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Banyeh M, Mayeem BN, Woli MK, Kolekang AS, Dagungong CB, Bure D, Wemegah RK, Azindow MI, Yakubu S, Seidu M, Baba MM, Essoun E, Owireduwaa N. Exploring Hematological and Biochemical Disparities in Same-Sex and Opposite-Sex Females: A Cross-Sectional Twin Study in a Ghanaian Population. Twin Res Hum Genet 2024; 27:50-55. [PMID: 38444332 DOI: 10.1017/thg.2024.7] [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] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
There are sex-dependent differences in hematological and biochemical variables in adulthood attributed to the predominant effects of testosterone in males and estrogen in females. The Twin Testosterone Transfer (TTT) hypothesis proposes that opposite-sex females may develop male-typical traits due to exposure to relatively higher levels of prenatal testosterone than same-sex females. Additionally, prenatal testosterone exposure has been suggested as a correlate of current circulating testosterone levels. Consequently, opposite-sex females might exhibit male-typical patterns in their hematological and biochemical variables. Despite this hypothesis, routine laboratory investigations assign the same reference range to all females. Our cross-sectional study, conducted in Tamale from January to September 2022, included 40 twins, comprising 10 opposite-sex (OS) males (25%), 10 OS females (25%), and 20 same-sex (SS) females (50%), all aged between 18 and 27 years. Fasting venous blood samples were collected and analyzed using automated hematology and biochemistry laboratory analyzers. Results indicated that levels of hemoglobin, serum creatinine, gamma-glutamyl transferase, total protein, globulins, and total testosterone were significantly higher in OS males than OS females. Conversely, total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol were significantly higher in OS females than OS males. Unexpectedly, levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and total testosterone were significantly higher in SS females than OS females. Contrary to expectations, opposite-sex females did not exhibit male-typical patterns in their hematological and biochemical variables. This suggests that the TTT effect may not occur or may not be strong enough to markedly affect hematological and biochemical variables in OS females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moses Banyeh
- Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science, University for Development Studies, Tamale, Ghana
| | - Benjamin N Mayeem
- Department of Medical Laboratory, Living Waters Hospital, Ejisu-krapa, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Moses Kofi Woli
- Department of Medical Diagnostics, College of Health and Well-Being, Kintampo, Ghana
| | - Augusta S Kolekang
- Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Disease Control, University for Development Studies, Tamale, Ghana
| | | | - David Bure
- Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science, University for Development Studies, Tamale, Ghana
| | - Romarick Kofi Wemegah
- Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science, University for Development Studies, Tamale, Ghana
| | - Mikail Ihsan Azindow
- Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science, University for Development Studies, Tamale, Ghana
| | - Suleman Yakubu
- Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science, University for Development Studies, Tamale, Ghana
| | - Musah Seidu
- Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science, University for Development Studies, Tamale, Ghana
| | - Mohammed Madde Baba
- Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science, University for Development Studies, Tamale, Ghana
| | - Elisha Essoun
- Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science, University for Development Studies, Tamale, Ghana
| | - Nancy Owireduwaa
- Department of Biomedical Laboratory Science, University for Development Studies, Tamale, Ghana
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Gestational Phthalate Exposure and Preschool Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Norway. ENVIRONMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGY (PHILADELPHIA, PA.) 2021; 5:e161. [PMID: 34414345 PMCID: PMC8367074 DOI: 10.1097/ee9.0000000000000161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text. Prenatal phthalate exposure has been linked to altered neurobehavioral development in both animal models and epidemiologic studies, but whether or not these associations translate to increased risk of neurodevelopmental disorders is unclear. We used a nested case-cohort study design to assess whether maternal urinary concentrations of 12 phthalate metabolites at 17 weeks gestation were associated with criteria for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) classified among 3-year-old children in the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study (MoBa). Between 2007 and 2011, 260 children in this substudy were classified with ADHD using a standardized, on-site clinical assessment; they were compared with 549 population-based controls. We modeled phthalate levels both linearly and by quintiles in logistic regression models adjusted for relevant covariates and tested for interaction by child sex. Children of mothers in the highest quintile of di-iso-nonyl phthalate (∑DiNP) metabolite levels had 1.70 times the odds of being classified with ADHD compared with those in the lowest quintile (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.03 to 2.82). In linear models, there was a trend with the sum of di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate metabolites (∑DEHP); each natural log-unit increase in concentration was associated with 1.22 times the odds of ADHD (95% CI = 0.99 to 1.52). In boys, but not girls, mono-n-butyl phthalate exposure was associated with increased odds of ADHD (odds ratio [OR] 1.42; 95% CI = 1.07 to 1.88). Additional adjustment for correlated phthalate metabolites attenuated estimates. These results suggest gestational phthalate exposure may impact the behavior of children as young as 3 years.
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Kalloo G, Wellenius GA, McCandless L, Calafat AM, Sjodin A, Sullivan AJ, Romano ME, Karagas MR, Chen A, Yolton K, Lanphear BP, Braun JM. Chemical mixture exposures during pregnancy and cognitive abilities in school-aged children. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 197:111027. [PMID: 33744271 PMCID: PMC9022783 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.111027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2019] [Revised: 03/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/14/2021] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Gestational exposure to chemical mixtures, which is prevalent among pregnant women, may be associated with adverse childhood neurodevelopment. However, few studies have examined relations between gestational chemical mixture exposure and children's cognitive abilities. METHODS In a cohort of 253 pregnant women and their children from Cincinnati, OH (enrolled 2003-2006), we quantified biomarker concentrations of 43 metals, phthalates, phenols, polybrominated diphenyl ethers, organophosphate and organochlorine pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls, perfluoroalkyl substances, and environmental tobacco smoke in blood or urine. Using k-means clustering and principal component (PC) analysis, we characterized chemical mixtures among pregnant women. We assessed children's cognitive abilities using the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence-III and Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-IV at ages 5 and 8 years, respectively. We estimated covariate-adjusted differences in children's cognitive ability scores ]=cross clusters, and with increasing PC scores and individual biomarker concentrations. RESULTS Geometric mean biomarker concentrations were generally highest, intermediate, and lowest among women in clusters 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Children born to women in clusters 1 and 2 had 5.1 (95% CI: 9.4,-0.8) and 2.0 (95% CI: 5.5, 1,4) lower performance IQ scores compared to children in cluster 3, respectively. PC scores and individual chemical biomarker concentrations were not associated with cognitive abilities. CONCLUSIONS In this cohort, combined prenatal exposure to phenols, certain phthalates, pesticides, and perfluoroalkyl substances was inversely associated with children's cognition, but some individual chemical biomarker concentrations were not. Additional studies should determine if the aggregate impact of these chemicals on cognition is different from their individual effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geetika Kalloo
- Department of Epidemiology, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
| | | | | | | | - Andreas Sjodin
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Adam J Sullivan
