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Gajawelli N, Paulli A, Deoni S, Paquette N, Darakjian D, Salazar C, Dean D, O'Muircheartaigh J, Nelson MD, Wang Y, Lepore N. Surface-based morphometry of the corpus callosum in young children of ages 1-5. Hum Brain Mapp 2024; 45:e26693. [PMID: 38924235 PMCID: PMC11199824 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The corpus callosum (CC) is a large white matter fiber bundle in the brain and is involved in various cognitive, sensory, and motor processes. While implicated in various developmental and psychiatric disorders, much is yet to be uncovered about the normal development of this structure, especially in young children. Additionally, while sexual dimorphism has been reported in prior literature, observations have not necessarily been consistent. In this study, we use morphometric measures including surface tensor-based morphometry (TBM) to investigate local changes in the shape of the CC in children between the ages of 12 and 60 months, in intervals of 12 months. We also analyze sex differences in each of these age groups. We observed larger significant clusters in the earlier ages between 12 v 24 m and between 48 v 60 m and localized differences in the anterior region of the body of the CC. Sex differences were most pronounced in the 12 m group. This study adds to the growing literature of work aiming to understand the developing brain and emphasizes the utility of surface TBM as a useful tool for analyzing regional differences in neuroanatomical morphometry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niharika Gajawelli
- CIBORG Lab, Department of RadiologyChildren's Hospital Los AngelesLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Athelia Paulli
- CIBORG Lab, Department of RadiologyChildren's Hospital Los AngelesLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Sean Deoni
- Department of PediatricsWarren Alpert Medical School at Brown UniversityProvidenceRhode IslandUSA
- Bill & Melinda Gates FoundationSeattleWashingtonUSA
| | - Natacha Paquette
- CIBORG Lab, Department of RadiologyChildren's Hospital Los AngelesLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
- Department of PsychologyCHU Sainte‐JustineMontrealQuebecCanada
| | - Danielle Darakjian
- CIBORG Lab, Department of RadiologyChildren's Hospital Los AngelesLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
- College of MedicineCalifornia Northstate UniversityElk GroveCaliforniaUSA
| | - Carlos Salazar
- CIBORG Lab, Department of RadiologyChildren's Hospital Los AngelesLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringUniversity of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Douglas Dean
- Waisman Laboratory for Brain Imaging and BehaviorUniversity of Wisconsin MadisonMadisonWisconsinUSA
| | | | - Marvin D. Nelson
- Department of PediatricsUniversity of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
- Department of RadiologyChildren's Hospital Los AngelesLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
| | - Yalin Wang
- Department of Computer ScienceArizona State UniversityTempeArizonaUSA
| | - Natasha Lepore
- CIBORG Lab, Department of RadiologyChildren's Hospital Los AngelesLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringUniversity of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
- Department of PediatricsUniversity of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
- Department of RadiologyChildren's Hospital Los AngelesLos AngelesCaliforniaUSA
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2
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Fucic A, Mantovani A, Vena J, Bloom MS, Sincic N, Vazquez M, Aguado-Sierra J. Impact of endocrine disruptors from mother's diet on immuno-hormonal orchestration of brain development and introduction of the virtual human twin tool. Reprod Toxicol 2023; 117:108357. [PMID: 36863570 DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2023.108357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Revised: 02/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/04/2023]
Abstract
Diet has long been known to modify physiology during development and adulthood. However, due to a growing number of manufactured contaminants and additives over the last few decades, diet has increasingly become a source of exposure to chemicals that has been associated with adverse health risks. Sources of food contaminants include the environment, crops treated with agrochemicals, inappropriate storage (e.g., mycotoxins) and migration of xenobiotics from food packaging and food production equipment. Hence, consumers are exposed to a mixture of xenobiotics, some of which are endocrine disruptors (EDs). The complex interactions between immune function and brain development and their orchestration by steroid hormones are insufficiently understood in human populations, and little is known about the impact on immune-brain interactions by transplacental fetal exposure to EDs via maternal diet. To help to identify the key data gaps, this paper aims to present (a) how transplacental EDs modify immune system and brain development, and (b) how these mechanisms may correlate with diseases such as autism and disturbances of lateral brain development. Attention is given to disturbances of the subplate, a transient structure of crucial significance in brain development. Additionally, we describe cutting edge approaches to investigate the developmental neurotoxicity of EDs, such as the application of artificial intelligence and comprehensive modelling. In the future, highly complex investigations will be performed using virtual brain models constructed using sophisticated multi-physics/multi-scale modelling strategies based on patient and synthetic data, which will enable a greater understanding of healthy or disturbed brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Fucic
- Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health, Ksaverska C 2, Zagreb, Croatia.
