellani
- Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, Section of Psychiatry, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Cinzia Perlini
- Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, Section of Clinical Psychology, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Mirella Ruggeri
- Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, Section of Psychiatry, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Vaibhav A Diwadkar
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, United States
| | - Paolo Brambilla
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.,Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
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25
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Depression, neuroticism and 2D:4D ratio: evidence from a large, representative sample. Sci Rep 2020; 10:11136. [PMID: 32636433 PMCID: PMC7341800 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-67882-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2020] [Accepted: 06/01/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
A body of literature reports higher rates of depression and neuroticism in female samples compared to male samples. Numerous studies have investigated the role of prenatal sex hormone exposure in this sex difference, using the ratio between the second and fourth digit of the hand (“2D:4D”) as a putative marker. However, the sample sizes of those studies were mostly small and results remained inconclusive. The aim of the present study is to test the suggested associations between depression, neuroticism and the 2D:4D ratio in a large, representative sample of over 3,000 German individuals. It was hypothesized that a higher 2D:4D (supposedly representing a more “feminine” prenatal hormone exposure) would positively predict (1) one’s history of depression as well as (2) neuroticism rates and (3) acute depressive symptom scores. Controlling for biological sex, we only found suggestive evidence for linear associations with neuroticism in the case of left hand 2D:4D ratios and the mean 2D:4D of both hands. However, additional analyses indicated that these results may have been spurious due to confounding. Our findings suggest that the 2D:4D ratio is not a relevant predictor of depression, while there was mixed evidence in the case of neuroticism.
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26
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Lenz B, Mühle C, Kornhuber J. Lower digit ratio (2D:4D) in alcohol dependence: Confirmation and exploratory analysis in a population-based study of young men. Addict Biol 2020; 25:e12815. [PMID: 31418510 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2019] [Revised: 07/02/2019] [Accepted: 07/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Moderately sized, case-control studies have related alcohol dependence in middle-aged in-patients to lower second-to-fourth finger length ratio (2D:4D), a proxy for prenatal hyperandrogenization. As primary aim, we here intended to confirm that lower 2D:4D is also associated with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)-IV/-5 alcohol dependence and alcohol use disorder in a large population-based cohort of young males. Exploratory aims included underlying mechanisms. We analyzed self-reported data on 2D:4D, DSM-IV/-5 criteria, anticipated subjective responses to alcohol, and willingness to purchase alcoholic drinks from 4989 Swiss men of the Cohort Study on Substance Use Risk Factors (C-SURF). The mean of right-hand 2D:4D and left-hand 2D:4D was lower in men with DSM-IV alcohol dependence than in those without (0.975 vs 0.981, P = .035) and lower in men with moderate to severe (0.974) than in those with mild (0.982, P = .001) or no (0.981, P = .003) DSM-5 alcohol use disorder. Moreover, mean 2D:4D was lower in those reporting recent use of health services due to substance use problems (0.968 vs 0.981, P = .046). Lower mean 2D:4D correlated with a stronger anticipation to feel high following alcohol consumption (total cohort: ρ = -0.033, P = .026) and with a willingness to purchase more higher-priced alcoholic drinks (DSM-IV alcohol dependence subgroup: ρmin = -0.162, P = .002). This is the first population-based study on young males to demonstrate lower 2D:4D in DSM-IV alcohol dependence, DSM-5 alcohol use disorder, and the related use of health care services. We also provide novel insight into cognitive-behavioral mechanisms. These results should help to establish more effective preventive and therapeutic strategies targeting 2D:4D and prenatal androgen exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernd Lenz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy Friedrich‐Alexander University Erlangen‐Nürnberg (FAU) Erlangen Germany
| | - Christiane Mühle
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy Friedrich‐Alexander University Erlangen‐Nürnberg (FAU) Erlangen Germany
| | - Johannes Kornhuber
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy Friedrich‐Alexander University Erlangen‐Nürnberg (FAU) Erlangen Germany
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Buchholz VN, Mühle C, Kornhuber J, Lenz B. Lower Digit Ratio (2D:4D) Indicative of Excess Prenatal Androgen Is Associated With Increased Sociability and Greater Social Capital. Front Behav Neurosci 2019; 13:246. [PMID: 31866841 PMCID: PMC6906175 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2019] [Accepted: 10/07/2019] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Positive social interactions are crucial for human well-being. Elevated prenatal exposure to testosterone as indicated by a low second-to-fourth finger length ratio (2D:4D) relates to more aggressive/hostile behavior in men of low 2D:4D, especially in challenging situations. How much people enjoy interacting with others is determined by the personality trait sociability. Given its role in approach and avoidance behavior, sociability might also be influenced by prenatal sex hormones, but studies are inconclusive so far. Here, we investigated the association between 2D:4D and the personality trait sociability complemented by personal social capital and personal social network size, in a population-based cohort of 4998 men. Lower 2D:4D correlated significantly with higher trait sociability, bigger personal social capital, and larger personal social network size. These effects were consistent across both hands separately and their mean value. Furthermore, both factors of sociability (1) liking party and company of friends and (2) isolation intolerance, correlated significantly with the prenatal testosterone marker. The exploratory analysis revealed no link between 2D:4D and responses to the personality trait aggression items or items of anti-social-personality disorder. Our data suggest that prenatal androgen exposure organizes the brain with lasting effects on social behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Verena N Buchholz
- Addiction Medicine, Lausanne University Hospital CHUV, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland; Addiction Switzerland, Lausanne, Switzerland; Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada; University of the West of England, Frenchay Campus, Bristol, United Kingdom . La Source, School of Nursing Sciences, HES-SO University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Western Switzerland, Lausanne, Switzerland . Institut für Epidemiologie, Biostatistik und Prävention, Hirschengraben, Zurich, Switzerland . Addiction Medicine, Lausanne University Hospital CHUV, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland . Addiction Medicine, Lausanne University Hospital CHUV, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Christiane Mühle
- Addiction Medicine, Lausanne University Hospital CHUV, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland; Addiction Switzerland, Lausanne, Switzerland; Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada; University of the West of England, Frenchay Campus, Bristol, United Kingdom . La Source, School of Nursing Sciences, HES-SO University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Western Switzerland, Lausanne, Switzerland . Institut für Epidemiologie, Biostatistik und Prävention, Hirschengraben, Zurich, Switzerland . Addiction Medicine, Lausanne University Hospital CHUV, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland . Addiction Medicine, Lausanne University Hospital CHUV, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Johannes Kornhuber