- Department of Epidemiology, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Megan E Romano
- Department of Epidemiology, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
| | | | - Aimin Chen
- Department of Environmental Health, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Kimberly Yolton
- Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Bruce P Lanphear
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada; Child and Family Research Institute, BC Children's and Women's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Joseph M Braun
- Department of Epidemiology, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
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Marzola E, Cavallo F, Panero M, Porliod A, Amodeo L, Abbate-Daga G. The role of prenatal and perinatal factors in eating disorders: a systematic review. Arch Womens Ment Health 2021; 24:185-204. [PMID: 32767123 PMCID: PMC7979621 DOI: 10.1007/s00737-020-01057-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Numerous studies showed that factors influencing fetal development and neonatal period could lead to lasting alterations in the brain of the offspring, in turn increasing the risk for eating disorders (EDs). This work aims to systematically and critically review the literature on the association of prenatal and perinatal factors with the onset of EDs in the offspring, updating previous findings and focusing on anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN). A systematic literature search was performed on Pubmed, PsycINFO, and Scopus. The drafting of this systematic review was conducted following the PRISMA statement criteria and the methodological quality of each study was assessed by the MMAT 2018. A total of 37 studies were included in this review. The factors that showed a more robust association with AN were higher maternal age, preeclampsia and eclampsia, multiparity, hypoxic complications, prematurity, or being born preterm (< 32 weeks) and small for gestational age or lower birth size. BN was only associated with maternal stress during pregnancy. Many methodological flaws emerged in the considered studies, so further research is needed to clarify these inconsistencies. Altogether, data are suggestive of an association between prenatal and perinatal factors and the onset of EDs in the offspring. Nevertheless, given the methodological quality of the available literature, firm conclusions cannot be drawn and whether this vulnerability is specific to EDs or mental disorders remains to be defined. Also, a strong need for longitudinal and well-designed studies on this topic emerged.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrica Marzola
- Department of Neuroscience “Rita Levi Montalcini”, University of Turin, via Cherasco 15, 10126 Turin, Italy
| | - Fabio Cavallo
- Department of Neuroscience “Rita Levi Montalcini”, University of Turin, via Cherasco 15, 10126 Turin, Italy
| | - Matteo Panero
- Department of Neuroscience “Rita Levi Montalcini”, University of Turin, via Cherasco 15, 10126 Turin, Italy
| | - Alain Porliod
- Department of Neuroscience “Rita Levi Montalcini”, University of Turin, via Cherasco 15, 10126 Turin, Italy
| | - Laura Amodeo
- Department of Neuroscience “Rita Levi Montalcini”, University of Turin, via Cherasco 15, 10126 Turin, Italy
| | - Giovanni Abbate-Daga
- Department of Neuroscience “Rita Levi Montalcini”, University of Turin, via Cherasco 15, 10126 Turin, Italy
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Rostovtseva VV, Mezentseva AA, Windhager S, Butovskaya ML. Second-to-fourth digit ratio and facial shape in Buryats of Southern Siberia. Early Hum Dev 2020; 149:105138. [PMID: 32750625 PMCID: PMC7374133 DOI: 10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2020.105138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2020] [Revised: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 07/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The 2nd-to-4th digit ratio (2D:4D) is a putative predictor of a prenatal exposure to sex hormones. 2D:4D is sexually dimorphic (males < females). Studies, linking digit ratio and full facial shapes among Europeans, show that a low 2D:4D is associated with a set of male-specific facial features. Buryats - Mongolian people from Southern Siberia - demonstrate a different pattern of facial sexual dimorphism than Europeans (narrower and more vertically elongated faces in men as opposed to women). AIM The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between facial shape and the 2D:4D in comparison to the pattern of facial sexual dimorphism in Buryats. SUBJECTS Buryats: 88 men and 80 women aged 20 ± 2 years. OUTCOME MEASURES To assess relationship between facial shape and 2D:4D we used a geometric morphometric approach based on standardized full-face frontal photographs and direct measurements of the digit lengths among right-handed individuals. RESULTS The results revealed that 2D:4D was associated with facial morphology in Buryat men, and to a lesser extent in women. Narrower faces, elongated in the vertical direction, and a narrower lower facial outline, were characteristic of Buryat men with low 2D:4D ratios, which corresponded to the male-like facial shapes in Buryats. CONCLUSIONS In Europeans, such facial features were reported for men with a high 2D:4D, which corresponded more to female-like European facial shapes. Hence, our results show that sex-specific morphogenesis in humans is multidirectional, and that digit ratio is capable of predicting sex-specific facial traits even in populations with differing sexually-dimorphic morphology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria V. Rostovtseva
- Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninskiy pr-t 32a, Moscow 119334, Russia,Corresponding author
| | - Anna A. Mezentseva
- Department of Ethnology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Lomonosovskiy pr-t 27/4, Moscow 119192, Russia
| | - Sonja Windhager
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, Vienna 1090, Austria
| | - Marina L. Butovskaya
- Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninskiy pr-t 32a, Moscow 119334, Russia,National Research University Higher School of Economics, Myasnitskaya str. 20, Moscow 101000, Russia
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The Effect of Twin Sex on Menstrual Characteristics. Medicina (B Aires) 2020; 56:medicina56040173. [PMID: 32290215 PMCID: PMC7230271 DOI: 10.3390/medicina56040173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2020] [Revised: 04/03/2020] [Accepted: 04/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and objectives: The purpose of this project is to evaluate the association between twin sex discordance and menstrual characteristics. We hypothesize that sharing the uterus with a male twin can change ovulation programming, hence changing the menstrual cycle characteristics during adulthood. This project could be novel in discovering new physiological mechanisms of hormone exposure and menstrual cycles. Materials and methods: This is a cross-sectional study. We asked females from sex-concordant (n = 1290) and sex-discordant (n = 168) twin pairs in the Washington State Twin Registry about characteristics of menstrual cycles. Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) analysis was used to compare groups. The main outcome measures included the amount of bleeding, duration of menstruation, the timing of menstruation, length of menstruation, and a number of periods per year. Results: We found a statistically significant association between the amount of menstrual period bleeding and twin sex discordance (0.42 (95% CI 0.18–0.94)). However, twin sex discordance was not associated with period duration, length of menstrual cycle, cycle regularity, or a number of periods per year. Conclusions: Twin sex discordance is not a predictor of clinical characteristics of menstruation during adulthood except for the amount of bleeding. Future studies should focus on the impact of male hormones on the amount of bleeding during menstruation.
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Mehl-Madrona L, McFarlane P, Mainguy B. Epigenetics, Gender, and Sex in the Diagnosis of Depression. CURRENT PSYCHIATRY RESEARCH AND REVIEWS 2020. [DOI: 10.2174/2666082215666191029141418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Background :
A marked sexual dimorphism exists in psychiatric diagnoses. Culture derived
gender bias in diagnostic criteria is one explanation. Adverse childhood events, including sexual
and physical abuse, are more reliable and consistent predictors of later psychiatric diagnoses,
including depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. Some interesting interactions between genes
and experience have been uncovered, but the primary effect appears to be epigenetic with life experience
altering gene expression and being transmitted to subsequent generations.