| | - A Mantovani
- Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Department of Food Safety, Nutrition and Veterinary Public Health, Rome, Italy
| | - J Vena
- Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - M S Bloom
- Global and Community Health, George Mason University, 4400 University Dr., Fairfax, VA, USA
| | - N Sincic
- Medical School, University of Zagreb, Salata 3, Croatia
| | - M Vazquez
- Barcelona Supercomputing Center, Plaça Eusebi Güell, 1-3, Barcelona 08034, Spain
| | - J Aguado-Sierra
- Barcelona Supercomputing Center, Plaça Eusebi Güell, 1-3, Barcelona 08034, Spain
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3
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Ivan S, Daniela O, Jaroslava BD. Sex differences matter: Males and females are equal but not the same. Physiol Behav 2023; 259:114038. [PMID: 36423797 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2022.114038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Sex differences between males and females can be detected early in life. They are present also later even to a much greater extent affecting our life in adulthood and a wide spectrum of physical, psychological, cognitive, and behavioral characteristics. Moreover, sex differences matter also in individual's health and disease. In this article, we reviewed at first the sex differences in brain organization and function with respect to the underlying biological mechanisms. Since the individual functional differences in the brain, in turn, shape the behavior, sex-specific psychological/behavioral differences that can be observed in infants but also adults are consequently addressed. Finally, we briefly mention sex-dependent variations in susceptibility to selected disorders as well as their pathophysiology, diagnosis, and response to therapy. The understanding of biologically determined variability between males and females can have important implications, especially in gender-specific health care. We have the impression that it is very important to emphasize that sex matters. Males and females are differently programmed by nature, and it must be respected. Even though we as males and females are not the same, we would like to emphasize that we are still equal and together form a worthy colorful continuum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Szadvári Ivan
- Institute of Physiology, Medical School, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Ostatníková Daniela
- Institute of Physiology, Medical School, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia
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4
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Isiklar S, Ozdemir ST, Ozkaya G, Ozpar R. Three dimensional development and asymmetry of the corpus callosum in the 0-18 age group: A retrospective magnetic resonance imaging study. Clin Anat 2022; 36:581-598. [PMID: 36527384 DOI: 10.1002/ca.23996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Revised: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Most of the corpus callosum (CC) developmental studies are concerned with its two-dimensional structure. Linear and area measurements do not directly assess the CC size but estimate the overall structure from the cross-sectional image. This study investigated age- and sex-related changes in volumetric development and asymmetry of CC from birth to 18. For this retrospective study, we selected 696 patients (329 [47.27%] females) with both 3D-T1-weighted sequence and normal radiological anatomy from patients 0-18 years of age who had brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) between 2012 and 2020. The genu, body, splenium, and total volume of CC were calculated using MRICloud. The measurement results of 23 age groups were analyzed with SPSS (ver.28). Total CC volume was 18740.76 ± 4314.06 mm3 between 0 and 18 years of age, and its ratio to total brain volume (TBV) was 1.70% ± 0.23%. We observed that the total CC volume has six developmental periods 0 years, 1, 2-4, 5-9, 10-16, and 17-18 years. Genu and body grew in five developmental periods, while splenium in seven. There was intermittent sexual dimorphism in the CC volume in the first 4 years of life (p < 0.05). However, sex factor was insignificant in CC ratio to TBV. Total CC was right lateralized on average 1.81% (ranging -0.59% to 4.52%). Genu was 8.70% lateralized to the right, the body was 2.99% to the left, and the splenium was 1.41% to the right. The three-dimensional development of CC agreed with the two-dimensional developmental data of CC except for some differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sefa Isiklar
- Medical Imaging Techniques Program, Vocational School of Health Services, Bursa Uludag University, Bursa, Turkey
| | - Senem Turan Ozdemir
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Bursa Uludag University, Bursa, Turkey
| | - Güven Ozkaya
- Department of Biostatistics, Faculty of Medicine, Bursa Uludag University, Bursa, Turkey
| | - Rıfat Ozpar
- Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Bursa Uludag University, Bursa, Turkey
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5
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Tasos E. To What Extent are Prenatal Androgens Involved in the Development of Male Homosexuality in Humans? JOURNAL OF HOMOSEXUALITY 2022; 69:1928-1963. [PMID: 34080960 DOI: 10.1080/00918369.2021.1933792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Endocrine variations, including possibly reduced exposure to androgens, may contribute to the development of male homosexuality, with animal models demonstrating same-sex mate preference with altered exposure during prenatal or early postnatal development. As similar studies in humans are impossible, indirect physical and cognitive measures of androgen exposure are used. Some studies suggest that physical measures affected by prenatal androgens, including the index-to-ring finger ratio, growth indices, and facial structure, are more "feminine" in gay men. Gay men also exhibit significant childhood gender non-conformity and a "feminized" anatomical and functional brain pattern in sexual arousal, as well as domains such as language, visuospatial skills and hemispheric relationships. However, many of these results are equivocal and may be confounded by other factors. Research has also been hampered by inconsistencies in the reporting of sexual orientation and the potentially unrepresentative populations of gay men studied, while additional complexities pertaining to gender conformity and sexual role may also influence results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanouil Tasos
- School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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6
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Sex hormones modulate sex differences and relate to hemispheric asymmetries in a divided visual field Navon task. Behav Brain Res 2021; 408:113281. [PMID: 33839162 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2020] [Revised: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Sex differences in functional hemispheric asymmetries (FHA) have been hypothesized as a fundamental mechanism behind sex differences in global-local processing. So far, it has not been assessed how interactive effects of sex and hemifield presentation influence common indicators of global precedence. The current study is the first to investigate the involvement of FHAs by using a divided visual field Navon paradigm and controlling for sex hormone status. Moreover, various factors that have previously shown a reliable influence on global-local processing performance are verified within the context of unilateral presentation. 39 men and 39 naturally cycling women in their luteal cycle phase completed a divided visual field Navon task with the instruction to detect targets either at any level (divided attention) or only at the global or local level (selective attention) in three different spacing conditions. The obtained evidence reveals significant sex differences in the global advantage effect (faster reaction to global vs. local level targets) for densely spaced letter stimuli, as well as significant sex differences in global-local level interference, with findings on both measures being mediated by testosterone. Also, estradiol showed different relationships to the global advantage effect in men and women together with a positive relationship to global advantage for the selective attention condition. Behavioural reaction time results were mirrored by accuracy measures but presented significantly higher global- over local-level accuracy in women compared to men for the divided attention condition. Our results did not show significant sex differences in FHAs but indicate differential relationships between progesterone and FHAs in men and women. In conclusion, sex hormones emerged as central mediators of sex differences in global precedence and possible moderators of hemispheric asymmetries.
