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Dailey S, Bergelson E. Talking to talkers: Infants' talk status, but not their gender, is related to language input. Child Dev 2023; 94:478-496. [PMID: 36458329 PMCID: PMC10478774 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Prior research points to gender differences in some early language skills, but is inconclusive about the mechanisms at play, providing evidence that both infants' early input and productions may differ by gender. This study examined the linguistic input and early productions of 44 American English-learning infants (93% White) in a longitudinal sample of home recordings collected at 6-17 months (in 2014-2016). Girls produced more unique words than boys (Cohen's d = .67) and this effect grew with age, but there were no significant gender differences in language input (d = .22-.24). Instead, caregivers talked more to infants who had begun to talk (d = .93-.97), regardless of gender. Therefore, prior results highlighting gender-based input differences may have been due, at least partly, to this talking-to-talkers effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon Dailey
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University
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2
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Taubert H, Schroeter ML, Sander C, Kluge M. Non-Right Handedness is Associated with More Time Awake After Sleep Onset and Higher Daytime Sleepiness Than Right Handedness: Objective (Actigraphic) and Subjective Data from a Large Community Sample. Nat Sci Sleep 2022; 14:877-890. [PMID: 35547181 PMCID: PMC9084907 DOI: 10.2147/nss.s358352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Handedness has been linked to various physiological and pathological phenomena including memory function and psychiatric disorders. Also for sleep, several studies have reported associations. However, large-scale studies including a broad age span of participants and studies analyzing women and men separately are lacking. METHODS Therefore, objective sleep data were determined using at-home actigraphy from 1764 healthy participants (18 to 80 years, 908 women), averaging five consecutive nights. In addition, subjective sleep-related data were captured by self-report diaries, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) and the Morningness-Eveningness-Questionnaire (MEQ). Handedness was determined with the Edinburgh Handedness Inventory (EHI) providing information on the direction (left vs right) and the degree of handedness (strong vs weak). To address the potential endocrine effects, premenopausal women (≤45 years) and postmenopausal women (≥55 years) were analyzed separately. This was also done for men. RESULTS The degree and direction of handedness were correlated with "wake after sleep onset" (WASO) in the total sample and all women (the more right-handed/lateralized the shorter WASO). In postmenopausal women, additionally, time in bed (TIB) and total sleep time (TST) were correlated. There were no other significant associations between an objective sleep variable and handedness. In both premenopausal women and >55-year-old men subjective quality of sleep (PSQI) was correlated with direction and degree of handedness (the more right-handed/lateralized the better). In the total sample and postmenopausal women, the degree and direction of handedness were negatively correlated with daytime sleepiness. The chronotype was not associated with handedness in any group. CONCLUSION While associations were not consistent in all groups, overall, right-handedness tended to be associated with better sleep and less daytime sleepiness. Handedness and sleep seemed to be differentially associated in women and men, being in line with endocrine interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hilde Taubert
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Matthias L Schroeter
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.,Clinic for Cognitive Neurology, University Hospital Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.,Leipzig Research Center for Civilization Diseases, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Christian Sander
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.,Leipzig Research Center for Civilization Diseases, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Michael Kluge
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
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3
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Groothuis TGG, Zickert N, Riedstra B, Geuze R. The importance of understanding function and evolution. Laterality 2021; 26:342-347. [PMID: 33847246 DOI: 10.1080/1357650x.2021.1909610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Ocklenburg et al. (2020, Laterality 2020: Entering the next decade. Laterality) provided the field of laterality research with a stimulating research perspective for the coming decade, based on the current state of the art in both animal and human laterality research. Although this is paper takes many different approaches of laterality into account, we emphasize that the eco-evolutionary approach needs more attention. This concerns the question why organisms are lateralized in the first place, in other words, how does lateralization enhance the Darwinian fitness of the individual. We argue that laterality can be distinguished along four dimensions, and that each of them requires different ultimate explanations. Studying these functional and evolutionary explanations requires the development of ecologically relevant tests, adapted to the species at hand. It also requires experimental manipulation of laterality, testing the effect in (semi)-natural conditions on fitness parameters. Tools for such manipulation of laterality urgently require a better understanding of the developmental plasticity of lateralization, extending the field of evo-devo to that of eco-evo-devo. We also warn against seeing the minority in the distribution of direction or strength of lateralization as being a pathology as such minorities in biology can often be explained as adaptations by natural frequency dependent selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ton G G Groothuis
- Behavioural Biology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Nele Zickert
- Behavioural Biology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Bernd Riedstra
- Behavioural Biology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Reint Geuze
- Department of Neuro and Developmental Psychology, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
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4
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Richards G, Beking T, Kreukels BPC, Geuze RH, Beaton AA, Groothuis T. An examination of the influence of prenatal sex hormones on handedness: Literature review and amniotic fluid data. Horm Behav 2021; 129:104929. [PMID: 33454315 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2021.104929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2020] [Revised: 12/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/31/2020] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Competing theories have posited roles for foetal androgen exposure in the development of human handedness. However, due to practical and ethical considerations, few studies have used hormonal measures to examine this possibility. The current paper reviews this literature and reveals a generally inconsistent pattern of results. We also present data from a longitudinal study of prenatal sex hormone exposure and subsequent handedness. More specifically, we examine correlations between testosterone and estradiol measured from second trimester amniotic fluid and hand preference (Dutch language version of the Edinburgh Handedness Inventory) and hand skill asymmetry (pegboard task) measured at 15 years of age. Prenatal sex hormone exposure was not associated with the direction of hand preference in either males or females. However, in females, high levels of prenatal testosterone were associated with weaker lateralisation of hand skill, and high levels of prenatal estradiol were associated with weaker hand preference. In addition, high levels of prenatal testosterone were associated with increased task duration (i.e., slow hand speed) for the right and left hands of males. The pattern of results observed here is not entirely consistent with any of the main theories linking sex hormones with handedness, suggesting that an association between these variables may be more complex than initially thought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gareth Richards
- Newcastle University, School of Psychology, Ridley Building 1, Queen Victoria Road, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK; University of Cambridge, Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, Douglas House, 18b Trumpington Road, Cambridge CB2 8AH, UK.