Objectives :
To determine if reconceptualizing depression as encompassing both internalizing and
externalizing strategies would eliminate gender differences in the diagnosis of depression
Methods :
We reviewed 74 life stories of patients, collected during a study of the effect of physicians’
knowing patients’ life stories on the quality of the doctor-patient relationship. Looking at
diagnoses, the prevalence of women to men was 2.9 to 1. We redefined depression as a response to
being in a seemingly hopeless situation accompanied by despair, either externalizing ((more often
diagnosed as substance use disorders, impulse control disorders, antisocial personality disorder, or
bipolar disorder) or internalizing (the more standard diagnosis of depression). Then we reviewed
these life stories from that perspective to determine how many would be diagnosed as depressed.
Results :
With this reconceptualization of depression, the sex ratio changed to 1.2 to 1.
Conclusions:
From this perspective, men and women are equally likely to respond to hopelessness,
though men are more socialized to externalize and women to internalize. Considering depression in
this way may help to better identify men at risk for suicide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lewis Mehl-Madrona
- Eastern Maine Medical Center Family Medicine Residency, Bangor, ME 04401, United States
| | - Patrick McFarlane
- Eastern Maine Medical Center Family Medicine Residency, Bangor, ME 04401, United States
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Opposite-sex and same-sex twin studies of physiological, cognitive and behavioral traits. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 108:322-340. [PMID: 31711815 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2019] [Revised: 09/30/2019] [Accepted: 11/07/2019] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
A scientific interest in opposite-sex (OS) twins comes from animal studies showing hormone transfer between fetuses in utero. A parallel effect in humans may occur, especially for OS females who may be exposed to androgens, in particular testosterone, from the male co-twin. Conversely, OS males may be exposed to lower levels of prenatal testosterone than do same-sex (SS) males. In this special issue, we reviewed published studies investigating potential differences between OS and SS twins in physiological, cognitive and behavioral traits focusing on the Twin Testosterone Transfer (TTT) hypothesis. Sixty articles fulfilled the eligibility criteria including 23 studies published since the review by Tapp et al. (2011). In general, studies of cognition are conflicting, but it is the phenotype for which most support for the TTT hypothesis is found. Less consistent evidence has been found regarding physiological and behavioral traits. We hope that this special issue will stimulate a discussion about how an investigation of the TTT hypothesis should continue in future research.
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Burt SA, Slawinski BL, Carsten EE, Harden KP, Hyde LW, Klump KL. How should we understand the absence of sex differences in the genetic and environmental origins of antisocial behavior? Psychol Med 2019; 49:1600-1607. [PMID: 30957728 PMCID: PMC7232938 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291719000771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Available twin-family data on sex differences in antisocial behavior (ASB) simultaneously suggest that ASB is far more prevalent in males than in females, and that its etiology (i.e. the effects of genes, environments, hormones, culture) does not differ across sex. This duality presents a conundrum: How do we make sense of mean sex differences in ASB if not via differences in genes, environments, hormones, and/or cultures? The current selective review and critique explores possible contributions to these seemingly incompatible sets of findings. We asked whether the presence of sex differences in behavior could be smaller than is typically assumed, or confined to a specific set of behaviors. We also asked whether there might be undetected differences in etiology across sex in twin-family studies. We found little evidence that bias or measurement invariance across sex account for phenotypic sex differences in ASB, but we did identify some key limitations to current twin-family approaches. These included the questionable ability of qualitative sex difference analyses to detect gender norms and prenatal exposure to testosterone, and concerns regarding specific analytic components of quantitative sex difference analyses. We conclude that the male preponderance in ASB is likely to reflect a true sex difference in observed behavior. It was less clear, however, that the genetic and environmental contributions to ASB are indeed identical across sex, as argued by prior twin-family studies. It is our hope that this review will inspire the development of new, genetically-informed methods for studying sex differences in etiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Alexandra Burt
- Department of Psychology,Michigan State University,107D Psychology Building, East Lansing, MI 48824,USA
| | - Brooke L Slawinski
- Department of Psychology,Michigan State University,107D Psychology Building, East Lansing, MI 48824,USA
| | - E Elisa Carsten
- Department of Psychology,Michigan State University,107D Psychology Building, East Lansing, MI 48824,USA
| | - K Paige Harden
- Department of Psychology,University of Texas at Austin,USA
| | - Luke W Hyde
- Department of Psychology,University of Michigan,USA
| | - Kelly L Klump
- Department of Psychology,Michigan State University,107D Psychology Building, East Lansing, MI 48824,USA
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Cowell P, Gurd J. Handedness and the Corpus Callosum: A Review and Further Analyses of Discordant Twins. Neuroscience 2018; 388:57-68. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2018.06.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2017] [Revised: 06/07/2018] [Accepted: 06/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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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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O'Hanlan KA, Gordon JC, Sullivan MW. Biological origins of sexual orientation and gender identity: Impact on health. Gynecol Oncol 2018; 149:33-42. [PMID: 29605047 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygyno.2017.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2017] [Revised: 10/30/2017] [Accepted: 11/07/2017] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Gynecologic Oncologists are sometimes consulted to care for patients who present with diverse gender identities or sexual orientations. Clinicians can create more helpful relationships with their patients if they understand the etiologies of these diverse expressions of sexual humanity. Multidisciplinary evidence reveals that a sexually dimorphic spectrum of somatic and neurologic anatomy, traits and abilities, including sexual orientation and gender identity, are conferred together during the first half of pregnancy due to genetics, epigenetics and the diversity of timing and function of sex chromosomes, sex-determining protein secretion, gonadal hormone secretion, receptor levels, adrenal function, maternally ingested dietary hormones, fetal health, and many other factors. Multiple layers of evidence confirm that sexual orientation and gender identity are as biological, innate and immutable as the other traits conferred during that critical time in gestation. Negative social responses to diverse orientations or gender identities have caused marginalization of these individuals with resultant alienation from medical care, reduced self-care and reduced access to medical care. The increased risks for many diseases, including gynecologic cancers are reviewed. Gynecologic Oncologists can potentially create more effective healthcare relationships with their patients if they have this information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine A O'Hanlan
- Laparoscopic Institute for Gynecology and Oncology (LIGO), 4370 Alpine Rd. Suite 104, Portola Valley, CA 94028, United States.
| | - Jennifer C Gordon
- University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center, Memphis, TN, United States.