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7
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Dump the "dimorphism": Comprehensive synthesis of human brain studies reveals few male-female differences beyond size. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 125:667-697. [PMID: 33621637 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.02.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 148] [Impact Index Per Article: 49.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2020] [Revised: 01/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
With the explosion of neuroimaging, differences between male and female brains have been exhaustively analyzed. Here we synthesize three decades of human MRI and postmortem data, emphasizing meta-analyses and other large studies, which collectively reveal few reliable sex/gender differences and a history of unreplicated claims. Males' brains are larger than females' from birth, stabilizing around 11 % in adults. This size difference accounts for other reproducible findings: higher white/gray matter ratio, intra- versus interhemispheric connectivity, and regional cortical and subcortical volumes in males. But when structural and lateralization differences are present independent of size, sex/gender explains only about 1% of total variance. Connectome differences and multivariate sex/gender prediction are largely based on brain size, and perform poorly across diverse populations. Task-based fMRI has especially failed to find reproducible activation differences between men and women in verbal, spatial or emotion processing due to high rates of false discovery. Overall, male/female brain differences appear trivial and population-specific. The human brain is not "sexually dimorphic."
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8
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Richards G, Medland SE, Beaton AA. Digit ratio (2D:4D) and handedness: A meta-analysis of the available literature. Laterality 2021; 26:421-484. [PMID: 33517845 DOI: 10.1080/1357650x.2020.1862141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
The Geschwind-Behan-Galaburda and sexual differentiation models predict an association between elevated foetal androgen exposure and left-handedness whereas the callosal hypothesis predicts the opposite. We present a meta-analysis of correlations between handedness and digit ratio (2D:4D), a putative marker of prenatal testosterone. Left-handedness predicted low (male-typical) right-hand digit ratio (R2D:4D), high (female-typical) left-hand digit ratio (L2D:4D), and low R2D:4D-L2D:4D directional asymmetry (D[R-L]). Effect sizes were extremely small and not moderated by sex or method of measuring handedness or 2D:4D. The same general pattern was observed after excluding the very large study (110,329 males, 90,412 females) of Manning and Peters ([2009]. Digit ratio (2D:4D) and hand preference for writing in the BBC Internet Study. Laterality: Asymmetries of Body, Brain and Cognition, 14(5), 528-540. doi:10.1080/13576500802637872); however, no significant effects for R2D:4D were observed once these samples were removed. The results do not confirm any theory linking prenatal androgens with handedness, so we speculate they instead reflect the mechanical action of writing causing subtle changes in the musculature and/or fat pads of the fingers. Gripping a pen/pencil might cause an increase in 2D relative to 4D (and/or decrease in 4D relative to 2D) resulting in higher ratios on the writing-hand; furthermore, this could differ between left- and right-handers due to writing in the left-to-right direction (as in English) having asymmetrical effects depending on which hand is used.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gareth Richards
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.,Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Centre for Research on Play in Education, Development & Learning, Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Sarah E Medland
- Psychiatric Genetics, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia.,School of Psychology, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia.,School of Psychology and Counselling, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Alan A Beaton
- Department of Psychology, School of Human & Health Sciences, Swansea University, Swansea, UK.,Department of Psychology, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, UK
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9
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OSTATNÍKOVÁ D, LAKATOŠOVÁ S, BABKOVÁ J, HODOSY J, CELEC P. Testosterone and the Brain: From Cognition to Autism. Physiol Res 2021. [DOI: 10.33549/10.33549/physiolres.934592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex and gender matter in all aspects of life. Humans exhibit sexual dimorphism in anatomy, physiology, but also pathology. Many of the differences are due to sex chromosomes and, thus, genetics, other due to endocrine factors such as sex hormones, some are of social origin. Over the past decades, huge number of scientific studies have revealed striking sex differences of the human brain with remarkable behavioral and cognitive consequences. Prenatal and postnatal testosterone influence brain structures and functions, respectively. Cognitive sex differences include especially certain spatial and language tasks, but they also affect many other aspects of the neurotypical brain. Sex differences of the brain are also relevant for the pathogenesis of neuropsychiatric disorders such as autism spectrum disorders, which are much more prevalent in the male population. Structural dimorphism in the human brain was well-described, but recent controversies now question its importance. On the other hand, solid evidence exists regarding gender differences in several brain functions. This review tries to summarize the current understanding of the complexity of the effects of testosterone on brain with special focus on their role in the known sex differences in healthy individuals and people in the autism spectrum.