- Addiction Medicine, Lausanne University Hospital CHUV, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland; Addiction Switzerland, Lausanne, Switzerland; Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada; University of the West of England, Frenchay Campus, Bristol, United Kingdom . La Source, School of Nursing Sciences, HES-SO University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Western Switzerland, Lausanne, Switzerland . Institut für Epidemiologie, Biostatistik und Prävention, Hirschengraben, Zurich, Switzerland . Addiction Medicine, Lausanne University Hospital CHUV, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland . Addiction Medicine, Lausanne University Hospital CHUV, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - Bernd Lenz
- Addiction Medicine, Lausanne University Hospital CHUV, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland; Addiction Switzerland, Lausanne, Switzerland; Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada; University of the West of England, Frenchay Campus, Bristol, United Kingdom . La Source, School of Nursing Sciences, HES-SO University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Western Switzerland, Lausanne, Switzerland . Institut für Epidemiologie, Biostatistik und Prävention, Hirschengraben, Zurich, Switzerland . Addiction Medicine, Lausanne University Hospital CHUV, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland . Addiction Medicine, Lausanne University Hospital CHUV, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
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Berner LA, Brown TA, Lavender JM, Lopez E, Wierenga CE, Kaye WH. Neuroendocrinology of reward in anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa: Beyond leptin and ghrelin. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2019; 497:110320. [PMID: 30395874 PMCID: PMC6497565 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2018.10.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2018] [Revised: 10/19/2018] [Accepted: 10/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The pathophysiology of anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN) are still poorly understood, but psychobiological models have proposed a key role for disturbances in the neuroendocrines that signal hunger and satiety and maintain energy homeostasis. Mounting evidence suggests that many neuroendocrines involved in the regulation of homeostasis and body weight also play integral roles in food reward valuation and learning via their interactions with the mesolimbic dopamine system. Neuroimaging data have associated altered brain reward responses in this system with the dietary restriction and binge eating and purging characteristic of AN and BN. Thus, neuroendocrine dysfunction may contribute to or perpetuate eating disorder symptoms via effects on reward circuitry. This narrative review focuses on reward-related neuroendocrines that are altered in eating disorder populations, including peptide YY, insulin, stress and gonadal hormones, and orexins. We provide an overview of the animal and human literature implicating these neuroendocrines in dopaminergic reward processes and discuss their potential relevance to eating disorder symptomatology and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura A Berner
- University of California, San Diego, Eating Disorders Center for Treatment and Research, Department of Psychiatry, United States.
| | - Tiffany A Brown
- University of California, San Diego, Eating Disorders Center for Treatment and Research, Department of Psychiatry, United States
| | - Jason M Lavender
- University of California, San Diego, Eating Disorders Center for Treatment and Research, Department of Psychiatry, United States
| | - Emily Lopez
- University of California, San Diego, Eating Disorders Center for Treatment and Research, Department of Psychiatry, United States
| | - Christina E Wierenga
- University of California, San Diego, Eating Disorders Center for Treatment and Research, Department of Psychiatry, United States
| | - Walter H Kaye
- University of California, San Diego, Eating Disorders Center for Treatment and Research, Department of Psychiatry, United States
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Brañas-Garza P, Espín AM, García-Muñoz T, Kovářík J. Digit ratio (2D : 4D) and prosocial behaviour in economic games: no direct correlation with generosity, bargaining or trust-related behaviours. Biol Lett 2019; 15:20190185. [PMID: 31455172 PMCID: PMC6731481 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2019.0185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2019] [Accepted: 07/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Prenatal exposure to sex hormones exerts organizational effects on the brain which have observable behavioural correlates in adult life. There are reasons to expect that social behaviours-fundamental for the evolutionary success of humans-might be related to biological factors such as prenatal sex hormone exposure. Nevertheless, the existing literature is inconclusive as to whether and how prenatal exposure to testosterone and oestrogen, proxied by the second-to-fourth digit ratio (2D : 4D), may predict non-selfish behaviour. Here, we investigate this question using economic experiments with real monetary stakes and analyse five different dimensions of social behaviour in a comparatively large sample of Caucasian participants (n = 560). For both males and females, our results show no robust association between right- or left-hand 2D : 4D and generosity, bargaining or trust-related behaviours. Moreover, no differences in behaviour were found according to sex. We conclude that there is no direct correlation between 2D : 4D and these social behaviours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Brañas-Garza
- Department of Economics, LoyolaBehLAB, Universidad Loyola Andalucía, Cordoba, Andalucia 14004, Spain
| | - Antonio M. Espín
- Department of Social Anthropology, Universidad de Granada, Granada, Granada 18071, Spain
| | - Teresa García-Muñoz
- Department of Quantitative Methods, Universidad de Granada, Granada 18071, Spain
| | - Jaromír Kovářík
- Department of Economics, Universidad del País Vasco (UPV/EHU), Bilbao, País Vasco, Spain
- CERGE-EI, Prague, Czech Republic
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Origins and Impact of Psychological Traits in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. Med Sci (Basel) 2019; 7:medsci7080086. [PMID: 31387252 PMCID: PMC6723772 DOI: 10.3390/medsci7080086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2019] [Revised: 07/25/2019] [Accepted: 07/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) exhibit compromised psychiatric health. Independent of obesity, women with PCOS are more susceptible to have anxiety and depression diagnoses and other neuropsychiatric disorders. During pregnancy women with PCOS display high circulating androgen levels that may cause prenatal androgen exposure affecting the growing fetus and increasing the risk of mood disorders in offspring. Increasing evidence supports a non-genetic, maternal contribution to the development of PCOS and anxiety disorders in the next generation. Prenatal androgenized rodent models reflecting the anxiety-like phenotype of PCOS in the offspring, found evidence for the altered placenta and androgen receptor function in the amygdala, together with changes in the expression of genes associated with emotional regulation and steroid receptors in the amygdala and hippocampus. These findings defined a previously unknown mechanism that may be critical in understanding how maternal androgen excess can increase the risk of developing anxiety disorders in daughters and partly in sons of PCOS mothers. Maternal obesity is another common feature of PCOS causing an unfavorable intrauterine environment which may contribute to psychiatric problems in the offspring. Whether environmental factors such as prenatal androgen exposure and obesity increase the offspring's susceptibility to develop psychiatric ill-health will be discussed.