| | - Tess Beking
- University of Groningen, Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences, Department Clinical & Developmental Neuropsychology, Grote Kruisstraat 2/1, 9712 TS Groningen, the Netherlands; Amsterdam University Medical Center, location VUmc, Department of Medical Psychology, Center of Expertise on Gender Dysphoria, PO Box 7057, 1007 MB Amsterdam, the Netherlands; University of Groningen, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Baudewijntje P C Kreukels
- Amsterdam University Medical Center, location VUmc, Department of Medical Psychology, Center of Expertise on Gender Dysphoria, PO Box 7057, 1007 MB Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Reint H Geuze
- University of Groningen, Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences, Department Clinical & Developmental Neuropsychology, Grote Kruisstraat 2/1, 9712 TS Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Alan A Beaton
- Swansea University, Department of Psychology, School of Human & Health Sciences, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK; Aberystwyth University, Department of Psychology, Aberystwyth SY23 3UX, UK
| | - Ton Groothuis
- University of Groningen, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, the Netherlands
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5
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Xiong H, Peterson JB, Scott S. Amniotic testosterone and psychological sex differences: A systematic review of the extreme male brain theory. DEVELOPMENTAL REVIEW 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.dr.2020.100922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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6
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Abstract
Comparative studies on brain asymmetry date back to the 19th century but then largely disappeared due to the assumption that lateralization is uniquely human. Since the reemergence of this field in the 1970s, we learned that left-right differences of brain and behavior exist throughout the animal kingdom and pay off in terms of sensory, cognitive, and motor efficiency. Ontogenetically, lateralization starts in many species with asymmetrical expression patterns of genes within the Nodal cascade that set up the scene for later complex interactions of genetic, environmental, and epigenetic factors. These take effect during different time points of ontogeny and create asymmetries of neural networks in diverse species. As a result, depending on task demands, left- or right-hemispheric loops of feedforward or feedback projections are then activated and can temporarily dominate a neural process. In addition, asymmetries of commissural transfer can shape lateralized processes in each hemisphere. It is still unclear if interhemispheric interactions depend on an inhibition/excitation dichotomy or instead adjust the contralateral temporal neural structure to delay the other hemisphere or synchronize with it during joint action. As outlined in our review, novel animal models and approaches could be established in the last decades, and they already produced a substantial increase of knowledge. Since there is practically no realm of human perception, cognition, emotion, or action that is not affected by our lateralized neural organization, insights from these comparative studies are crucial to understand the functions and pathologies of our asymmetric brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Onur Güntürkün
- Department of Biopsychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Felix Ströckens
- Department of Biopsychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Sebastian Ocklenburg
- Department of Biopsychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
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Packheiser J, Schmitz J, Arning L, Beste C, Güntürkün O, Ocklenburg S. A large-scale estimate on the relationship between language and motor lateralization. Sci Rep 2020; 10:13027. [PMID: 32747661 PMCID: PMC7398911 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-70057-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2020] [Accepted: 07/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Human language is dominantly processed in the left cerebral hemisphere in most of the population. While several studies have suggested that there are higher rates of atypical right-hemispheric language lateralization in left-/mixed-handers, an accurate estimate of this association from a large sample is still missing. In this study, we comprised data from 1,554 individuals sampled in three previous studies in which language lateralization measured via dichotic listening, handedness and footedness were assessed. Overall, we found a right ear advantage indicating typical left-hemispheric language lateralization in 82.1% of the participants. While we found significantly more left-handed individuals with atypical language lateralization on the categorical level, we only detected a very weak positive correlation between dichotic listening lateralization quotients (LQs) and handedness LQs using continuous measures. Here, only 0.4% of the variance in language lateralization were explained by handedness. We complemented these analyses with Bayesian statistics and found no evidence in favor of the hypothesis that language lateralization and handedness are related. Footedness LQs were not correlated with dichotic listening LQs, but individuals with atypical language lateralization also exhibited higher rates of atypical footedness on the categorical level. We also found differences in the extent of language lateralization between males and females with males exhibiting higher dichotic listening LQs indicating more left-hemispheric language processing. Overall, these findings indicate that the direct associations between language lateralization and motor asymmetries are much weaker than previously assumed with Bayesian correlation analyses even suggesting that they do not exist at all. Furthermore, sex differences seem to be present in language lateralization when the power of the study is adequate suggesting that endocrinological processes might influence this phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian Packheiser
- Department of Biopsychology, Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44780, Bochum, Germany.