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Affiliation(s)
- D OSTATNÍKOVÁ
- Institute of Physiology, Academic Research Centre for Autism, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
| | - S LAKATOŠOVÁ
- Institute of Physiology, Academic Research Centre for Autism, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
| | - J BABKOVÁ
- Institute of Physiology, Academic Research Centre for Autism, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
| | - J HODOSY
- Institute of Physiology, Academic Research Centre for Autism, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
| | - P CELEC
- Institute of Physiology, Academic Research Centre for Autism, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovak Republic
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10
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West AN, Diaz-Thomas AM, Shafi NI. Evidence Limitations in Determining Sexually Dimorphic Outcomes in Pediatric Post-Traumatic Hypopituitarism and the Path Forward. Front Neurol 2020; 11:551923. [PMID: 33324312 PMCID: PMC7726201 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2020.551923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuroendocrine dysfunction can occur as a consequence of traumatic brain injury (TBI), and disruptions to the hypothalamic-pituitary axis can be especially consequential to children. The purpose of our review is to summarize current literature relevant to studying sex differences in pediatric post-traumatic hypopituitarism (PTHP). Our understanding of incidence, time course, and impact is constrained by studies which are primarily small, are disadvantaged by significant methodological challenges, and have investigated limited temporal windows. Because hormonal changes underpin the basis of growth and development, the timing of injury and PTHP testing with respect to pubertal stage gains particular importance. Reciprocal relationships among neuroendocrine function, TBI, adverse childhood events, and physiological, psychological and cognitive sequelae are underconsidered influencers of sexually dimorphic outcomes. In light of the tremendous heterogeneity in this body of literature, we conclude with the common path upon which we must collectively arrive in order to make progress in understanding PTHP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alina Nico West
- Division of Critical Care Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, United States
| | - Alicia M Diaz-Thomas
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, United States
| | - Nadeem I Shafi
- Division of Critical Care Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, United States
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11
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Samango‐Sprouse C, Lasutschinkow PC, Mitchell F, Porter GF, Hendrie P, Powell S, Sadeghin T, Gropman A. 49,
XXXXY
syndrome: A study of neurological function in this uncommon X and Y chromosomal disorder. Am J Med Genet A 2020; 185:3557-3566. [DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.a.61742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2019] [Revised: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 06/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Carole Samango‐Sprouse
- Department of PediatricsGeorge Washington University Washington District of Columbia USA
- Department of Human and Molecular GeneticsFlorida International University Miami Florida USA
- ResearchThe Focus Foundation Maryland USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Sherida Powell
- Department of EconomicsGeorge Washington University Washington District of Columbia USA
| | | | - Andrea Gropman
- Division of Neurogenetics and Developments PediatricsChildren's National Health System Washington District of Columbia USA
- Department of NeurologyGeorge Washington University Washington District of Columbia USA
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12
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Mason KA, Schoelwer MJ, Rogol AD. Androgens During Infancy, Childhood, and Adolescence: Physiology and Use in Clinical Practice. Endocr Rev 2020; 41:5770947. [PMID: 32115641 DOI: 10.1210/endrev/bnaa003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2019] [Accepted: 02/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
We provide an in-depth review of the role of androgens in male maturation and development, from the fetal stage through adolescence into emerging adulthood, and discuss the treatment of disorders of androgen production throughout these time periods. Testosterone, the primary androgen produced by males, has both anabolic and androgenic effects. Androgen exposure induces virilization and anabolic body composition changes during fetal development, influences growth and virilization during infancy, and stimulates development of secondary sexual characteristics, growth acceleration, bone mass accrual, and alterations of body composition during puberty. Disorders of androgen production may be subdivided into hypo- or hypergonadotropic hypogonadism. Hypogonadotropic hypogonadism may be either congenital or acquired (resulting from cranial radiation, trauma, or less common causes). Hypergonadotropic hypogonadism occurs in males with Klinefelter syndrome and may occur in response to pelvic radiation, certain chemotherapeutic agents, and less common causes. These disorders all require testosterone replacement therapy during pubertal maturation and many require lifelong replacement. Androgen (or gonadotropin) therapy is clearly beneficial in those with persistent hypogonadism and self-limited delayed puberty and is now widely used in transgender male adolescents. With more widespread use and newer formulations approved for adults, data from long-term randomized placebo-controlled trials are needed to enable pediatricians to identify the optimal age of initiation, route of administration, and dosing frequency to address the unique needs of their patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly A Mason
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia
| | | | - Alan D Rogol
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia
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13
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Lawrence KE, Hernandez LM, Bowman HC, Padgaonkar NT, Fuster E, Jack A, Aylward E, Gaab N, Van Horn JD, Bernier RA, Geschwind DH, McPartland JC, Nelson CA, Webb SJ, Pelphrey KA, Green SA, Bookheimer SY, Dapretto M. Sex Differences in Functional Connectivity of the Salience, Default Mode, and Central Executive Networks in Youth with ASD. Cereb Cortex 2020; 30:5107-5120. [PMID: 32350530 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2019] [Revised: 03/10/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with the altered functional connectivity of 3 neurocognitive networks that are hypothesized to be central to the symptomatology of ASD: the salience network (SN), default mode network (DMN), and central executive network (CEN). Due to the considerably higher prevalence of ASD in males, however, previous studies examining these networks in ASD have used primarily male samples. It is thus unknown how these networks may be differentially impacted among females with ASD compared to males with ASD, and how such differences may compare to those observed in neurotypical individuals. Here, we investigated the functional connectivity of the SN, DMN, and CEN in a large, well-matched sample of girls and boys with and without ASD (169 youth, ages 8-17). Girls with ASD displayed greater functional connectivity between the DMN and CEN than boys with ASD, whereas typically developing girls and boys differed in SN functional connectivity only. Together, these results demonstrate that youth with ASD exhibit altered sex differences in these networks relative to what is observed in typical development, and highlight the importance of considering sex-related biological factors and participant sex when characterizing the neural mechanisms underlying ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine E Lawrence
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Leanna M Hernandez
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Hilary C Bowman
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Namita T Padgaonkar
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Emily Fuster
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Allison Jack
- Autism & Neurodevelopmental Disorders Institute, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, USA.,Dept. of Pharmacology & Physiology, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, DC 20052, USA
| | - Elizabeth Aylward
- Center for Integrative Brain Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Nadine Gaab
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.,Harvard Graduate School of Education, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - John D Van Horn
- Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA
| | - Raphael A Bernier
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Daniel H Geschwind
- Department of Neurology and Center for Neurobehavioral Genetics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - James C McPartland
- Department of Pediatrics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.,Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Charles A Nelson
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Department of Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Sara J Webb