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Abstract
Women undergo developmental and cyclic changes in hormonal exposures that affect brain function and mental health. Some women are more vulnerable to the effects of these hormonal exposures, for reasons that remain to be determined. Evidence to date indicates that anxiety and mood disorders are the most sensitive to hormonal fluctuations in women but there is also growing evidence for a protective effect of female reproductive hormones on schizophrenia. The hormonal exposures of the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, the postpartum period, lactation, and menopause are quite different and may be associated with at least partially distinct symptom profiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret Altemus
- VA Connecticut Health Care System, Women's Clinic, Building 2, Room 7-165, 950 Campbell Avenue, New Haven, CT 06516, USA.
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Bölte S, Girdler S, Marschik PB. The contribution of environmental exposure to the etiology of autism spectrum disorder. Cell Mol Life Sci 2019; 76:1275-1297. [PMID: 30570672 PMCID: PMC6420889 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-018-2988-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 248] [Impact Index Per Article: 49.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2018] [Revised: 11/14/2018] [Accepted: 12/04/2018] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition of heterogeneous etiology. While it is widely recognized that genetic and environmental factors and their interactions contribute to autism phenotypes, their precise causal mechanisms remain poorly understood. This article reviews our current understanding of environmental risk factors of ASD and their presumed adverse physiological mechanisms. It comprehensively maps the significance of parental age, teratogenic compounds, perinatal risks, medication, smoking and alcohol use, nutrition, vaccination, toxic exposures, as well as the role of extreme psychosocial factors. Further, we consider the role of potential protective factors such as folate and fatty acid intake. Evidence indicates an increased offspring vulnerability to ASD through advanced maternal and paternal age, valproate intake, toxic chemical exposure, maternal diabetes, enhanced steroidogenic activity, immune activation, and possibly altered zinc-copper cycles and treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Epidemiological studies demonstrate no evidence for vaccination posing an autism risk. It is concluded that future research needs to consider categorical autism, broader autism phenotypes, as well as autistic traits, and examine more homogenous autism variants by subgroup stratification. Our understanding of autism etiology could be advanced by research aimed at disentangling the causal and non-causal environmental effects, both founding and moderating, and gene-environment interplay using twin studies, longitudinal and experimental designs. The specificity of many environmental risks for ASD remains unknown and control of multiple confounders has been limited. Further understanding of the critical windows of neurodevelopmental vulnerability and investigating the fit of multiple hit and cumulative risk models are likely promising approaches in enhancing the understanding of role of environmental factors in the etiology of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sven Bölte
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet & Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Stockholm Health Care Services, Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (KIND), Centre for Psychiatry Research, Stockholm County Council, Stockholm, Sweden.
- Curtin Autism Research Group, School of Occupational Therapy, Social Work and Speech Pathology, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia.
| | - Sonya Girdler
- Curtin Autism Research Group, School of Occupational Therapy, Social Work and Speech Pathology, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Peter B Marschik
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet & Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Stockholm Health Care Services, Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (KIND), Centre for Psychiatry Research, Stockholm County Council, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- iDN-interdisciplinary Developmental Neuroscience, Department of Phoniatrics, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
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A meta-analytical evaluation of the dual-hormone hypothesis: Does cortisol moderate the relationship between testosterone and status, dominance, risk taking, aggression, and psychopathy? Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 96:250-271. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2017] [Revised: 12/04/2018] [Accepted: 12/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
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Glynn LM, Howland MA, Fox M. Maternal programming: Application of a developmental psychopathology perspective. Dev Psychopathol 2018; 30:905-919. [PMID: 30068423 PMCID: PMC6274636 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579418000524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The fetal phase of life has long been recognized as a sensitive period of development. Here we posit that pregnancy represents a simultaneous sensitive period for the adult female with broad and persisting consequences for her health and development, including risk for psychopathology. In this review, we examine the transition to motherhood through the lens of developmental psychopathology. Specifically, we summarize the typical and atypical changes in brain and behavior that characterize the perinatal period. We highlight how the exceptional neuroplasticity exhibited by women during this life phase may account for increased vulnerability for psychopathology. Further, we discuss several modes of signaling that are available to the fetus to affect maternal phenotypes (hormones, motor activity, and gene transfer) and also illustrate how evolutionary perspectives can help explain how and why fetal functions may contribute to maternal psychopathology. The developmental psychopathology perspective has spurred advances in understanding risk and resilience for mental health in many domains. As such, it is surprising that this major epoch in the female life span has yet to benefit fully from similar applications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Molly Fox
- University of California,Los Angeles
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Bell GA, Sundaram R, Mumford SL, Park H, Mills J, Bell EM, Broadney M, Yeung EH. Maternal polycystic ovarian syndrome and early offspring development. Hum Reprod 2018; 33:1307-1315. [PMID: 29668891 PMCID: PMC6251548 DOI: 10.1093/humrep/dey087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2017] [Revised: 03/12/2018] [Accepted: 03/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