| | - Judith Schmitz
- School of Medicine, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
| | - Larissa Arning
- Department of Human Genetics, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Christian Beste
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Onur Güntürkün
- Department of Biopsychology, Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44780, Bochum, Germany
| | - Sebastian Ocklenburg
- Department of Biopsychology, Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience, Ruhr University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44780, Bochum, Germany
- Department of Psychology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
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8
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Kumar S, Saini R, Jain R. Hand preference and intolerance of uncertainty: Atypical cerebral lateralization advantages lower intolerance of uncertainty. Laterality 2019; 25:22-42. [DOI: 10.1080/1357650x.2019.1611843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sanjay Kumar
- Department of Psychology, D.A.V. College, Muzaffarnagar, UP, India
| | - Reena Saini
- Department of Psychology, D.A.V. College, Muzaffarnagar, UP, India
| | - Ranjeeta Jain
- Department of Psychology, D.A.V. College, Muzaffarnagar, UP, India
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9
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Wermke K, Quast A, Hesse V. From melody to words: The role of sex hormones in early language development. Horm Behav 2018; 104:206-215. [PMID: 29573996 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2018.03.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2018] [Revised: 03/16/2018] [Accepted: 03/20/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Contribution to Special Issue on Fast effects of steroids. Human infants are the most proficient of the few vocal learner species. Sharing similar principles in terms of the generation and modification of complex sounds, cross-vocal learner comparisons are a suitable strategy when it comes to better understanding the evolution and mechanisms of auditory-vocal learning in human infants. This approach will also help us to understand sex differences in relation to vocal development towards language, the underlying brain mechanisms thereof and sex-specific hormonal effects. Although we are still far from being capable of discovering the "fast effects of steroids" in human infants, we have identified that peripheral hormones (blood serum) are important regulators of vocal behaviour towards language during a transitory hormone surge ("mini-puberty") that is comparable in its extent to puberty. This new area of research in human infants provides a promising opportunity to not only better understand early language acquisition from an ontogenetic and phylogenetic perspective, but to also identify reliable clinical risk-markers in infants for the development of later language disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen Wermke
- Center for Prespeech Development & Developmental Disorders, Department of Orthodontics University Hospital of Würzburg, 97070 Würzburg, Germany.
| | - Anja Quast
- Center for Prespeech Development & Developmental Disorders, Department of Orthodontics University Hospital of Würzburg, 97070 Würzburg, Germany; Department of Orthodontics, University Medical Center Goettingen, 37075 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Volker Hesse
- Institute for Experimental Paediatric Endocrinology, Charité-University-Medicine Berlin, 13533 Berlin, Germany
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10
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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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11
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Beking T, Geuze RH, van Faassen M, Kema IP, Kreukels BPC, Groothuis TGG. Prenatal and pubertal testosterone affect brain lateralization. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2018; 88:78-91. [PMID: 29195161 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2017.10.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2017] [Revised: 10/31/2017] [Accepted: 10/31/2017] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
After decades of research, the influence of prenatal testosterone on brain lateralization is still elusive, whereas the influence of pubertal testosterone on functional brain lateralization has not been investigated, although there is increasing evidence that testosterone affects the brain in puberty. We performed a longitudinal study, investigating the relationship between prenatal testosterone concentrations in amniotic fluid, pubertal testosterone concentrations in saliva, and brain lateralization (measured with functional Transcranial Doppler ultrasonography (fTCD)) of the Mental Rotation, Chimeric Faces and Word Generation tasks. Thirty boys and 30 girls participated in this study at the age of 15 years. For boys, we found a significant interaction effect between prenatal and pubertal testosterone on lateralization of Mental Rotation and Chimeric Faces. In the boys with low prenatal testosterone levels, pubertal testosterone was positively related to the strength of lateralization in the right hemisphere, while in the boys with high prenatal testosterone levels, pubertal testosterone was negatively related to the strength of lateralization. For Word Generation, pubertal testosterone was negatively related to the strength of lateralization in the left hemisphere in boys. For girls, we did not find any significant effects, possibly because their pubertal testosterone levels were in many cases below quantification limit. To conclude, prenatal and pubertal testosterone affect lateralization in a task-specific way. Our findings cannot be explained by simple models of prenatal testosterone affecting brain lateralization in a similar way for all tasks. We discuss alternative models involving age dependent effects of testosterone, with a role for androgen receptor distribution and efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Beking
- University of Groningen, Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences, Department Clinical & Developmental Neuropsychology, Grote Kruisstraat 2/1, 9712 TS Groningen, The Netherlands.
| | - R H Geuze
- University of Groningen, Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences, Department Clinical & Developmental Neuropsychology, Grote Kruisstraat 2/1, 9712 TS Groningen, The Netherlands.
| | - M van Faassen
- University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Laboratory Medicine, Hanzeplein 1, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands.
| | - I P Kema
- University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Laboratory Medicine, Hanzeplein 1, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands.
| | - B P C Kreukels
- VU University Medical Center Amsterdam, Department of Medical Psychology, Center of Expertise on Gender Dysphoria, PO Box 7057, 1007 MB, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - T G G Groothuis
- University of Groningen, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands.