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Balogh O, Borruat N, Andrea Meier A, Hartnack S, Reichler IM. The influence of spaying and its timing relative to the onset of puberty on urinary and general behaviour in Labrador Retrievers. Reprod Domest Anim 2018; 53:1184-1190. [PMID: 29974985 DOI: 10.1111/rda.13225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2018] [Revised: 05/07/2018] [Accepted: 05/16/2018] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Benefits and risks of spaying on the behaviour of female dogs are controversially discussed. Increased aggressiveness and male urinary behaviour were postulated to be the consequence of masculinization after spaying in some female dogs. To investigate if spaying or its timing relative to the onset of puberty may have a masculinization effect, urinary behaviour, that is, frequency of urination, urinary posture and ground scratching after urination were recorded in 58 female Labrador Retrievers during 15 min of a daily walk with their owners. General behaviour of the dogs during the walks was assessed using an owner questionnaire. Data were analysed for age, reproductive status, lifetime of ovary exposure and/or time interval since spaying. Urinary behaviour of intact females (n = 12) and dogs spayed before (n = 17) or after (n = 29) puberty was similar and not influenced by age, lifetime of ovary exposure and/or time interval since spaying. Owners of spayed dogs described more frequent or more intense fear reaction in their animals in response to loud noises, unfamiliar objects approaching on or near the sidewalk, or if they were approached by unknown dogs barking, growling or jumping. In conclusion, we found no evidence of a masculinization effect after spaying on urinary behaviour in female Labrador Retrievers. In contrast to popular belief, gonadectomy did not inevitably result in a behaviourally more stable dog. Extrapolation of our findings from female Labrador Retrievers to other breeds should be performed with caution, as the effect of spaying on behaviour may differ among dog breeds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Orsolya Balogh
- Clinic of Reproductive Medicine, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Natalie Borruat
- Clinic of Reproductive Medicine, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Angela Andrea Meier
- Clinic of Reproductive Medicine, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Sonja Hartnack
- Section of Veterinary Epidemiology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Iris M Reichler
- Clinic of Reproductive Medicine, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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Stasch J, Mohr B, Neuhaus AH. Disentangling the interaction of sex differences and hemispheric specialization for face processing – Evidence from ERPs. Biol Psychol 2018; 136:144-150. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2018.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2017] [Revised: 11/24/2017] [Accepted: 06/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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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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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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Nishitani S, Ikematsu K, Takamura T, Honda S, Yoshiura KI, Shinohara K. Genetic variants in oxytocin receptor and arginine-vasopressin receptor 1A are associated with the neural correlates of maternal and paternal affection towards their child. Horm Behav 2017; 87:47-56. [PMID: 27743766 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2016.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2016] [Revised: 07/19/2016] [Accepted: 09/13/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
There is extensive evidence in animal studies, particularly in vole species (Microtus), that oxytocin (OT) receptor and arginine-vasopressin (AVP) receptor 1a is critical for the regulation of maternal and paternal behavior, respectively. Human studies have gained insight into the relationship between both hormone receptor gene variants and behavior, but not between the variants and the underlying brain activity. To study this, we investigated the association between neural activation of the anterior prefrontal cortex (APFC) in mothers and fathers in response to their child smiling video stimuli to induce the positive affect related to attachment with their child, and genetic variants of OT receptor (OXTR) and AVP receptor 1A (AVPR1A). Overall, 43 mothers and 41 fathers participated, and each parent's child smiling was video recorded. Participants were then genotyped and underwent near-infrared spectroscopy to measure neural activation of the APFC while observing their own child smiling compared with an unfamiliar child. We found that the right inferior APFC was activated in response to child video stimuli in mothers and differential hemispheric activation of the inferior APFC in OXTR rs2254298-G/G mothers compared with -A carrier mothers, but not in fathers. Furthermore, we found a difference in the left inferior APFC activation between AVPR1A RS3-non-334 and -334 carrier fathers, but not mothers. Our results indicate a sex-dependent association between the genetic variants and the inferior APFC activations of maternal and paternal positive affect, analogous to the results reported in voles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shota Nishitani
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan
| | - Kazuya Ikematsu
- Department of Forensic Pathology and Sciences, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan
| | - Tsunehiko Takamura
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan
| | - Sumihisa Honda
- Department of Nursing, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, 1-7-1 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8520, Japan
| | - Koh-Ichiro Yoshiura
- Department of Human Genetics, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan
| | - Kazuyuki Shinohara
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki 852-8523, Japan.
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Sasaki S, Ozaki K, Yamagata S, Takahashi Y, Shikishima C, Kornacki T, Nonaka K, Ando J. Genetic and Environmental Influences on Traits of Gender Identity Disorder: A Study of Japanese Twins Across Developmental Stages. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2016; 45:1681-1695. [PMID: 27507021 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-016-0821-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2011] [Revised: 04/28/2016] [Accepted: 07/19/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The present study examined: (1) gender and age differences of mean gender identity disorder (GID) trait scores in Japanese twins; (2) the validity of the prenatal hormone transfer theory, which predicts that, in dizygotic (DZ) twin pairs, twins with an opposite-gender co-twin more frequently exhibit GID traits than twins with a same-gender co-twin; and (3) the magnitude of genetic and environmental influences on GID traits as a function of age and gender. Data from 1450 male twin pairs, 1882 female twin pairs, and 1022 DZ male-female pairs ranging from 3 to 26 years of age were analyzed. To quantify individual variances in GID traits, each participant completed four questionnaire items based on criteria for GID from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR). Our most important findings were: (1) Japanese females exhibited GID traits more frequently than males and Japanese children exhibited GID traits less frequently than adolescents and adults (among females, the prevalence was 1.6 % in children, 10 % in adolescents, and 12 % in adults; among males, the prevalence was 0.5, 2, and 3 %, respectively); (2) the data did not support the prenatal hormone transfer theory for GID traits; and (3) a large part of the variance for GID traits in children was accounted for by familial factors; however, the magnitude was found to be greater in children than in adolescents or adults, particularly among females. This study suggests that although the prevalence is likely to increase, familial effects are likely to decrease as individuals age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shoko Sasaki
- Department of Contemporary Communication, St. Margaret's Junior College, 4-29-60, Kugayama, Suginami-Ku, Tokyo, 168-8616, Japan.