STUDY QUESTION Is maternal polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) associated with developmental delays in offspring? SUMMARY ANSWER Offspring of mothers with PCOS were at higher risk of failure on the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ). WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY There is growing evidence that offspring of mothers with PCOS may be at higher risk for developmental disorders due to potential exposure to hyperandrogenism and insulin resistance. Few studies exist regarding maternal PCOS and early childhood development in the USA. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION The Upstate KIDS Study is a population-based prospective cohort study of infants born between 2008 and 2010 in New York State (excluding New York City), originally designed to study-and finding no impact of-infertility treatment exposure on child development. Children were followed up to 36 months of age. In all, 4453 mothers completed one or more developmental screening instruments for 5388 children (35.5% twins) up to 36 months of age. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS In our study, 458 mothers (10.3%) reported a healthcare provider's diagnosis of PCOS, as well as the related treatment received, on the baseline study questionnaire. Parents completed the ASQ on their child's development at 4, 8, 12, 18, 24, 30 and 36 months of age to assess fine motor, gross motor, communication, personal-social functioning and problem-solving cognitive domains. We used generalized linear mixed models to estimate odds ratios (OR) between PCOS diagnosis and failures in the ASQ adjusted for maternal age, race, BMI, education, marital status, smoking, alcohol consumption, diabetes, insurance and plurality. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE Diagnosis of PCOS was associated with increased risk of the offspring failing the fine motor domain (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 1.77; 95% CI: 1.09, 2.89), largely driven by higher risk in female singletons (aOR = 2.23; 1.16, 4.29). Twins of mothers with PCOS had higher risk of failing the communication (aOR = 1.94; 1.19, 3.18) and personal-social functioning (aOR = 1.76; 1.12, 2.77) domains compared to twins born to mothers without PCOS. Compared to offspring of women without PCOS, offspring of women who reported receiving no treatment for their PCOS had a stronger association with failing the ASQ (aOR = 1.68; 0.95, 2.75) than the association among offspring of women who reported PCOS treatment (aOR = 1.16; 0.79, 1.73). LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION Further study is needed to confirm the role of maternal PCOS in early offspring development with provider-validated diagnosis of PCOS. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS If confirmed, these findings suggest that offspring of women with PCOS may be at increased risk for developmental delay. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) Supported by the Intramural Research Program of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD; contracts HHSN275201200005C, #HHSN267200700019C). Authors have no competing interests to declare. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER Not applicable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Griffith A Bell
- Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, 6710B Rockledge Drive, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Rajeshwari Sundaram
- Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, 6710B Rockledge Drive, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Sunni L Mumford
- Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, 6710B Rockledge Drive, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Hyojun Park
- Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, 6710B Rockledge Drive, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - James Mills
- Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, 6710B Rockledge Drive, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Erin M Bell
- Department of Environmental Health Services, University at Albany, State University of New York, 1 University Place, Rensselaer, NY, USA
| | - Miranda Broadney
- Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, 6710B Rockledge Drive, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Edwina H Yeung
- Division of Intramural Population Health Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, 6710B Rockledge Drive, Bethesda, MD, USA
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Mao Y, Ahrenfeldt LJ, Christensen K, Wu C, Christensen J, Olsen J, Sun Y. Risk of epilepsy in opposite-sex and same-sex twins: a twin cohort study. Biol Sex Differ 2018; 9:21. [PMID: 29866174 PMCID: PMC5987428 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-018-0179-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2017] [Accepted: 05/14/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background There is a complex interaction between female and male sex hormones and the risk of epilepsy. Whether prenatal exposure to higher levels of sex hormones affects the development of epilepsy in childhood or later in life is not well known. The sex hormone environment of fetuses may be affected by the sex of the co-twin. We estimated the risk of epilepsy for twins with an opposite-sex (OS) co-twin compared with twins with a same-sex (SS) co-twin. Methods From the Danish Twin Registry, we identified OS female twins (n = 11,078), SS female twins (n = 19,186), OS male twins (n = 11,080), and SS male twins (n = 20,207) born between 1977 and 2009. The SS twins include monozygotic twins, dizygotic twins, and twins with unknown zygosity. These children were followed up from day 29 after birth until diagnosis of epilepsy, death, emigration, or end of follow-up (31 December 2011) whichever came first. Information on diagnosis of epilepsy was obtained from the Danish National Patient Registry. We calculated hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for epilepsy in the OS twins using a Cox proportional hazards regression model compared with the SS twins. To account for the correlation of twins from the same mother when estimating standard errors, we used the cluster option in Stata. Results We identified 152 OS female twins, 282 SS female twins, 162 OS male twins, and 335 SS male twins diagnosed with epilepsy corresponding to an incidence rate of 9.9 and 9.7 per 10,000 person years for the OS and SS female twins, and 10.6 and 10.9 per 10,000 person years for the OS and SS male twins, respectively. We found a similar risk of epilepsy among the OS and SS female twins [HR = 1.01; 95% CI 0.83–1.24] as well as among the OS and SS male twins [HR = 0.94; 95% CI 0.78–1.14] Conclusions In this population-based study of Danish twins, we did not find difference in the risk of epilepsy between twins with an OS co-twin and twins with a SS co-twin. This applied to both female and male twins. The study therefore does not support the hypothesis that subtle hormone difference in fetal life due to co-twin may play a role in the development of epilepsy later in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanyan Mao
- School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.,Key Lab. of Reproduction Regulation of NPFPC, SIPPR, IRD, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Linda Juel Ahrenfeldt
- Unit of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Biodemography, Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Kaare Christensen
- Unit of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Biodemography, Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Chunsen Wu
- Research Unit of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Institute of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
| | - Jakob Christensen
- Department of Neurology, Institute for Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Jørn Olsen
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Institute for Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Olof Palmes Allé 43-45, DK-8200, Aarhus N, Denmark.,Department of Epidemiology, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), California, LA, USA
| | - Yuelian Sun
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Institute for Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Olof Palmes Allé 43-45, DK-8200, Aarhus N, Denmark.