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA.,Center on Child Health, Behavior, and Development, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
| | - Kevin A Pelphrey
- Department of Neurology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA
| | - Shulamite A Green
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Susan Y Bookheimer
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Mirella Dapretto
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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14
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Le Dieu-Lugon B, Dupré N, Legouez L, Leroux P, Gonzalez BJ, Marret S, Leroux-Nicollet I, Cleren C. Why considering sexual differences is necessary when studying encephalopathy of prematurity through rodent models. Eur J Neurosci 2019; 52:2560-2574. [PMID: 31885096 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2019] [Revised: 10/25/2019] [Accepted: 12/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Preterm birth is a high-risk factor for the development of gray and white matter abnormalities, referred to as "encephalopathy of prematurity," that may lead to life-long motor, cognitive, and behavioral impairments. The prevalence and clinical outcomes of encephalopathy of prematurity differ between sexes, and elucidating the underlying biological basis has become a high-priority challenge. Human studies are often limited to assessment of brain region volumes by MRI, which does not provide much information about the underlying mechanisms of lesions related to very preterm birth. However, models using KO mice or pharmacological manipulations in rodents allow relevant observations to help clarify the mechanisms of injury sustaining sex-differential vulnerability. This review focuses on data obtained from mice aged P1-P5 or rats aged P3 when submitted to cerebral damage such as hypoxia-ischemia, as their brain lesions share similarities with lesion patterns occurring in very preterm human brain, before 32 gestational weeks. We first report data on the mechanisms underlying the development of sexual brain dimorphism in rodent, focusing on the hippocampus. In the second part, we describe sex specificities of rodent models of encephalopathy of prematurity (RMEP), focusing on mechanisms underlying differences in hippocampal vulnerability. Finally, we discuss the relevance of these RMEP. Together, this review highlights the need to systematically search for potential effects of sex when studying the mechanisms underlying deficits in RMEP in order to design effective sex-specific medical interventions in human preterms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bérénice Le Dieu-Lugon
- Normandy Centre for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, UNIROUEN, Inserm U1245 Team 4, Normandy University, Rouen, France
| | - Nicolas Dupré
- Normandy Centre for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, UNIROUEN, Inserm U1245 Team 4, Normandy University, Rouen, France
| | - Lou Legouez
- Normandy Centre for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, UNIROUEN, Inserm U1245 Team 4, Normandy University, Rouen, France
| | - Philippe Leroux
- Normandy Centre for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, UNIROUEN, Inserm U1245 Team 4, Normandy University, Rouen, France
| | - Bruno J Gonzalez
- Normandy Centre for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, UNIROUEN, Inserm U1245 Team 4, Normandy University, Rouen, France
| | - Stéphane Marret
- Normandy Centre for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, UNIROUEN, Inserm U1245 Team 4, Normandy University, Rouen, France.,Department of Neonatal Paediatrics and Intensive Care, Rouen University Hospital, Rouen, France
| | - Isabelle Leroux-Nicollet
- Normandy Centre for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, UNIROUEN, Inserm U1245 Team 4, Normandy University, Rouen, France
| | - Carine Cleren
- Normandy Centre for Genomic and Personalized Medicine, UNIROUEN, Inserm U1245 Team 4, Normandy University, Rouen, France
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15
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Origins and Impact of Psychological Traits in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. Med Sci (Basel) 2019; 7:medsci7080086. [PMID: 31387252 PMCID: PMC6723772 DOI: 10.3390/medsci7080086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2019] [Revised: 07/25/2019] [Accepted: 07/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) exhibit compromised psychiatric health. Independent of obesity, women with PCOS are more susceptible to have anxiety and depression diagnoses and other neuropsychiatric disorders. During pregnancy women with PCOS display high circulating androgen levels that may cause prenatal androgen exposure affecting the growing fetus and increasing the risk of mood disorders in offspring. Increasing evidence supports a non-genetic, maternal contribution to the development of PCOS and anxiety disorders in the next generation. Prenatal androgenized rodent models reflecting the anxiety-like phenotype of PCOS in the offspring, found evidence for the altered placenta and androgen receptor function in the amygdala, together with changes in the expression of genes associated with emotional regulation and steroid receptors in the amygdala and hippocampus. These findings defined a previously unknown mechanism that may be critical in understanding how maternal androgen excess can increase the risk of developing anxiety disorders in daughters and partly in sons of PCOS mothers. Maternal obesity is another common feature of PCOS causing an unfavorable intrauterine environment which may contribute to psychiatric problems in the offspring. Whether environmental factors such as prenatal androgen exposure and obesity increase the offspring's susceptibility to develop psychiatric ill-health will be discussed.
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16
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Sobolewski M, Anderson T, Conrad K, Marvin E, Klocke C, Morris-Schaffer K, Allen JL, Cory-Slechta DA. Developmental exposures to ultrafine particle air pollution reduces early testosterone levels and adult male social novelty preference: Risk for children's sex-biased neurobehavioral disorders. Neurotoxicology 2018; 68:203-211. [PMID: 30144459 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2018.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2018] [Revised: 08/20/2018] [Accepted: 08/20/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Epidemiological studies have reported associations of air pollution exposures with various neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit and schizophrenia, all of which are male-biased in prevalence. Our studies of early postnatal exposure of mice to the ultrafine particle (UFP) component of air pollution, considered the most reactive component, provide support for these epidemiological associations, demonstrating male-specific or male-biased neuropathological changes and cognitive and impulsivity deficits consistent with these disorders. Since these neurodevelopmental disorders also include altered social behavior and communication, the current study examined the ability of developmental UFP exposure to reproduce these social behavior deficits and to determine whether any observed alterations reflected changes in steroid hormone concentrations. Elevated plus maze, social conditioned place preference, and social novelty preference were examined in adult mice that had been exposed to concentrated (10-20x) ambient UFPs averaging approximately 45 ug/m3 particle mass concentrations from postnatal day (PND) 4-7 and 10-13 for 4 h/day. Changes in serum testosterone (T) and corticosterone where measured at postnatal day (P)14 and approximately P120. UFP exposure decreased serum T concentrations on PND 14 and social nose-to-nose sniff rates with novel males in adulthood, suggesting social communication deficits in unfamiliar social contexts. Decreased sniff rates were not accounted for by alterations in fear-mediated behaviors and occurred without overt deficits in social preference, recognition or communication with a familiar animal or alterations in corticosterone. Adult T serum concentrations were positively correlated with nose to nose sniff rates. Collectively, these studies confirm another feature of male-biased neurodevelopmental disorders following developmental exposures to even very low levels of UFP air pollution that could be related to alterations in sex steroid programming of brain function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marissa Sobolewski
- Dept. of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical School, Rochester, NY, United States
| | - Timothy Anderson
- Dept. of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical School, Rochester, NY, United States
| | - Katherine Conrad
- Dept. of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical School, Rochester, NY, United States
| | - Elena Marvin
- Dept. of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical School, Rochester, NY, United States
| | - Carolyn Klocke
- Dept. of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical School, Rochester, NY, United States
| | - Keith Morris-Schaffer
- Dept. of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical School, Rochester, NY, United States
| | - Joshua L Allen
- Dept. of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical School, Rochester, NY, United States
| | - Deborah A Cory-Slechta
- Dept. of Environmental Medicine, University of Rochester Medical School, Rochester, NY, United States.