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12
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Atypical structural and functional motor networks in autism. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2018; 238:207-248. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2018.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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13
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Gao Z, Yang Q, Ma X, Becker B, Li K, Zhou F, Kendrick KM. Men Who Compliment a Woman's Appearance Using Metaphorical Language: Associations with Creativity, Masculinity, Intelligence and Attractiveness. Front Psychol 2017; 8:2185. [PMID: 29312054 PMCID: PMC5742614 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.02185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2017] [Accepted: 11/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Language may have evolved as a signal of mental fitness. However, it remains unclear what language form and topic men use to covertly signal mate quality. In this study 69 men created compliments to impress unfamiliar women they chose to either date or work with and provided hand scans to compute 2D4D ratio as a proxy for prenatal testosterone exposure and masculinity indicator. Compliments were coded in terms of form (literal vs. metaphorical) and topic (women's appearance vs. non-appearance), with metaphorical ones being subsequently rated by 114 women for psycholinguistic features, indices of intelligence and willingness to have a romantic relationship with the author. Results showed that in a dating context, men produced more metaphorical form compliments targeting appearance compared to the working context and they were associated with men's art creativity and negatively with 2D4D ratio (i.e., positively with masculinity). Women preferred establishing a romantic relationship with a higher proportion of the men producing metaphorical compliments in a dating than a working context. Furthermore, in the dating but not the working context, women perceived men producing such compliments as being more intelligent, and importantly this correlated with the men's actual verbal intelligence. Overall, findings suggest that men may use metaphorical language compliments targeting women's appearance in a dating context to signal covertly their mate quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhao Gao
- School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.,School of Foreign Languages, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.,Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Qi Yang
- School of Foreign Languages, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Xiaole Ma
- Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Benjamin Becker
- Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Keshuang Li
- Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Feng Zhou
- Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Keith M Kendrick
- Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
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14
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Papadatou-Pastou M, Martin M. Cerebral laterality for language is related to adult salivary testosterone levels but not digit ratio (2D:4D) in men: A functional transcranial Doppler ultrasound study. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2017; 166:52-62. [PMID: 28088127 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2016.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2015] [Revised: 11/07/2016] [Accepted: 12/12/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The adequacy of three competing theories of hormonal effects on cerebral laterality are compared using functional transcranial Doppler sonography (fTCD). Thirty-three adult males participated in the study (21 left-handers). Cerebral lateralization was measured by fTCD using an extensively validated word generation task. Adult salivary testosterone (T) and cortisol (C) concentrations were measured by luminescence immunoassay and prenatal T exposure was indirectly estimated by the somatic marker of 2nd to 4th digit length ratio (2D:4D). A significant quadratic relationship between degree of cerebral laterality for language and adult T concentrations was observed, with enhanced T levels for strong left hemisphere dominance and strong right hemisphere dominance. No systematic effects on laterality were found for cortisol or 2D:4D. Findings suggest that higher levels of T are associated with a relatively attenuated degree of interhemispheric sharing of linguistic information, providing support for the callosal and the sexual differentiation hypotheses rather than the Geschwind, Behan and Galaburda (GBG) hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marietta Papadatou-Pastou
- Cognition and Health Research Group, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, 9 South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3UD, UK.
| | - Maryanne Martin
- Cognition and Health Research Group, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, 9 South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3UD, UK.
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Kung KTF, Browne WV, Constantinescu M, Noorderhaven RM, Hines M. Early postnatal testosterone predicts sex-related differences in early expressive vocabulary. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2016; 68:111-6. [PMID: 26970201 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2016.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2015] [Revised: 02/29/2016] [Accepted: 03/02/2016] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
During the first few years of life, girls typically have a larger expressive vocabulary than boys. This sex difference is important since a small vocabulary may predict subsequent language difficulties, which are more prevalent in boys than girls. The masculinizing effects of early androgen exposure on neurobehavioral development are well-documented in nonhuman mammals. The present study conducted the first test of whether early postnatal testosterone concentrations influence sex differences in expressive vocabulary in toddlers. It was found that testosterone measured in saliva samples collected at 1-3 months of age, i.e., during the period called mini-puberty, negatively predicted parent-report expressive vocabulary size at 18-30 months of age in boys and in girls. Testosterone concentrations during mini-puberty also accounted for additional variance in expressive vocabulary after other predictors such as sex, child's age at vocabulary assessment, and paternal education, were taken into account. Furthermore, testosterone concentrations during mini-puberty mediated the sex difference in expressive vocabulary. These results suggest that testosterone during the early postnatal period contributes to early language development and neurobehavioral sexual differentiation in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karson T F Kung
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Free School Lane, Cambridge CB2 3RQ, UK.