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Khorashad BS, Khazai B, Roshan GM, Hiradfar M, Afkhamizadeh M, van de Grift TC. Prenatal testosterone and theory of mind development: Findings from disorders of sex development. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2018; 89:250-255. [PMID: 29398092 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2017.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2017] [Revised: 10/21/2017] [Accepted: 12/12/2017] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Women on average perform better than men on the "Reading the Mind in the Eyes" test (RMET) which is a measure of Theory of Mind (ToM). The aim of this study was to assess whether these sex differences are influenced by differences in prenatal testosterone levels through a study on individuals with Disorders of Sex Development and matched controls. ToM performance was examined using the RMET in female-assigned-at-birth individuals with increased prenatal testosterone exposure (Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH) and 5-alpha Reductase type-2 Deficiency (5α-RD-2)), female-assigned-at-birth individuals with testosterone insensitivity (Complete Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome (CAIS)), and their age-matched unaffected male and female relatives. A total number of 158 individuals participated in the study; 19 with 5α-RD-2, 17 with CAH, 18 women with CAIS, 52 matched unaffected men and 52 matched unaffected women. All subgroups were around 20 years of age. Women with CAH scored significantly lower on RMET than control women and CAIS individuals. CAIS individuals scored significantly higher than control men and participants with 5α-RD. Statistically, CAIS individuals' performance on RMET was similar to control women's, women with CAH did not differ significantly from control men and 5α-RD-2 individuals scored significantly lower than control men. These results, which are in line with previous theories, illustrate that performance on the RMET, as an index of ToM, may be influenced by variations in prenatal androgens levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Behzad S Khorashad
- Transgender Studies Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran; Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Behnaz Khazai
- Transgender Studies Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran; Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
| | - Ghasem M Roshan
- Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Mehran Hiradfar
- Department of Pediatric Surgery, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Mozhgan Afkhamizadeh
- Endocrine Research Center, Department of Endocrinology, Iman Reza Hospital, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Tim C van de Grift
- Department of Medical Psychology (Gender and Sexology), VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Hand Surgery, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Dell'Osso L, Carpita B, Gesi C, Cremone IM, Corsi M, Massimetti E, Muti D, Calderani E, Castellini G, Luciano M, Ricca V, Carmassi C, Maj M. Subthreshold autism spectrum disorder in patients with eating disorders. Compr Psychiatry 2018; 81:66-72. [PMID: 29268154 DOI: 10.1016/j.comppsych.2017.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2017] [Revised: 11/19/2017] [Accepted: 11/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
AIM Increasingly data suggest a possible overlap between psychopathological manifestations of eating disorders (EDs) and autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The aim of the present study was to assess the presence of subthreshold autism spectrum symptoms, by means of a recently validated instrument, in a sample of participants with EDs, particularly comparing participants with or without binge eating behaviours. METHODS 138 participants meeting DSM-5 criteria for EDs and 160 healthy control participants (HCs), were recruited at 3 Italian University Departments of Psychiatry and assessed by the SCID-5, the Adult Autism Subthreshold Spectrum (AdAS Spectrum) and the Eating Disorders Inventory, version 2 (EDI-2). ED participants included: 46 with restrictive anorexia (AN-R); 24 with binge-purging type of Anorexia Nervosa (AN-BP); 34 with Bulimia Nervosa (BN) and 34 with Binge Eating Disorder (BED). The sample was split in two groups: participants with binge eating behaviours (BEB), in which were included participants with AN-BP, BN and BED, and participants with restrictive behaviours (AN-R). RESULTS participants with EDs showed significantly higher AdAS Spectrum total scores than HCs. Moreover, EDs participants showed significantly higher scores on all AdAS Spectrum domains with the exception of Non verbal communication and Hyper-Hypo reactivity to sensory input for AN-BP participants, and Childhood/Adolescence domain for AN-BP and BED participants. Participants with AN-R scored significantly higher than participants with BEB on the AdAS Spectrum total score, and on the Inflexibility and adherence to routine and Restricted interest/rumination AdAS Spectrum domain scores. Significant correlations emerged between the Interpersonal distrust EDI-2 sub-scale and the Non verbal communication and the Restricted interest and rumination AdAS Spectrum domains; as well as between the Social insecurity EDI-2 sub-scale and the Inflexibility and adherence to routine and Restricted interest and rumination domains in participants with EDs. CONCLUSIONS Our data corroborate the presence of higher subthreshold autism spectrum symptoms among ED participants with respect to HCs, with particularly higher levels among restrictive participants. Relevant correlations between subthreshold autism spectrum symptoms and EDI-2 Subscale also emerged.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Dell'Osso
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Italy
| | - B Carpita
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Italy.
| | - C Gesi
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Italy
| | - I M Cremone
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Italy
| | - M Corsi
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Italy
| | - E Massimetti
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Italy
| | - D Muti
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Italy
| | - E Calderani
- Psychiatric Unit, Department of Neuropsychiatric Sciences, Florence University School of Medicine, 50134 Firenze, Italy
| | - G Castellini
- Psychiatric Unit, Department of Neuropsychiatric Sciences, Florence University School of Medicine, 50134 Firenze, Italy
| | - M Luciano
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Naples SUN, Naples, Italy
| | - V Ricca
- Psychiatric Unit, Department of Neuropsychiatric Sciences, Florence University School of Medicine, 50134 Firenze, Italy
| | - C Carmassi
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Italy
| | - M Maj
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Naples SUN, Naples, Italy
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Dzirbíková Z, Talarovičová A, Štefánik P, Olexová L, Kršková L. Testosterone enhancement during pregnancy influences social coping and gene expression of oxytocin and vasopressin in the brain of adult rats. Acta Neurobiol Exp (Wars) 2018. [DOI: 10.21307/ane-2018-024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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40
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Webber TA, Soder HE, Potts GF, Bornovalova MA. Preliminary evidence that digit length ratio (2D:4D) predicts neural response to delivery of motivational stimuli. Biol Psychol 2017; 132:91-95. [PMID: 29157751 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2017.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2017] [Revised: 11/14/2017] [Accepted: 11/16/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Reduced relative length of the 2nd to 4th digits (2D:4D) is thought to partially reflect fetal testosterone (FT) exposure, a process suspected to promote relatively permanent effects on the brain and behavior via structural and functional neuroadaptations. We examined the effect of 2D:4D on neural response - assessed by P2a and feedback-related negativity (FRN) event-related potentials (ERPs) - to motivational stimuli (reward or punishment) using two counterbalanced conditions of a passive S1/S2 outcome prediction design. P2a to expected and unexpected delivered rewards or punishments ($1 or white noise burst, respectively) and FRN to withheld rewards or punishments ($0 or silence, respectively) were observed in undergraduates. Lower left 2D:4D and greater 2D:4DR-L predicted amplified P2a to the delivery (but not FRN to the omission) of motivationally salient stimuli, regardless of valence and probability. These preliminary findings suggest that FT may organize dopamine neurons to respond more strongly to the delivery of motivational stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Troy A Webber
- Department of Psychology, University of South Florida, 4202 East Fowler Ave., PCD4118G, Tampa, FL 33620, United States.