| | - Koken Ozaki
- Graduate School of Business Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shinji Yamagata
- Faculty of Arts and Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
| | | | | | - Tamara Kornacki
- Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Koichi Nonaka
- Faculty of Human Sciences, Department of Human and Environmental Well-being, Wako University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Juko Ando
- Faculty of Letters, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan
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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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Ellis L, Skorska MN, Bogaert AF. Handedness, sexual orientation, and somatic markers for prenatal androgens: Are southpaws really that gay? Laterality 2016; 22:157-180. [DOI: 10.1080/1357650x.2016.1151024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
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Eriksson JM, Lundström S, Lichtenstein P, Bejerot S, Eriksson E. Effect of co-twin gender on neurodevelopmental symptoms: a twin register study. Mol Autism 2016; 7:8. [PMID: 26793297 PMCID: PMC4719693 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-016-0074-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2015] [Accepted: 01/12/2016] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are neurodevelopmental disorders thought to have both genetic and environmental causes. It has been hypothesized that exposure to elevated levels of prenatal testosterone is associated with elevated traits of ASD and ADHD. Assuming that testosterone levels from a dizygotic male twin fetus may lead to enhanced testosterone exposure of its co-twins, we aimed to test the prenatal testosterone hypothesis by comparing same-sex with opposite-sex dizygotic twins with respect to neurodevelopmental symptoms. METHODS Neuropsychiatric traits were assessed in a population-based twin cohort from the Child and Adolescent Twin Study in Sweden (CATSS). Parental interviews were conducted for 16,312 dizygotic twins, 9 and 12 years old, with the Autism-Tics, ADHD, and other Comorbidities inventory (A-TAC). RESULTS Girls with a female co-twin had an increased risk of reaching the cut-off score for ADHD compared with girls with a male co-twin. Both boys and girls with a female co-twin displayed a larger number of traits related to attention deficit and repetitive and stereotyped behaviors than those with a male twin. In girls, this also extended to social interaction and the combined measures for ASD and ADHD, however, with small effect sizes. CONCLUSIONS Our results are reverse to what would have been expected from the prenatal testosterone hypothesis but consistent with a previous study of ASD and ADHD traits in dizygotic twins. The seemingly protective effect for girls of having a twin brother may be an effect of parent report bias, but may also be an unexpected effect of sharing the intrauterine environment with a male co-twin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonna Maria Eriksson
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, KIND, Gävleg 22, SE-113 30, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Sebastian Lundström
- Centre for Ethics, Law and Mental Health (CELAM), University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden ; Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Paul Lichtenstein
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Susanne Bejerot
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, KIND, Gävleg 22, SE-113 30, Stockholm, Sweden ; School of Medical Sciences, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden
| | - Elias Eriksson
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
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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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Culbert KM, Breedlove SM, Sisk CL, Keel PK, Neale MC, Boker SM, Burt SA, Klump KL. Age differences in prenatal testosterone's protective effects on disordered eating symptoms: developmental windows of expression? Behav Neurosci 2015; 129:18-36. [PMID: 25621790 DOI: 10.1037/bne0000034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Prenatal testosterone exposure may be protective against disordered eating. However, prior studies have produced mixed results. Developmental differences in prenatal testosterone's protective effects on disordered eating may explain these discrepancies. Indeed, studies have differed in the age of participants assessed, with data supporting prenatal testosterone effects on disordered eating in early adolescent and young adult samples but not in late adolescence. The present studies are the first to investigate age differences in prenatal testosterone's protective effects on disordered eating. Two indirect markers of higher prenatal testosterone were examined: (a) lower finger-length ratios (Study 1: index [2D]/ring [4D] finger [2D:4D]) and (b) lower disordered eating in female s from opposite-sex twin pairs (who are thought to be exposed to higher prenatal testosterone from their male co-twin) relative to female controls (Study 2). Participants were twins from the Michigan State University Twin Registry (Study 1: n = 409; Study 2: n = 1,538) in early adolescence, late adolescence, or young adulthood. Disordered eating was assessed with well-validated questionnaires. Finger-length ratios were measured from hand scans, using electronic computer calipers. Findings were consistent across both studies. Higher prenatal testosterone (lower 2D:4D; females from opposite-sex twin pairs vs. controls) predicted lower disordered eating in early adolescence and young adulthood only. Prenatal testosterone-disordered eating associations were not observed during late adolescence. Results point to the possibility of developmental windows of expression for prenatal testosterone's protective effects on disordered eating and suggest that prior discrepant results may reflect age differences across samples.
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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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Gore AC, Martien KM, Gagnidze K, Pfaff D. Implications of prenatal steroid perturbations for neurodevelopment, behavior, and autism. Endocr Rev 2014; 35:961-91. [PMID: 25211453 PMCID: PMC4234775 DOI: 10.1210/er.2013-1122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2013] [Accepted: 08/29/2014] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The prenatal brain develops under the influence of an ever-changing hormonal milieu that includes endogenous fetal gonadal and adrenal hormones, placental and maternal hormones, and exogenous substances with hormonal activity that can cross the placental barrier. This review discusses the influences of endogenous fetal and maternal hormones on normal brain development and potential consequences of pathophysiological hormonal perturbations to the developing brain, with particular reference to autism. We also consider the effects of hormonal pharmaceuticals used for assisted reproduction, the maintenance of pregnancy, the prevention of congenital adrenal hypertrophy, and hormonal contraceptives continued into an unanticipated pregnancy, among others. These treatments, although in some instances life-saving, may have unintended consequences on the developing fetuses. Additional concern is raised by fetal exposures to endocrine-disrupting chemicals encountered universally by pregnant women from food/water containers, contaminated food, household chemicals, and other sources. What are the potential outcomes of prenatal steroid perturbations on neurodevelopmental and behavioral disorders, including autism-spectrum disorders? Our purposes here are 1) to summarize some consequences of steroid exposures during pregnancy for the development of brain and behavior in the offspring; 2) to summarize what is known about the relationships between exposures and behavior, including autism spectrum disorders; 3) to discuss the molecular underpinnings of such effects, especially molecular epigenetic mechanisms of prenatal steroid manipulations, a field that may explain effects of direct exposures, and even transgenerational effects; and 4) for all of these, to add cautionary notes about their interpretation in the name of scientific rigor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea C Gore
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology (A.C.G.), University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712; Massachusetts General Hospital for Children (K.M.M.), Lexington, Massachusetts, 02421; and Laboratory of Neurobiology and Behavior (K.G., D.P.), Rockefeller University, New York, New York 10021
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Burke SM, Menks WM, Cohen-Kettenis PT, Klink DT, Bakker J. Click-evoked otoacoustic emissions in children and adolescents with gender identity disorder. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2014; 43:1515-1523. [PMID: 24567168 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-014-0278-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2013] [Revised: 07/28/2013] [Accepted: 11/10/2013] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Click-evoked otoacoustic emissions (CEOAEs) are echo-like sounds that are produced by the inner ear in response to click-stimuli. CEOAEs generally have a higher amplitude in women compared to men and neonates already show a similar sex difference in CEOAEs. Weaker responses in males are proposed to originate from elevated levels of testosterone during perinatal sexual differentiation. Therefore, CEOAEs may be used as a retrospective indicator of someone's perinatal androgen environment. Individuals diagnosed with Gender Identity Disorder (GID), according to DSM-IV-TR, are characterized by a strong identification with the other gender and discomfort about their natal sex. Although the etiology of GID is far from established, it is hypothesized that atypical levels of sex steroids during a critical period of sexual differentiation of the brain might play a role. In the present study, we compared CEOAEs in treatment-naïve children and adolescents with early-onset GID (24 natal boys, 23 natal girls) and control subjects (65 boys, 62 girls). We replicated the sex difference in CEOAE response amplitude in the control group. This sex difference, however, was not present in the GID groups. Boys with GID showed stronger, more female-typical CEOAEs whereas girls with GID did not differ in emission strength compared to control girls. Based on the assumption that CEOAE amplitude can be seen as an index of relative androgen exposure, our results provide some evidence for the idea that boys with GID may have been exposed to lower amounts of androgen during early development in comparison to control boys.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M Burke