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17
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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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18
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Beking T, Geuze RH, van Faassen M, Kema IP, Kreukels BPC, Groothuis TGG. Prenatal and pubertal testosterone affect brain lateralization. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2018; 88:78-91. [PMID: 29195161 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2017.10.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2017] [Revised: 10/31/2017] [Accepted: 10/31/2017] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
After decades of research, the influence of prenatal testosterone on brain lateralization is still elusive, whereas the influence of pubertal testosterone on functional brain lateralization has not been investigated, although there is increasing evidence that testosterone affects the brain in puberty. We performed a longitudinal study, investigating the relationship between prenatal testosterone concentrations in amniotic fluid, pubertal testosterone concentrations in saliva, and brain lateralization (measured with functional Transcranial Doppler ultrasonography (fTCD)) of the Mental Rotation, Chimeric Faces and Word Generation tasks. Thirty boys and 30 girls participated in this study at the age of 15 years. For boys, we found a significant interaction effect between prenatal and pubertal testosterone on lateralization of Mental Rotation and Chimeric Faces. In the boys with low prenatal testosterone levels, pubertal testosterone was positively related to the strength of lateralization in the right hemisphere, while in the boys with high prenatal testosterone levels, pubertal testosterone was negatively related to the strength of lateralization. For Word Generation, pubertal testosterone was negatively related to the strength of lateralization in the left hemisphere in boys. For girls, we did not find any significant effects, possibly because their pubertal testosterone levels were in many cases below quantification limit. To conclude, prenatal and pubertal testosterone affect lateralization in a task-specific way. Our findings cannot be explained by simple models of prenatal testosterone affecting brain lateralization in a similar way for all tasks. We discuss alternative models involving age dependent effects of testosterone, with a role for androgen receptor distribution and efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Beking
- University of Groningen, Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences, Department Clinical & Developmental Neuropsychology, Grote Kruisstraat 2/1, 9712 TS Groningen, The Netherlands.
| | - R H Geuze
- University of Groningen, Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences, Department Clinical & Developmental Neuropsychology, Grote Kruisstraat 2/1, 9712 TS Groningen, The Netherlands.
| | - M van Faassen
- University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Laboratory Medicine, Hanzeplein 1, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands.
| | - I P Kema
- University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Laboratory Medicine, Hanzeplein 1, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands.
| | - B P C Kreukels
- VU University Medical Center Amsterdam, Department of Medical Psychology, Center of Expertise on Gender Dysphoria, PO Box 7057, 1007 MB, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - T G G Groothuis
- University of Groningen, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands.
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19
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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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20
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Welker KM, Roy ARK, Geniole S, Kitayama S, Carré JM. Taking risks for personal gain: An investigation of self-construal and testosterone responses to competition. Soc Neurosci 2017; 14:99-113. [DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2017.1407822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Keith M. Welker
- Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ashlin R. K. Roy
- Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Shawn Geniole
- Department of Psychology, Nipissing University, North Bay, Canada
- Department of Basic Psychological Research and Research Methods, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Shinobu Kitayama
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Justin M. Carré
- Department of Psychology, Nipissing University, North Bay, Canada
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21
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Marsh APL, Edwards TJ, Galea C, Cooper HM, Engle EC, Jamuar SS, Méneret A, Moutard ML, Nava C, Rastetter A, Robinson G, Rouleau G, Roze E, Spencer-Smith M, Trouillard O, Billette de Villemeur T, Walsh CA, Yu TW, Heron D, Sherr EH, Richards LJ, Depienne C, Leventer RJ, Lockhart PJ. DCC mutation update: Congenital mirror movements, isolated agenesis of the corpus callosum, and developmental split brain syndrome. Hum Mutat 2017; 39:23-39. [PMID: 29068161 DOI: 10.1002/humu.23361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2017] [Revised: 10/08/2017] [Accepted: 10/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The deleted in colorectal cancer (DCC) gene encodes the netrin-1 (NTN1) receptor DCC, a transmembrane protein required for the guidance of commissural axons. Germline DCC mutations disrupt the development of predominantly commissural tracts in the central nervous system (CNS) and cause a spectrum of neurological disorders. Monoallelic, missense, and predicted loss-of-function DCC mutations cause congenital mirror movements, isolated agenesis of the corpus callosum (ACC), or both. Biallelic, predicted loss-of-function DCC mutations cause developmental split brain syndrome (DSBS). Although the underlying molecular mechanisms leading to disease remain poorly understood, they are thought to stem from reduced or perturbed NTN1 signaling. Here, we review the 26 reported DCC mutations associated with abnormal CNS development in humans, including 14 missense and 12 predicted loss-of-function mutations, and discuss their associated clinical characteristics and diagnostic features. We provide an update on the observed genotype-phenotype relationships of congenital mirror movements, isolated ACC and DSBS, and correlate this to our current understanding of the biological function of DCC in the development of the CNS. All mutations and their associated phenotypes were deposited into a locus-specific LOVD (https://databases.lovd.nl/shared/genes/DCC).