| | - Heather E Soder
- Department of Psychology, University of South Florida, 4202 East Fowler Ave., PCD4118G, Tampa, FL 33620, United States
| | - Geoffrey F Potts
- Department of Psychology, University of South Florida, 4202 East Fowler Ave., PCD4118G, Tampa, FL 33620, United States
| | - Marina A Bornovalova
- Department of Psychology, University of South Florida, 4202 East Fowler Ave., PCD4118G, Tampa, FL 33620, United States
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41
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Kosidou K, Dalman C, Widman L, Arver S, Lee BK, Magnusson C, Gardner RM. Maternal Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and Risk for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in the Offspring. Biol Psychiatry 2017; 82:651-659. [PMID: 27889187 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2016.09.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2016] [Revised: 09/09/2016] [Accepted: 09/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most common childhood neurodevelopmental disorder, and boys are two to three times more likely to develop ADHD. Maternal polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a common metabolic disorder associated with excess circulating androgens, has been associated with increased risk for autism spectrum disorder in the offspring. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether maternal PCOS increases the risk for ADHD in the offspring. METHODS We conducted a matched case-control study using health and population data registers for all children born in Sweden from 1984 to 2008. Maternal PCOS was defined by ICD-coded register diagnosis. The outcome of ADHD was defined as an ICD-coded register diagnosis of ADHD and/or registered prescription of medications to treat ADHD. A total of 58,912 ADHD cases (68.8% male) were identified and matched to 499,998 unaffected controls by sex and birth month and year. RESULTS Maternal PCOS increased the odds of offspring ADHD by 42% after adjustment for confounders (odds ratio [OR], 1.42; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.26-1.58). Exclusion of ADHD cases with comorbid autism spectrum disorder attenuated but did not explain the relationship (OR, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.18-1.52). The risk was somewhat elevated for ADHD with comorbid autism spectrum disorder (OR, 1.76; 95% CI, 1.37-2.26). The risk for ADHD was higher among obese mothers with PCOS (OR, 1.68; 95% CI, 1.31-2.17) and was highest among obese mothers with PCOS and other features of metabolic syndrome (OR, 2.59; 95% CI, 1.02-6.58). CONCLUSIONS This study provides evidence that maternal PCOS may subtly influence the neurodevelopment of the offspring, resulting in increased risk for neurodevelopmental disorders such as ADHD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyriaki Kosidou
- Centre for Epidemiology and Community Medicine, Stockholm County Council, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Christina Dalman
- Centre for Epidemiology and Community Medicine, Stockholm County Council, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Linnea Widman
- Centre for Epidemiology and Community Medicine, Stockholm County Council, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Stefan Arver
- Division of Public Health Epidemiology, and Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Brian K Lee
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Drexel University School of Public Health, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; A.J. Drexel Autism Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Cecilia Magnusson
- Centre for Epidemiology and Community Medicine, Stockholm County Council, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Renee M Gardner
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
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42
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Cicek IE, Cicek E, Demirel B, Ayhan MG, Varsak N, Özbek SY, Selçuk M, Eren I. Digit ratio (2D:4D), impulsiveness and aggression in male heroin addicts: A prospective controlled study. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2017.05.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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43
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Abstract
Prenatal insults, such as maternal stress, are associated with an increased neurodevelopmental disease risk and impact males significantly more than females, including increased rates of autism, mental retardation, stuttering, dyslexia, and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Sex differences in the placenta, which begin with sex chromosomes, are likely to produce sex-specific transplacental signals to the developing brain. Our studies and others have identified X-linked genes that are expressed at higher levels in the female placenta. Through a genome-wide screen after maternal stress in mice, we identified the X-linked gene O-linked N-acetylglucosamine transferase (OGT) and demonstrated its causality in neurodevelopmental programming producing a male-specific stress phenotype. Elucidating the sex-specific molecular mechanisms involved in transplacental signals that impact brain development is key to understanding the sex bias in neurodevelopmental disorders and is expected to yield novel insight into disease risk and resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tracy L Bale
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine and Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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44
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Blanchard A, Centifanti LCM. Callous-Unemotional Traits Moderate the Relation Between Prenatal Testosterone (2D:4D) and Externalising Behaviours in Children. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 2017; 48:668-677. [PMID: 27734260 PMCID: PMC5487702 DOI: 10.1007/s10578-016-0690-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Children who exhibit callous-unemotional (CU) traits are identified as developing particularly severe forms of externalising behaviours (EB). A number of risk factors have been identified in the development of CU traits, including biological, physiological, and genetic factors. However, prenatal testosterone (PT) remains un-investigated, yet could signal fetal programming of a combination of CU/EB. Using the 2D:4D digit ratio, the current study examined whether CU traits moderated the relationship between PT and EB. Hand scans were obtained from 79 children aged between 5 and 6 years old whose parents completed the parent report ICU (Inventory of Callous Unemotional Traits) and SDQ (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire). CU traits were found to moderate the relationship between PT and EB so that children who were exposed to increased PT and were higher in CU traits exhibited more EB. Findings emphasize the importance of recognising that vulnerability for EB that is accompanied by callousness may arise before birth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyson Blanchard
- Department of Psychology, Nottingham Trent University, Burton Street, Nottingham, NG1 4BU UK