- Center of Expertise on Gender Dysphoria, Department of Medical Psychology, VU University Medical Center, De Boelelaan 1131, 1081 HX, Amsterdam, The Netherlands,
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Raevuori A, Linna MS, Keski-Rahkonen A. Prenatal and perinatal factors in eating disorders: a descriptive review. Int J Eat Disord 2014; 47:676-85. [PMID: 24946313 DOI: 10.1002/eat.22323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2014] [Revised: 06/08/2014] [Accepted: 06/09/2014] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The objective of this descriptive review is to summarize the current scientific evidence on various prenatal and perinatal exposures affecting later development of eating disorders among offspring. METHOD Studies were searched from PubMed database with the following keywords: eating disorders and disordered eating and anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder and prenatal exposure delayed effects and maternal exposure and perinatology. A comprehensive manual search, including search from the reference list of included articles, was also performed. RESULTS The attributable risk for prenatal and perinatal factors in anorexia nervosa (AN) is 3.6%. Numerous prenatal and perinatal factors have been associated with offspring AN, but only prematurity has been replicated in different samples. The risk of bulimia nervosa (BN) in offspring has attracted less study, and despite varying positive associations, there are no replicated findings. Higher prenatal testosterone may protect against the development of a range of disordered eating symptoms, although studies are not consistent. DISCUSSION Evidence in support of an effect of prenatal and perinatal factors on eating disorders or disordered eating in offspring is conflicting. If present, the overall effect appears to be relatively small, and it is likely that the early risk factors operate in conjunction with other biological, genetic, and/or environmental risk factors to bring on eating pathology. Genetically sensitive designs, such as sibling and twin studies, are needed to disentangle the different types of risk factors and ensure that prenatal/perinatal effects are "causal" rather than indications of genetic risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anu Raevuori
- Department of Public Health, Hjelt Institute, University of Helsinki, Finland; Child Psychiatry Research Center, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland; Department of Adolescent Psychiatry, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland; Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
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Identifying craniofacial features associated with prenatal exposure to androgens and testing their relationship with brain development. Brain Struct Funct 2014; 220:3233-44. [PMID: 25074752 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-014-0852-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2014] [Accepted: 07/15/2014] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
We used magnetic resonance (MR) images obtained in same-sex and opposite-sex dizygotic twins (n = 119, 8 years of age) to study possible effects of prenatal androgens on craniofacial features. Using a principal component analysis of 19 craniofacial landmarks placed on the MR images, we identified a principal component capturing craniofacial features that distinguished females with a presumed differential exposure to prenatal androgens by virtue of having a male (vs. a female) co-twin (Cohen's d = 0.76). Subsequently, we tested the possibility that this craniofacial "signature" of prenatal exposure to androgens predicts brain size, a known sexually dimorphic trait. In an independent sample of female adolescents (singletons; n = 462), we found that the facial signature predicts up to 8% of variance in brain size. These findings are consistent with the organizational effects of androgens on brain development and suggest that the facial signature derived in this study could complement other indirect measures of prenatal exposure to androgens.
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Abstract
Myopia is amongst the most common refractive errors in the world. Both environmental and genetic factors are attributed to its causation, however all factors contributing to the development of myopia is yet to be found. Recent studies show presence of sex hormone receptor in the eyes. This has been shown to have a role in the development of various ocular pathologies. The second to fourth finger length ratio (2D:4D) has been hypothesised to be determined by exposure to sex steroids prenatally and thus considered a crude measure for prenatal androgen exposure. Hence this study was initiated to assess the association between myopia and 2D:4D ratio (a proxy marker to prenatal sex steroid exposure) among 100 medical college students of either sex and explore the possibility of role of prenatal sex steroids in causation of myopia. This study showed significant negative associations between myopia and digit ratio favouring a probable causal role of sex steroids on eye growth and development of myopia.
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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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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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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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Heikkinen T, Harila V, Tapanainen JS, Alvesalo L. Masculinization of the eruption pattern of permanent mandibular canines in opposite sex twin girls. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2013; 151:566-72. [PMID: 23754587 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2012] [Accepted: 04/24/2013] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this study is to explore the effect of prenatal androgenization on the clinical eruption of permanent teeth expressing dimorphism and bimaturism. The eruption curves of permanent teeth (except third molars), including those that make up the canine complex (permanent canines, lower first premolars), are compared among opposite sex twins (OS twins) relative to single-born boys and girls. The comparisons are made with regard to three phases of eruption (pierced mucosa, half- erupted, and completely erupted) from a cross-sectional sample of dental casts, using Kaplan-Meier survival and Cox regression analyzes. The casts were collected from 2159 school children from the US Collaborative Perinatal Project, including 39 pairs of OS-twins, of which 12 pairs (30.8%) were Euro-Americans and 27 pairs (69.2%) were of African-American ancestry. The eruption patterns of the incisors, upper first molars, and lower canines were found to be significantly masculinized (delayed) among OS twin girls. The differences in most other teeth were either not significant, or the number of observations of active eruption phases were too few, such as in the upper first molars and incisors, to yield strong evidence and meaningful results. The masculinization of the tooth eruption pattern in OS twin girls is intriguing because of the lower canine responses during puberty, as well as canine primordial formation during early fetal androgenization of their co-twin during the 8th to 14th gestational weeks. The present results offer a challenge for future research exploring tooth eruption mechanisms, and may also highlight some cases of delayed or ectopic canines, which are biased toward females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tuomo Heikkinen
- Oral Development and Orthodontics, Institute of Dentistry, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
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Kalmady SV, Agarwal SM, Shivakumar V, Jose D, Venkatasubramanian G, Reddy YCJ. Revisiting Geschwind's hypothesis on brain lateralisation: A functional MRI study of digit ratio (2D:4D) and sex interaction effects on spatial working memory. Laterality 2013; 18:625-40. [DOI: 10.1080/1357650x.2012.744414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
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Vandenberg LN, Colborn T, Hayes TB, Heindel JJ, Jacobs DR, Lee DH, Shioda T, Soto AM, vom Saal FS, Welshons WV, Zoeller RT, Myers JP. Hormones and endocrine-disrupting chemicals: low-dose effects and nonmonotonic dose responses. Endocr Rev 2012; 33:378-455. [PMID: 22419778 PMCID: PMC3365860 DOI: 10.1210/er.2011-1050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1967] [Impact Index Per Article: 163.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2011] [Accepted: 02/07/2012] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
For decades, studies of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) have challenged traditional concepts in toxicology, in particular the dogma of "the dose makes the poison," because EDCs can have effects at low doses that are not predicted by effects at higher doses. Here, we review two major concepts in EDC studies: low dose and nonmonotonicity. Low-dose effects were defined by the National Toxicology Program as those that occur in the range of human exposures or effects observed at doses below those used for traditional toxicological studies. We review the mechanistic data for low-dose effects and use a weight-of-evidence approach to analyze five examples from the EDC literature. Additionally, we explore nonmonotonic dose-response curves, defined as a nonlinear relationship between dose and effect where the slope of the curve changes sign somewhere within the range of doses examined. We provide a detailed discussion of the mechanisms responsible for generating these phenomena, plus hundreds of examples from the cell culture, animal, and epidemiology literature. We illustrate that nonmonotonic responses and low-dose effects are remarkably common in studies of natural hormones and EDCs. Whether low doses of EDCs influence certain human disorders is no longer conjecture, because epidemiological studies show that environmental exposures to EDCs are associated with human diseases and disabilities. We conclude that when nonmonotonic dose-response curves occur, the effects of low doses cannot be predicted by the effects observed at high doses. Thus, fundamental changes in chemical testing and safety determination are needed to protect human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura N Vandenberg
- Tufts University, Center for Regenerative and Developmental Biology, Department of Biology, 200 Boston Avenue, Suite 4600, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, USA.