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley P L Marsh
- Bruce Lefroy Centre for Genetic Health Research, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Timothy J Edwards
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, Australia.,Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Herston, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Charles Galea
- Drug Delivery, Disposition and Dynamics (D4), Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Helen M Cooper
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Elizabeth C Engle
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.,Manton Center for Orphan Disease Research, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.,Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Saumya S Jamuar
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.,Manton Center for Orphan Disease Research, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Paediatrics, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Paediatric Academic Clinical Programme, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Aurélie Méneret
- INSERM, U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06 UMR S 1127, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière, ICM, Paris, France.,Département de Neurologie, AP-HP, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Marie-Laure Moutard
- Service de Neuropédiatrie, AP-HP, Hôpital Trousseau, Paris, France.,UPMC, GRC ConCer-LD, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France.,Centre de référence "Neurogénétique", Paris, France
| | - Caroline Nava
- INSERM, U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06 UMR S 1127, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière, ICM, Paris, France.,Département de Génétique, AP-HP, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Agnès Rastetter
- INSERM, U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06 UMR S 1127, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière, ICM, Paris, France
| | - Gail Robinson
- Neuropsychology Research Unit, School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Guy Rouleau
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University Health Center, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Emmanuel Roze
- INSERM, U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06 UMR S 1127, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière, ICM, Paris, France.,Département de Neurologie, AP-HP, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Megan Spencer-Smith
- Clinical Sciences, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,School of Psychological Sciences and Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences, Monash University, Clayton Campus, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Oriane Trouillard
- INSERM, U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06 UMR S 1127, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière, ICM, Paris, France
| | - Thierry Billette de Villemeur
- Service de Neuropédiatrie, AP-HP, Hôpital Trousseau, Paris, France.,UPMC, GRC ConCer-LD, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France.,Centre de Référence "déficiences intellectuelles de causes rares", Paris, France.,INSERM U1141, Paris, France
| | - Christopher A Walsh
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.,Manton Center for Orphan Disease Research, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.,Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts.,Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Timothy W Yu
- Division of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.,Program in Medical and Population Genetics, Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts.,Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | | | - Delphine Heron
- UPMC, GRC ConCer-LD, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France.,Département de Génétique, AP-HP, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Elliott H Sherr
- Department of Neurology, UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital, San Francisco, California
| | - Linda J Richards
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Brisbane, Australia.,The University of Queensland, School of Biomedical Sciences, St Lucia, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Christel Depienne
- INSERM, U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06 UMR S 1127, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière, ICM, Paris, France.,Département de Génétique, AP-HP, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France.,Département de Médicine translationnelle et Neurogénétique, IGBMC, CNRS UMR 7104, INSERM U964, Université de Strasbourg, Illkirch, France.,Laboratoires de génétique, Institut de génétique médicale d'Alsace, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Richard J Leventer
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Neuroscience Research Group, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Neurology, University of Melbourne, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Paul J Lockhart
- Bruce Lefroy Centre for Genetic Health Research, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
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22
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Redmond SM, Ash AC. Associations Between the 2D:4D Proxy Biomarker for Prenatal Hormone Exposures and Symptoms of Developmental Language Disorder. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2017; 60:3226-3236. [PMID: 29086795 PMCID: PMC5945080 DOI: 10.1044/2017_jslhr-l-17-0143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2017] [Revised: 05/26/2017] [Accepted: 06/22/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Relative lengths of the index (2D) and ring (4D) fingers in humans represent a retrospective biomarker of prenatal hormonal exposures. For this reason, the 2D:4D digit ratio can be used to investigate potential hormonal contributions to the etiology of neurodevelopmental disorders. This study tested potential group differences in 2D:4D digit ratios in a sample of boys with and without developmental language disorder (DLD) and examined the strength of associations between 2D:4D digit ratio and a battery of verbal and nonverbal measures. METHOD A group of 29 boys affected by DLD and a group of 76 boys with typical language abilities participated (age range = 5;6-11;0 years). Scanned images were used to measure finger lengths. Language measures included the core language subtests from the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals-Fourth Edition (Semel, Wiig, & Secord, 2003), a nonword repetition task, a sentence recall task, and the Test of Early Grammatical Impairment (Rice & Wexler, 2001). RESULTS Significant group differences indicated lower 2D:4D digit ratios in the group with DLD. Modest associations were found between 2D:4D digit ratios and some Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamentals-Fourth Edition subtests. CONCLUSIONS Prenatal hormone exposures may play a role in the etiology of some language symptoms.
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23
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Cho J, Holditch-Davis D, Su X, Phillips V, Biasini F, Carlo WA. Associations Between Hormonal Biomarkers and Cognitive, Motor, and Language Developmental Status in Very Low Birth Weight Infants. Nurs Res 2017; 66:350-358. [PMID: 28661908 PMCID: PMC5604880 DOI: 10.1097/nnr.0000000000000228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Male infants are more prone to health problems and developmental delays than female infants. OBJECTIVES On the basis of theories of gender differences in brain development and social relationships, we explored associations between testosterone and cortisol levels with infant cognitive, motor, and language development ("infant development") in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants, controlling for mother-infant interactions, characteristics of mothers and infants, and days of saliva collection after birth. METHODS A total of 62 mother-VLBW infant pairs were recruited from the newborn intensive care unit of a tertiary medical center in the Southeast United States. Data were collected through infant medical record review, biochemical measurement, observation of mother-infant interactions, and standard questionnaires. Infant development was assessed at 6 months corrected age (CA), and mother-infant interactions were observed at 3 and 6 months CA. RESULTS General linear regression with separate analyses for each infant gender showed that high testosterone levels were positively associated with language development of male infants after controlling for mother-infant interactions and other covariates, whereas high cortisol levels were negatively associated with motor development of female infants after controlling for mother-infant interactions. CONCLUSIONS Steroid hormonal levels may well be more fundamental factors for assessing infant development than infant gender or mother-infant interactions at 6 months CA.