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45
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Lenz B, Mühle C, Braun B, Weinland C, Bouna-Pyrrou P, Behrens J, Kubis S, Mikolaiczik K, Muschler MR, Saigali S, Sibach M, Tanovska P, Huber SE, Hoppe U, Eichler A, Heinrich H, Moll GH, Engel A, Goecke TW, Beckmann MW, Fasching PA, Müller CP, Kornhuber J. Prenatal and adult androgen activities in alcohol dependence. Acta Psychiatr Scand 2017; 136:96-107. [PMID: 28383757 DOI: 10.1111/acps.12725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Alcohol dependence is more prevalent in men than in women. The evidence for how prenatal and adult androgens influence alcohol dependence is limited. We investigated the effects of prenatal and adult androgen activity on alcohol dependence. Moreover, we studied how the behaviours of pregnant women affect their children's prenatal androgen load. METHOD We quantified prenatal androgen markers (e.g., second-to-fourth finger length ratio [2D : 4D]) and blood androgens in 200 early-abstinent alcohol-dependent in-patients and 240 controls (2013-2015, including a 12-month follow-up). We also surveyed 134 women during pregnancy (2005-2007) and measured the 2D : 4D of their children (2013-2016). RESULTS The prenatal androgen loads were higher in the male alcohol-dependent patients compared to the controls (lower 2D : 4D, P = 0.004) and correlated positively with the patients' liver transaminase activities (P < 0.001) and alcohol withdrawal severity (P = 0.019). Higher prenatal androgen loads and increasing androgen levels during withdrawal predicted earlier and more frequent 12-month hospital readmission in alcohol-dependent patients (P < 0.005). Moreover, stress levels (P = 0.002), alcohol (P = 0.010) and tobacco consumption (P = 0.017), and lifetime stressors (P = 0.019) of women during pregnancy related positively to their children's prenatal androgen loads (lower 2D : 4D). CONCLUSION Androgen activities in alcohol-dependent patients and behaviours of pregnant women represent novel preventive and therapeutic targets of alcohol dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Lenz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - C Mühle
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - B Braun
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - C Weinland
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - P Bouna-Pyrrou
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - J Behrens
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - S Kubis
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - K Mikolaiczik
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - M-R Muschler
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - S Saigali
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - M Sibach
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - P Tanovska
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - S E Huber
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - U Hoppe
- Department of Audiology, ENT Clinic, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - A Eichler
- Department of Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - H Heinrich
- Department of Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany.,kbo-Heckscher-Klinikum, Munich, Germany
| | - G H Moll
- Department of Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - A Engel
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - T W Goecke
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany.,Department of Perinatal Medicine and Obstetrics, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany
| | - M W Beckmann
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - P A Fasching
- Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - C P Müller
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
| | - J Kornhuber
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany
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Abstract
Women undergo developmental and cyclic changes in hormonal exposures that affect brain function and mental health. Some women are more vulnerable to the effects of these hormonal exposures, for reasons that remain to be determined. Evidence to date indicates that anxiety and mood disorders are the most sensitive to hormonal fluctuations in women but there is also growing evidence for a protective effect of female reproductive hormones on schizophrenia. The hormonal exposures of the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, the postpartum period, lactation, and menopause are quite different and may be associated with at least partially distinct symptom profiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret Altemus
- VA Connecticut Health Care System, Women's Clinic, Building 2, Room 7-165, 950 Campbell Avenue, New Haven, CT 06516, USA.
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47
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Polymorphisms of the oxytocin receptor gene and overeating: the intermediary role of endophenotypic risk factors. Nutr Diabetes 2017; 7:e279. [PMID: 28530679 PMCID: PMC5518806 DOI: 10.1038/nutd.2017.24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2017] [Accepted: 03/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Oxytocin (OXT) is an evolutionarily ancient neuropeptide with strong links to affiliative and prosocial behaviors, and the management of stress. Increases in OXT also tend to decrease food intake, especially of sweet carbohydrates. The social correlates of low OXT levels mesh with the social deficits and stress proneness identified in interpersonal models of overeating, as well as the increased appetite for highly palatable foods typically seen in chronic overeaters. The objectives of this study were to investigate links between polymorphisms of the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) gene and overeating, and to examine OXTR links with relevant endophenotypes of overeating related to reward and stress sensitivity, and to food preferences. Subject/Methods: The sample comprised 460 adults between the ages of 25 and 50 years recruited from the community, and representing a broad range of body weights. Overeating, reward and punishment sensitivity, and food preferences, were quantified as composite variables using well-validated questionnaires. In addition, seven single-nucleotide polymorphisms (rs237878, rs237885, rs2268493, rs2268494, rs2254298, rs53576, rs2268498) of the OXTR gene were genotyped. Results: Analyses identified a four-marker haplotype that was significantly related to food preferences. Individual genotype analyses also found that at least one of the markers was related to each of the phenotypic variables. In addition, an empirically derived structural equation model linking genetic and phenotype variables produced a good fit to the data. Conclusions: The results of this preliminary study have demonstrated that OXTR variation is associated with overeating, and with endophenotypic traits such as sweet and fatty food preferences, and reward and punishment sensitivity. In general, the genetic findings also favor the view that overeating may be associated with relatively low basal OXT levels.