| | - Wendy V Browne
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Free School Lane, Cambridge CB2 3RQ, UK
| | - Mihaela Constantinescu
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Free School Lane, Cambridge CB2 3RQ, UK
| | - Rebecca M Noorderhaven
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Free School Lane, Cambridge CB2 3RQ, UK
| | - Melissa Hines
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Free School Lane, Cambridge CB2 3RQ, UK
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16
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Quast A, Hesse V, Hain J, Wermke P, Wermke K. Baby babbling at five months linked to sex hormone levels in early infancy. Infant Behav Dev 2016; 44:1-10. [PMID: 27208625 DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2016.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2015] [Revised: 12/07/2015] [Accepted: 04/27/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Gender-dependent differentiation of the brain at morphological, neurochemical and functional levels of organization have been shown to be primarily controlled by sex differences in gonadal hormone concentrations during pre- and early postnatal development. Indeed, previous studies have reported that pre- and perinatal hormonal environments influence brain development and, consequently, affect sex specific long-term language outcomes. Herein, we investigated whether postnatal surges of estrogen (estradiol) and androgen (testosterone) may predict properties of pre-speech babbling at five months. This study is the first attempt to investigate a possible correlation between sex hormones and infants' articulatory skills during the typical postnatal period of extended hormonal activity known as 'mini-puberty.' A hierarchical, multiple regression approach revealed a significant, robust positive relationship between 4-week concentrations of estradiol and individual articulatory skills. In contrast, testosterone concentrations at five months negatively correlated with articulatory skills at the same age in both boys and girls. Our findings reinforce the assumption of the importance of sex hormones for auditory-vocal development towards language in human infants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anja Quast
- Center for Pre-speech Development and Developmental Disorders, Department of Orthodontics, University of Wuerzburg, Germany
| | - Volker Hesse
- German Center for Growth, Development and Health Encouragement during Childhood and Youth, Children's Hospital Berlin-Lindenhof, Germany; Charité - University Medicine, Institute for Experimental Paediatric Endocrinology, Berlin, Germany
| | - Johannes Hain
- Department of Mathematics (Statistics), University of Wuerzburg, Germany
| | | | - Kathleen Wermke
- Center for Pre-speech Development and Developmental Disorders, Department of Orthodontics, University of Wuerzburg, Germany.
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17
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Papadatou-Pastou M, Martin M, Mohr C. Salivary testosterone levels are unrelated to handedness or cerebral lateralization for language. Laterality 2016; 22:123-156. [DOI: 10.1080/1357650x.2016.1149485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
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18
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Hampson E. The development of hand preference and dichotic language lateralization in males and females with congenital adrenal hyperplasia. Laterality 2015; 21:415-432. [DOI: 10.1080/1357650x.2015.1102924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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19
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Rahman Q, Yusuf S. Lateralization for Processing Facial Emotions in Gay Men, Heterosexual Men, and Heterosexual Women. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2015; 44:1405-1413. [PMID: 25564038 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-014-0466-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2013] [Revised: 05/19/2014] [Accepted: 12/13/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
This study tested whether male sexual orientation and gender nonconformity influenced functional cerebral lateralization for the processing of facial emotions. We also tested for the effects of sex of poser and emotion displayed on putative differences. Thirty heterosexual men, 30 heterosexual women, and 40 gay men completed measures of demographic variables, recalled childhood gender nonconformity (CGN), IQ, and the Chimeric Faces Test (CFT). The CFT depicts vertically split chimeric faces, formed with one half showing a neutral expression and the other half showing an emotional expression and performance is measured using a "laterality quotient" (LQ) score. We found that heterosexual men were significantly more right-lateralized when viewing female faces compared to heterosexual women and gay men, who did not differ significantly from each other. Heterosexual women and gay men were more left-lateralized for processing female faces. There were no significant group differences in lateralization for male faces. These results remained when controlling for age and IQ scores. There was no significant effect of CGN on LQ scores. These data suggest that gay men are feminized in some aspects of functional cerebral lateralization for facial emotion. The results were discussed in relation to the selectivity of functional lateralization and putative brain mechanisms underlying sexual attraction towards opposite-sex and same-sex targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qazi Rahman
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, 5th Floor, Bermondsey Wing, Guy's Hospital Campus, London, SE1 9RT, UK,
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20
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Somers M, Shields LS, Boks MP, Kahn RS, Sommer IE. Cognitive benefits of right-handedness: a meta-analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2015; 51:48-63. [PMID: 25592981 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2015.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2014] [Revised: 11/21/2014] [Accepted: 01/05/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Hand preference - which is related to cerebral dominance - is thought to be associated with cognitive skills; however, findings on this association are inconsistent and there is no consensus whether left- or right-handers have an advantage in either spatial or verbal abilities. In addition, it is not clear whether an interaction between sex and hand preference exists in relation to these cognitive abilities. As these matters are relevant from a neurodevelopmental perspective we performed a meta-analysis of the available literature. We searched PubMed and Embase, and included 14 studies (359,890 subjects) in the verbal ability meta-analysis and 16 studies (218,351 subjects) in the spatial ability meta-analysis. There was no difference between the full sample of left and right-handers for verbal ability, nor was there a hand preference-by-sex interaction. Subgroup analysis of children showed a small right-hand benefit. Our results further revealed a modest but significant effect favouring right-handedness for overall spatial ability, which was more pronounced when analysis was restricted to studies applying the mental rotation test. We could not identify a specific interaction with sex. Our results indicate that there is a small but significant cognitive advantage of right-handedness on spatial ability. In the verbal domain, this advantage is only significant in children. An interaction effect with sex is not confirmed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Metten Somers
- Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Laura S Shields
- Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marco P Boks
- Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - René S Kahn
- Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Iris E Sommer
- Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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21