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Laffey-Ardley S, Thorpe K. Being Opposite: Is There Advantage for Social Competence and Friendships in Being an Opposite-Sex Twin? Twin Res Hum Genet 2012. [DOI: 10.1375/twin.9.1.131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
AbstractArecent large-scale study of Finnish adolescent twins (Pulkkinen et al., 2003) reported that individuals from opposite-sex twin pairs were more socially adaptive than individuals from same-sex pairs or singletons. This finding raised questions about the social learning effects of being an opposite-sex twin. The current article predicted on the basis of this finding, and evidence from singleton populations, that having an opposite-sex twin would yield social advantage. It sought to examine the social competencies of opposite-sex twins and compare them with same-sex twins and singletons. The study focused on the preschool years (age 3 to 6), a period in which the majority of children encounter their first large group, nonfamilial social experiences. The study obtained reports from parents and teachers of children aged 3 to 6 years: 72 children (36 pairs) who were dizygotic opposite-sex twins (DZOS), 50 children (25 pairs) who were dizygotic same-sex twins (DZSS), and 85 singletons of the same age and sex as the twins, who had at least one sibling. Reports were made using standardized measures of social competencies, behavior problems, language development and friendships. The main effects found were of differences in social competency between twins and singletons. Twins had lower social competency scores. No differences between same-sex and opposite-sex twins were found. The findings did not support the hypothesis of social advantage for opposite-sex twins in early childhood.
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Lydecker JA, Pisetsky EM, Mitchell KS, Thornton LM, Kendler KS, Reichborn-Kjennerud T, Lichtenstein P, Bulik CM, Mazzeo SE. Association between co-twin sex and eating disorders in opposite sex twin pairs: evaluations in North American, Norwegian, and Swedish samples. J Psychosom Res 2012; 72:73-7. [PMID: 22200526 PMCID: PMC3246617 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2011.05.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2010] [Revised: 05/03/2011] [Accepted: 05/04/2011] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE These three studies examined the hypothesis that prenatal exposure to sex hormones influences twins' risk for eating disorders based on co-twin sex, such that individuals with a female co-twin would be more likely than individuals with a male co-twin to meet diagnostic criteria for an eating disorder. METHODS Male and female twins from the United States (N=2607), Norway (N=2796) and Sweden (N=16,458) with known co-twin sex and zygosity were assessed for eating disorders. RESULTS In the U.S. and Swedish samples, sex was significantly associated with eating disorder diagnoses, and although co-twin sex was not associated with eating disorders overall, it was associated with broadly defined bulimia nervosa in the Swedish sample. The effects for bulimia were not sustained when monozygotic twins were excluded, suggesting that the effects of prenatal sex hormones play a minor role in influencing eating disorders. Sex and co-twin sex were not associated with eating disorders in the Norwegian sample. CONCLUSION The prenatal sex hormone hypothesis, which proposes that prenatal hormone exposure is associated with later eating disorder symptomatology, was not supported in these three population-based twin samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janet A. Lydecker
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Emily M. Pisetsky
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Karen S. Mitchell
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA,Virginia Institute for Psychiatric & Behavioral Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA,Women’s Health Sciences Division, National Center for PTSD, VA Boston Healthcare System,Department of Psychiatry, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Laura M. Thornton
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Kenneth S. Kendler
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric & Behavioral Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA,Department of Psychiatry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Ted Reichborn-Kjennerud
- Division of Mental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway,Institute of Psychiatry, University of Oslo, Norway,Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Paul Lichtenstein
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden
| | - Cynthia M. Bulik
- Departments of Psychiatry and Nutrition, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Suzanne E. Mazzeo
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA,Virginia Institute for Psychiatric & Behavioral Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA,Department of Pediatrics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA
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Tapp AL, Maybery MT, Whitehouse AJO. Evaluating the twin testosterone transfer hypothesis: a review of the empirical evidence. Horm Behav 2011; 60:713-22. [PMID: 21893061 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2011.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2010] [Revised: 08/17/2011] [Accepted: 08/19/2011] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
In this paper we review the evidence that fetuses gestated with a male co-twin are masculinized in development, perhaps due to the influence of prenatal androgens: the so-called twin testosterone transfer (TTT) hypothesis. Evidence from studies of behavioral, perceptual, cognitive, morphological and physiological traits in same- and opposite-sex human twins is considered. Apart from two studies reporting increases in aspects of sensation-seeking for females with a male rather than a female co-twin, there is sparse evidence supporting the TTT hypothesis in behavioral studies. Outcomes from studies of perception (in particular otoacoustic emissions) and cognition (in particular vocabulary acquisition and visuo-spatial ability) provide more consistent evidence in support of masculinized performance in twins with a male co-twin compared to twins with a female co-twin. The outcomes favorable to the TTT hypothesis for otoacoustic emissions and visuo-spatial ability are restricted to females. Studies of physiology and morphology (e.g., brain volume, tooth size and 2D:4D ratio) also show some influence of co-twin sex, but again these effects are often restricted to female twins. Because females produce little endogenous testosterone, the effects of gestation with a male co-twin may be more pronounced in females than males. Thus, while uneven, the evidence for the TTT hypothesis is sufficient to warrant further investigation, ideally using large samples of same- and opposite-sex twins, along with control groups of same- and opposite-sex siblings when the characteristics assessed are potentially open to social influences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aimee L Tapp
- Neurocognitive Development Unit, School of Psychology, University of Western Australia, Australia
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Identifying and explaining apparent universal sex differences in cognition and behavior. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2011. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2011.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Stoyanov Z, Nikolova P, Pashalieva I. Season of birth, Geschwind and Galaburda hypothesis, and handedness. Laterality 2011; 16:607-19. [PMID: 21287424 DOI: 10.1080/1357650x.2010.506689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Geschwind and Galaburda (1985a, 1985b) suggested that the season of conception is a non-genetic random variable that may affect laterality and handedness, probably due to seasonal variations in the hormonal influences on the foetal brain. According to this suggestion it is logical to expect seasonal anisotropy in the incidence of birth of right- and non-right-handers. The present study analysed data obtained from a sample of 3182 young Bulgarians: 2825 right-handers and 357 non-right-handers. Significant difference in the seasonal distribution of births of right- and non-right-handers was found in males only. The incidence of non-right-handedness was highest among participants born in winter. In right-handers increased birth rate was observed in spring and summer. The results in males seem to support the Geschwind and Galaburda suggestion. One can speculate that the high levels of mother's androgens during spring and early summer play the role of a "left shift" factor for the male foetuses with genetic potential for non-right-handedness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zlatislav Stoyanov
- Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Medical University Prof. Paraskev Stoyanov, Marin Drinov Str. 55, 9002 Varna, Bulgaria.