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48
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Canan F, Karaca S, Düzgün M, Erdem AM, Karaçaylı E, Topan NB, Lee SK, Zhai ZW, Kuloğlu M, Potenza MN. The relationship between second-to-fourth digit (2D:4D) ratios and problematic and pathological Internet use among Turkish university students. J Behav Addict 2017; 6:30-41. [PMID: 28358645 PMCID: PMC5573004 DOI: 10.1556/2006.6.2017.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and aims The ratio of the second and fourth fingers (2D:4D ratio) is a sexually dimorphic trait, with men tending to have lower values than women. This ratio has been related to prenatal testosterone concentrations and addictive behaviors including problematic video-gaming. We aimed to investigate the possible association between 2D:4D ratios and Internet addiction and whether such a relationship would be independent of impulsivity. Methods A total of 652 university students (369 women, 283 men), aged 17-27 years, were enrolled in the study. Problematic and pathological Internet use (PPIU) was assessed using the Internet Addiction Test (IAT). The participants also completed the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (version 11; BIS-11) and had their 2D:4D ratios measured. Results 2D:4D ratios were not significantly different in women with PPIU and in those with adaptive Internet use (AIU). Men with PPIU exhibited lower 2D:4D ratios on both hands when compared with those with AIU. Correlation analysis revealed that 2D:4D ratios on both hands were negatively correlated with IAT scores among men, but not among women. The multiple linear regression analysis revealed that age, duration of weekly Internet use, impulsiveness, and 2D:4D ratios on the right hand were independently associated with IAT scores among men, and impulsivity did not mediate the relationship between 2D:4D ratios and PPIU. Conclusions For men, 2D:4D ratios on the right hand were inversely correlated with Internet addiction severity even after controlling for individual differences in impulsivity. These findings suggest that high prenatal testosterone levels may contribute to the occurrence of PPIU among men.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fatih Canan
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of
Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA,Corresponding author: Fatih Canan; Department of
Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Phone: +1 203
8922744; Fax: +1 203 9747366; E-mail:
| | - Servet Karaca
- Department of Psychiatry, Akdeniz
University School of Medicine, Antalya,
Turkey
| | - Melike Düzgün
- Akdeniz University School of
Medicine, Antalya, Turkey
| | | | | | | | - Sang-Kyu Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, Hallym
University Medical Center, Chuncheon Sacred Heart Hospital,
Chuncheon, South Korea
| | - Zu Wei Zhai
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of
Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Murat Kuloğlu
- Department of Psychiatry, Akdeniz
University School of Medicine, Antalya,
Turkey
| | - Marc N. Potenza
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of
Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA,The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse,
Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT,
USA,The Connecticut Mental Health
Center, New Haven, CT, USA,Department of Neuroscience and Child Study Center,
Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT,
USA
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49
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Dell'Osso L, Gesi C, Massimetti E, Cremone IM, Barbuti M, Maccariello G, Moroni I, Barlati S, Castellini G, Luciano M, Bossini L, Rocchetti M, Signorelli M, Aguglia E, Fagiolini A, Politi P, Ricca V, Vita A, Carmassi C, Maj M. Adult Autism Subthreshold Spectrum (AdAS Spectrum): Validation of a questionnaire investigating subthreshold autism spectrum. Compr Psychiatry 2017; 73:61-83. [PMID: 27918948 DOI: 10.1016/j.comppsych.2016.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2016] [Revised: 10/25/2016] [Accepted: 11/02/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
AIM Increasing literature has shown the usefulness of a dimensional approach to autism. The present study aimed to determine the psychometric properties of the Adult Autism Subthreshold Spectrum (AdAS Spectrum), a new questionnaire specifically tailored to assess subthreshold forms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in adulthood. METHODS 102 adults endorsing at least one DSM-5 symptom criterion for ASD (ASDc), 143 adults diagnosed with a feeding and eating disorder (FED), and 160 subjects with no mental disorders (CTL), were recruited from 7 Italian University Departments of Psychiatry and administered the following: SCID-5, Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ), Ritvo Autism and Asperger Diagnostic Scale 14-item version (RAADS-14), and AdAS Spectrum. RESULTS The AdAS Spectrum demonstrated excellent internal consistency for the total score (Kuder-Richardson's coefficient=.964) as well as for five out of seven domains (all coefficients>.80) and sound test-retest reliability (ICC=.976). The total and domain AdAS Spectrum scores showed a moderate to strong (>.50) positive correlation with one another and with the AQ and RAADS-14 total scores. ASDc subjects reported significantly higher AdAS Spectrum total scores than both FED (p<.001) and CTL (p<.001), and significantly higher scores on the Childhood/adolescence, Verbal communication, Empathy, Inflexibility and adherence to routine, and Restricted interests and rumination domains (all p<.001) than FED, while on all domains compared to CTL. CTL displayed significantly lower total and domain scores than FED (all p<.001). A significant effect of gender emerged for the Hyper- and hyporeactivity to sensory input domain, with women showing higher scores than men (p=.003). A Diagnosis* Gender interaction was also found for the Verbal communication (p=.019) and Empathy (p=.023) domains. When splitting the ASDc in subjects with one symptom criterion (ASD1) and those with a ASD, and the FED in subjects with no ASD symptom criteria (FED0) and those with one ASD symptom criterion (FED1), a gradient of severity in AdAS Spectrum scores from CTL subjects to ASD patients, across FED0, ASD1, FED1 was shown. CONCLUSIONS The AdAS Spectrum showed excellent internal consistency and test-retest reliability and strong convergent validity with alternative dimensional measures of ASD. The questionnaire performed differently among the three diagnostic groups and enlightened some significant effects of gender in the expression of autistic traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Dell'Osso
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - C Gesi
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - E Massimetti
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - I M Cremone
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - M Barbuti
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - G Maccariello
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - I Moroni
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - S Barlati
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - G Castellini
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - M Luciano
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Naples SUN, Naples, Italy
| | - L Bossini
- Department of Mental Health and Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - M Rocchetti
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - M Signorelli
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Biomedicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - E Aguglia
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Biomedicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - A Fagiolini
- Department of Mental Health and Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - P Politi
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - V Ricca
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - A Vita
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - C Carmassi
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
| | - M Maj
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Naples SUN, Naples, Italy
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Bale TL, Epperson CN. Sex as a Biological Variable: Who, What, When, Why, and How. Neuropsychopharmacology 2017; 42:386-396. [PMID: 27658485 PMCID: PMC5399243 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2016.215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2016] [Revised: 08/22/2016] [Accepted: 09/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The inclusion of sex as a biological variable in research is absolutely essential for improving our understanding of disease mechanisms contributing to risk and resilience. Studies focusing on examining sex differences have demonstrated across many levels of analyses and stages of brain development and maturation that males and females can differ significantly. This review will discuss examples of animal models and clinical studies to provide guidance and reference for the inclusion of sex as an important biological variable relevant to a Neuropsychopharmacology audience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tracy L Bale
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Penn PROMOTES Research on Sex and Gender in Health, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry,Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - C Neill Epperson
- Penn PROMOTES Research on Sex and Gender in Health, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry,Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA, USA
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