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Montag C, Bleek B, Breuer S, Prüss H, Richardt K, Cook S, Yaruss JS, Reuter M. Prenatal testosterone and stuttering. Early Hum Dev 2015; 91:43-6. [PMID: 25460256 DOI: 10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2014.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2014] [Revised: 11/04/2014] [Accepted: 11/06/2014] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The prevalence of stuttering is much higher in males compared to females. The biological underpinnings of this skewed sex-ratio is poorly understood, but it has often been speculated that sex hormones could play an important role. AIMS The present study investigated a potential link between prenatal testosterone and stuttering. Here, an indirect indicator of prenatal testosterone levels, the Digit Ratio (2D:4D) of the hand, was used. As numerous studies have shown, hands with more "male" characteristics (putatively representing greater prenatal testosterone levels) are characterized by a longer ring finger compared to the index finger (represented as a lower 2D:4D ratio) in the general population. STUDY DESIGN, SUBJECTS, OUTCOME MEASURES We searched for differences in the 2D:4D ratios between 38 persons who stutter and 36 persons who do not stutter. In a second step, we investigated potential links between the 2D:4D ratio and the multifaceted symptomatology of stuttering, as measured by the Overall Assessment of the Speaker's Experience of Stuttering (OASES), in a larger sample of 44 adults who stutter. RESULTS In the first step, no significant differences in the 2D:4D were observed between individuals who stutter and individuals who do not stutter. In the second step, 2D:4D correlated negatively with higher scores of the OASES (representing higher negative experiences due to stuttering), and this effect was more pronounced for female persons who stutter. CONCLUSIONS The findings indicate for the first time that prenatal testosterone may influence individual differences in psychosocial impact of this speech disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Benjamin Bleek
- Department of Psychology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Svenja Breuer
- Department of Psychology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Holger Prüss
- Department for the Treatment of Stuttering, LVR Clinic Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Kirsten Richardt
- Department for the Treatment of Stuttering, LVR Clinic Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | | | - J Scott Yaruss
- Department of Communication Science & Disorders, University of Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Martin Reuter
- Department of Psychology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany; Center for Economics & Neuroscience, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
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22
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Hollier LP, Maybery MT, Keelan JA, Hickey M, Whitehouse AJO. Perinatal testosterone exposure and cerebral lateralisation in adult males: evidence for the callosal hypothesis. Biol Psychol 2014; 103:48-53. [PMID: 25148786 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2014.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2014] [Revised: 08/13/2014] [Accepted: 08/13/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Two competing theories address the influence of foetal testosterone on cerebral laterality: one proposing exposure to high foetal testosterone concentrations is related to atypical lateralisation (Geschwind-Galaburda hypothesis), the other that high foetal testosterone concentrations exaggerate typical lateralisation (callosal hypothesis). The current study examined the relationship between cord testosterone concentrations and cerebral laterality for language and spatial memory in adulthood. Male participants with high (>0.15nmol) and low (<0.10nmol) cord testosterone levels were invited to take part in the study (n=18 in each group). Cerebral laterality was measured using functional Transcranial Doppler ultrasonography, while participants completed word generation and visual short-term memory tasks. Typical left lateralisation of language was more common in the high-testosterone group than in the low-testosterone group, χ(2)=4.50, df=1, p=034. Spatial memory laterality was unrelated to cord testosterone level. Our findings indicate that foetal testosterone exposure is related to language laterality in a direction that supports the callosal hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren P Hollier
- Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Australia; Neurocognitive Development Unit, School of Psychology, University of Western Australia, Australia.
| | - Murray T Maybery
- Neurocognitive Development Unit, School of Psychology, University of Western Australia, Australia
| | - Jeffrey A Keelan
- School of Women's and Infant's Health, University of Western Australia, Australia
| | - Martha Hickey
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Melbourne and The Royal Women's Hospital, Victoria, Australia
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23
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Prenatal hormonal exposure (2D:4D ratio) and strength of lateralisation for processing facial emotion. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2013.09.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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24
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Hollier LP, Maybery MT, Whitehouse AJ. Chapter 10. Atypical cerebral lateralisation and language impairment in autism. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014. [DOI: 10.1075/tilar.11.11hol] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/21/2023]
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25
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Spencer-Smith M, Ritter BC, Mürner-Lavanchy I, El-Koussy M, Steinlin M, Everts R. Age, sex, and performance influence the visuospatial working memory network in childhood. Dev Neuropsychol 2013; 38:236-55. [PMID: 23682664 DOI: 10.1080/87565641.2013.784321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
This study describes the influence of age, sex, and working memory (WM) performance on the visuospatial WM network. Thirty-nine healthy children (7-12 years) completed a dot location functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) task. Percent signal change measured the intensity and laterality indices measured the asymmetry of activation in frontal and parietal brain regions. Old children showed greater intensity of activation in parietal regions than young children but no differences in lateralization were observed. Intensity of activation was similar across sex and WM performance groups. Girls and high WM performers showed more right-sided lateralization of parietal regions than boys and low WM performers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan Spencer-Smith
- Division of Neuropaediatrics, Development and Rehabilitation, Children's University Hospital, Inselspital, Bern, Switzerland
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26
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Watling D, Bourne VJ. Sex Differences in the Relationship Between Children's Emotional Expression Discrimination and Their Developing Hemispheric Lateralization. Dev Neuropsychol 2013; 38:496-506. [DOI: 10.1080/87565641.2013.826660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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27
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D'Anselmo A, Reiterer S, Zuccarini F, Tommasi L, Brancucci A. Hemispheric asymmetries in bilinguals: tongue similarity affects lateralization of second language. Neuropsychologia 2013; 51:1187-94. [PMID: 23566890 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2013.03.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2012] [Revised: 03/19/2013] [Accepted: 03/25/2013] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
It is known that the left hemisphere of the human brain is critical in understanding and producing spoken language, but it remains a topic of great interest determining the cerebral lateralization of multiple languages. The aim of this study is to examine the effects of similarity between languages on hemispheric asymmetry of bilingual brains. The involvement degree of left and right hemisphere was examined during the processing of the first (L1) and second (L2) language in two different groups of bilinguals with English as L2. The first group consisted of German native speakers and the second group of Italian native speakers. Subjects from the two groups acquired L2 later in life (after the age of six) and had a comparable level of proficiency in second language comprehension. The functional lateralization was tested by a classical dichotic test with words in L1 and L2. Dependent variables were number of responses associated to words presented at the left vs. right ear and reaction time. Results showed a significant right ear advantage (REA) for number of responses in both languages and in both groups. However, the REA for L2 (English) processing was stronger in the German group. Reaction times were significantly lower during L1 processing and showed a trend towards the results obtained with the number of response variable. This study provides neuropsychological evidence pointing to a different lateralization pattern in the elaboration of a same L2 if L1 comes from different linguistic roots.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anita D'Anselmo
- Department of Neuroscience and Imaging, G d'Annunzio University of Chieti and Pescara, Chieti, Italy.