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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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Bourne VJ, Vladeanu M. Lateralisation for processing facial emotion and anxiety: Contrasting state, trait and social anxiety. Neuropsychologia 2011; 49:1343-1349. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2011.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2010] [Revised: 01/14/2011] [Accepted: 02/03/2011] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Influence of having a male twin on body mass index and risk for dyslipidemia in middle-aged and old women. Int J Obes (Lond) 2011; 35:1466-9. [PMID: 21386807 DOI: 10.1038/ijo.2011.18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Animal experiments suggest that exposure to elevated levels of androgens during development by means of so-called hormonal programming causes metabolic aberrations at adulthood. An indirect strategy to address the possible importance of such an influence also in humans would be to study female dizygotic twins, presuming that those with a twin brother--due to diffusion of testosterone--have been exposed to higher androgen levels prenatally. DESIGN We have compared 8409 women with a male twin with 9166 women with a dizygotic female twin with respect to self-reported indices of anthropometry and metabolic aberrations at age 42 or older. RESULTS Body mass index (BMI), body weight and rate of dyslipidemia were moderately, but significantly, higher in women from opposite-sexed (OS) twin pairs; splitting for age revealed this difference to be present in those ≥ 60 years of age only. CONCLUSION The results (i) support the notion that comparisons of women with a twin brother with women from same-sexed twin pairs may be used to shed light on possible long-term effects of interindividual variations in early androgen exposure, and (ii) suggest that the effects of early androgen exposure on metabolism previously observed in animal experiments are of relevance also for humans.
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Beaton AA, Rudling N, Kissling C, Taurines R, Thome J. Digit ratio (2D:4D), salivary testosterone, and handedness. Laterality 2011; 16:136-55. [DOI: 10.1080/13576500903410369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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46
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Evolutionary Neuroandrogenic Theory and Universal Gender Differences in Cognition and Behavior. SEX ROLES 2011. [DOI: 10.1007/s11199-010-9927-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Heil M, Kavšek M, Rolke B, Beste C, Jansen P. Mental rotation in female fraternal twins: Evidence for intra-uterine hormone transfer? Biol Psychol 2011; 86:90-3. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2010.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2010] [Revised: 11/04/2010] [Accepted: 11/09/2010] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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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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Bergman K, Glover V, Sarkar P, Abbott D, O'Connor TG. In utero cortisol and testosterone exposure and fear reactivity in infancy. Horm Behav 2010; 57:306-12. [PMID: 20060000 PMCID: PMC2834845 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2009.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2009] [Revised: 12/24/2009] [Accepted: 12/29/2009] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Fetal programming is emerging as a major conceptual model for understanding developmental origins of health and disease, including behavioral outcomes. As part of a larger study of prenatal stress and child development, we examined the association between prenatal hormone exposure and fear reactivity, a temperament dimension that is a predictor of long-term behavioral adjustment. Amniotic fluid was collected from a sample of women undergoing clinically indicated amniocentesis for later analysis of cortisol and testosterone. Children with normal birth outcomes were recalled for follow-up assessment at 17 months, at which time we administered an observational assessment of temperament (lab-TAB; n=108). Information on pregnancy and obstetric outcome was included as covariates. Results indicated that there was a significant association between prenatal testosterone and observed fear reactivity in boys (r(53)=0.34, p=0.01); no significant effect was found in girls (r(54)=-0.07, ns); the effect remained when obstetric, psychosocial, and parental anxiety were controlled for. There was not a significant association between fetal cortisol exposure and fear reactivity. The prediction from in utero testosterone exposure to fear reactivity in boys extends prior research on prenatal testosterone and may represent an association with a general predisposition to greater arousal and reactivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristin Bergman
- Institute of Reproductive and Developmental Biology, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Campus, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, UK, ; tel 44 207 594 2136; fax 44 207 594 2138
| | - Vivette Glover
- Institute of Reproductive and Developmental Biology, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Campus, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, UK, ; tel 44 207 594 2136; fax 44 207 594 2138
| | - Pampa Sarkar
- Institute of Reproductive and Developmental Biology, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Campus, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, UK, ; tel 44 207 594 2136; fax 44 207 594 2138
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Wexham Park Hospital, Slough, SL2 4HL, UK
| | - Dave Abbott
- University of Wisconsin Madison, Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Thomas G O'Connor
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Rochester Medical Center, 300 Crittenden Blvd, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA, , Tel 585 273 1221; Fax 585 276 2065
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Chura LR, Lombardo MV, Ashwin E, Auyeung B, Chakrabarti B, Bullmore ET, Baron-Cohen S. Organizational effects of fetal testosterone on human corpus callosum size and asymmetry. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2010; 35:122-32. [PMID: 19833443 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2009.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2009] [Revised: 09/09/2009] [Accepted: 09/10/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Previous theory and research in animals has identified the critical role that fetal testosterone (FT) plays in organizing sexually dimorphic brain development. However, to date there are no studies in humans directly testing the organizational effects of FT on structural brain development. In the current study we investigated the effects of FT on corpus callosum size and asymmetry. High-resolution structural magnetic resonance images (MRI) of the brain were obtained on 28 8-11-year-old boys whose exposure to FT had been previously measured in utero via amniocentesis conducted during the second trimester. Although there was no relationship between FT and midsaggital corpus callosum size, increasing FT was significantly related to increasing rightward asymmetry (e.g., Right>Left) of a posterior subsection of the callosum, the isthmus, that projects mainly to parietal and superior temporal areas. This potential organizational effect of FT on rightward callosal asymmetry may be working through enhancing the neuroprotective effects of FT and result in an asymmetric distribution of callosal axons. We suggest that this possible organizational effect of FT on callosal asymmetry may also play a role in shaping sexual dimorphism in functional and structural brain development, cognition, and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay R Chura
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
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