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28
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Constantinescu M, Hines M. Relating Prenatal Testosterone Exposure to Postnatal Behavior in Typically Developing Children: Methods and Findings. CHILD DEVELOPMENT PERSPECTIVES 2012. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1750-8606.2012.00257.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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29
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Farrant BM, Mattes E, Keelan JA, Hickey M, Whitehouse AJO. Fetal Testosterone, Socio-Emotional Engagement and Language Development. INFANT AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT 2012. [DOI: 10.1002/icd.1771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Brad M. Farrant
- Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, Centre for Child Health Research; The University of Western Australia; WA; Australia
| | - Eugen Mattes
- Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, Centre for Child Health Research; The University of Western Australia; WA; Australia
| | - Jeff A. Keelan
- School of Women's and Infants' Health; The University of Western Australia; WA; Australia
| | - Martha Hickey
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology; University of Melbourne; Victoria; Australia
| | - Andrew J. O. Whitehouse
- Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, Centre for Child Health Research; The University of Western Australia; WA; Australia
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30
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Whitehouse AJO, Mattes E, Maybery MT, Sawyer MG, Jacoby P, Keelan JA, Hickey M. Sex-specific associations between umbilical cord blood testosterone levels and language delay in early childhood. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2012; 53:726-34. [PMID: 22276678 DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-7610.2011.02523.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Preliminary evidence suggests that prenatal testosterone exposure may be associated with language delay. However, no study has examined a large sample of children at multiple time-points. METHODS Umbilical cord blood samples were obtained at 861 births and analysed for bioavailable testosterone (BioT) concentrations. When participating offspring were 1, 2 and 3 years of age, parents of 767 children (males = 395; females = 372) completed the Infant Monitoring Questionnaire (IMQ), which measures Communication, Gross Motor, Fine Motor, Adaptive and Personal-Social development. Cut-off scores are available for each scale at each age to identify children with 'clinically significant' developmental delays. Chi-square analyses and generalized estimating equations examined longitudinal associations between sex-specific quartiles of BioT concentrations and the rate of developmental delay. RESULTS Significantly more males than females had language delay (Communication scale) at age 1, 2 and 3 years (p-values ≤. 01). Males were also more likely to be classified as delayed on the Fine-Motor (p = .04) and Personal-Social (p < .01) scales at age 3 years. Chi-square analyses found a significant difference between BioT quartiles in the rate of language delay (but not Fine-Motor and Personal-Social delay) for males (age 3) and females (age 1 and 3). Generalized estimating equations, incorporating a range of sociodemographic and obstetric variables, found that males in the highest BioT quartile were at increased risk for a clinically significant language delay during the first 3 years of life, with an odds ratio (OR) of 2.47 (95% CI: 1.12, 5.47). By contrast, increasing levels of BioT reduced the risk of language delay among females (Quartile 2: OR = 0.23, 95% CI: 0.09, 0.59; Quartile 4: 0.46, 95% CI: 0.21, 0.99). CONCLUSION These data suggest that high prenatal testosterone levels are a risk factor for language delay in males, but may be a protective factor for females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J O Whitehouse
- Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, Centre for Child Health Research, University of Western Australia, 100 Roberts Road, Subiaco, WA 6008, Australia.
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31
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Hampson E, Sankar JS. Hand preference in humans is associated with testosterone levels and androgen receptor gene polymorphism. Neuropsychologia 2012; 50:2018-25. [PMID: 22579704 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2012.04.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2011] [Revised: 03/23/2012] [Accepted: 04/27/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Exposure of the central nervous system to androgens during the early developmental period has been proposed to play a role in the establishment of hand preference in males. Existing data, however, are inconclusive. In the present investigation, handedness was assessed in a large sample of left-, mixed-, and right-handed men (N=180) using a standardized handedness inventory. Saliva sampling was used to assay levels of bioavailable testosterone and DNA genotyping was carried out to quantify AR-CAG repeat length, a genetic marker of the capacity of the androgen receptor to respond to testosterone. Strongly left-handed males were found to have lower levels of bioavailable testosterone than right-handed males, while males with mixed handedness exhibited a weaker androgen receptor, but no significant difference from right-handers in circulating testosterone levels. These findings support the view that testosterone could play a role in the development of hand preference in males. Furthermore, because the AR gene lies on the X chromosome, it provides a potential theoretical bridge to genetic theories of handedness that postulate the existence of an X-linked locus important in the establishment of hand preference.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Hampson
- Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada N6A 5C2.
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33
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Left-handedness and language lateralization in children. Brain Res 2011; 1433:85-97. [PMID: 22177775 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2011.11.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2011] [Revised: 11/08/2011] [Accepted: 11/09/2011] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
This fMRI study investigated the development of language lateralization in left- and righthanded children between 5 and 18 years of age. Twenty-seven left-handed children (17 boys, 10 girls) and 54 age- and gender-matched right-handed children were included. We used functional MRI at 3T and a verb generation task to measure hemispheric language dominance based on either frontal or temporo-parietal regions of interest (ROIs) defined for the entire group and applied on an individual basis. Based on the frontal ROI, in the left-handed group, 23 participants (85%) demonstrated left-hemispheric language lateralization, 3 (11%) demonstrated symmetric activation, and 1 (4%) demonstrated right-hemispheric lateralization. In contrast, 50 (93%) of the right-handed children showed left-hemispheric lateralization and 3 (6%) demonstrated a symmetric activation pattern, while one (2%) demonstrated a right-hemispheric lateralization. The corresponding values for the temporo-parietal ROI for the left-handed children were 18 (67%) left-dominant, 6 (22%) symmetric, 3 (11%) right-dominant and for the right-handed children 49 (91%), 4 (7%), 1 (2%), respectively. Left-hemispheric language lateralization increased with age in both groups but somewhat different lateralization trajectories were observed in girls when compared to boys. The incidence of atypical language lateralization in left-handed children in this study was similar to that reported in adults. We also found similar rates of increase in left-hemispheric language lateralization with age between groups (i.e., independent of handedness) indicating the presence of similar mechanisms for language lateralization in left- and right-handed children.
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34
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Cowell PE, Ledger WL, Wadnerkar MB, Skilling FM, Whiteside SP. Hormones and dichotic listening: evidence from the study of menstrual cycle effects. Brain Cogn 2011; 76:256-62. [PMID: 21482000 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2011.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2010] [Revised: 03/12/2011] [Accepted: 03/16/2011] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
This report presents evidence for changes in dichotic listening asymmetries across the menstrual cycle, which replicate studies from our laboratory and others. Increases in the right ear advantage (REA) were present in women at phases of the menstrual cycle associated with higher levels of ovarian hormones. The data also revealed correlations between hormone levels and behavioural measures of asymmetry. For example, the pre-ovulatory surge in luteinising hormone (LH) was related to a decrease in left ear scores, which comprised a key part of the cycle related shift in asymmetry. Further analysis revealed a subgroup of women who had not reached postovulatory status by days 18-25 of the cycle, as verified by low progesterone levels. These women showed laterality profiles at days 18-25 that looked more like the other women when measured at the periovulatory phase (i.e., days 8-11). Data were combined with those from a previous study to highlight the stability of effects. Results showed a distinct menstrual cycle related increase in asymmetry in the combined sample. This final comparison confirmed the nature of sex differences in dichotic listening as being dependent on hormone status in women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia E Cowell
- Department of Human Communication Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
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35
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Vuoksimaa E, Peter Eriksson CJ, Pulkkinen L, Rose RJ, Kaprio J. Decreased prevalence of left-handedness among females with male co-twins: evidence suggesting prenatal testosterone transfer in humans? Psychoneuroendocrinology 2010; 35:1462-72. [PMID: 20570052 PMCID: PMC2950868 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2010.04.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2009] [Revised: 04/19/2010] [Accepted: 04/23/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Studies of singletons suggest that right-handed individuals may have higher levels of testosterone than do left-handed individuals. Prenatal testosterone levels are hypothesised to be especially related to handedness formation. In humans, female members from opposite-sex twin pairs may experience elevated level of prenatal exposure to testosterone in their intrauterine environment shared with a male. We tested for differences in rates of left-handedness/right-handedness in female twins from same-sex and opposite-sex twin pairs. Our sample consisted of 4736 subjects, about 70% of all Finnish twins born in 1983-1987, with information on measured pregnancy and birth related factors. Circulating testosterone and estradiol levels at age 14 were available on 771 and 744 of these twins, respectively. We found significantly (p=.006) lower prevalence of left-handedness in females from opposite-sex pairs (5.3%) compared to females from same-sex pairs (8.6%). The circulating levels of neither testosterone nor estradiol related to handedness in either females or males. Nor were there differences in circulating testosterone or estradiol levels between females from opposite-sex and same-sex twin pairs. Birth and pregnancy related factors for which we had information were unrelated to handedness. Our results are difficult to fully explain by postnatal factors, but they offer support to theory that relates testosterone to formation of handedness, and in a population-based sample, are suggestive of effects of prenatal testosterone transfer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eero Vuoksimaa
- Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Finland.
| | - C. J. Peter Eriksson
- Department of Alcohol, Drugs and Addiction, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Lea Pulkkinen
- Department of Psychology, University of Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Richard J. Rose
- Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Finland, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, USA
| | - Jaakko Kaprio
- Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Finland, Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland, Institute for Molecular Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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