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Affiliation(s)
- June Cho
- June Cho, PhD, RN, was Assistant Professor, School of Nursing, University of Alabama at Birmingham, at the time this research was completed. She is now Associate Professor, School of Nursing, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina. Diane Holditch-Davis, PhD, RN, FAAN, is Professor Emerita, School of Nursing, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina. Xiaogang Su, PhD, is Associate Professor, Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso. Vivien Phillips, BSN, RN, is Research Nurse Coordinator, Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham. Fred Biasini, PhD, is Associate Professor, Director of Alabama UCEDD and LEND, Director of Civitan/Sparks Clinics, and Director of UAB Early Head Start, Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham. Waldemar A. Carlo, MD, is Professor, Director of Division of Neonatology, and Director of Newborn Nurseries, Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham
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24
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Abstract
Prenatal insults, such as maternal stress, are associated with an increased neurodevelopmental disease risk and impact males significantly more than females, including increased rates of autism, mental retardation, stuttering, dyslexia, and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Sex differences in the placenta, which begin with sex chromosomes, are likely to produce sex-specific transplacental signals to the developing brain. Our studies and others have identified X-linked genes that are expressed at higher levels in the female placenta. Through a genome-wide screen after maternal stress in mice, we identified the X-linked gene O-linked N-acetylglucosamine transferase (OGT) and demonstrated its causality in neurodevelopmental programming producing a male-specific stress phenotype. Elucidating the sex-specific molecular mechanisms involved in transplacental signals that impact brain development is key to understanding the sex bias in neurodevelopmental disorders and is expected to yield novel insight into disease risk and resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tracy L Bale
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine and Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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25
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Rice TR. Postnatal testosterone may be an important mediator of the association between prematurity and male neurodevelopmental disorders: a hypothesis. Int J Adolesc Med Health 2017; 29:/j/ijamh.2017.29.issue-2/ijamh-2015-0047/ijamh-2015-0047.xml. [PMID: 26356360 DOI: 10.1515/ijamh-2015-0047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2015] [Accepted: 07/14/2015] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Children born premature are at risk for neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism and schizophrenia. This piece advances the hypothesis that altered androgen exposure observed in premature infants is an important mediator of the neurodevelopmental risk in males associated with prematurity. Specifically, the alterations of normative physiologic postnatal activations of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis that occur in preterm males are hypothesized to contribute to the risk of neuropsychiatric pathology of prematurity through altered androgen-mediated organizational effects on the developing brain. The physiology of testosterone and male central nervous system development in full-term births is reviewed and compared to the developmental processes of prematurity. The effects of the altered testosterone physiology observed within prematurity outside of the central nervous system are reviewed as a segue into a discussion of the effects within the nervous system, with a special focus on autism spectrum disorders and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The explanatory power of this model is reviewed as a supplement to the preexisting models of prematurity and neurodevelopmental risk, including infection and other perinatal central nervous system insults. The emphasis is placed on altered androgen exposure as serving as just one among many mediators of neurodevelopmental risk that may be of interest for further research and evidence-based investigation. Implications for diagnosis, management and preventative treatments conclude the piece.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy R Rice
- Department of Psychiatry, The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1 Gustave L Levy Place, Box 1230, New York, NY 10029
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26
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Hujoel PP, Masterson EE, Bollen AM. Lower face asymmetry as a marker for developmental instability. Am J Hum Biol 2017; 29. [DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.23005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2016] [Revised: 01/23/2017] [Accepted: 03/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Philippe P. Hujoel
- Oral Health Sciences; School of Dentistry, University of Washington; Box 357475, Seattle WA 98115
| | - Erin E. Masterson
- Oral Health Sciences; School of Dentistry, University of Washington; Box 357475, Seattle WA 98115
| | - A-M Bollen
- Orthodontics; School of Dentistry, University of Washington, Health Sciences; Box 357446, Seattle WA 98115
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27
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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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28
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Marsh APL, Heron D, Edwards TJ, Quartier A, Galea C, Nava C, Rastetter A, Moutard ML, Anderson V, Bitoun P, Bunt J, Faudet A, Garel C, Gillies G, Gobius I, Guegan J, Heide S, Keren B, Lesne F, Lukic V, Mandelstam SA, McGillivray G, McIlroy A, Méneret A, Mignot C, Morcom LR, Odent S, Paolino A, Pope K, Riant F, Robinson GA, Spencer-Smith M, Srour M, Stephenson SEM, Tankard R, Trouillard O, Welniarz Q, Wood A, Brice A, Rouleau G, Attié-Bitach T, Delatycki MB, Mandel JL, Amor DJ, Roze E, Piton A, Bahlo M, Billette de Villemeur T, Sherr EH, Leventer RJ, Richards LJ, Lockhart PJ, Depienne C. Mutations in DCC cause isolated agenesis of the corpus callosum with incomplete penetrance. Nat Genet 2017; 49:511-514. [PMID: 28250454 DOI: 10.1038/ng.3794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2016] [Accepted: 01/25/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Brain malformations involving the corpus callosum are common in children with developmental disabilities. We identified DCC mutations in four families and five sporadic individuals with isolated agenesis of the corpus callosum (ACC) without intellectual disability. DCC mutations result in variable dominant phenotypes with decreased penetrance, including mirror movements and ACC associated with a favorable developmental prognosis. Possible phenotypic modifiers include the type and location of mutation and the sex of the individual.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley P L Marsh
- Bruce Lefroy Centre for Genetic Health Research, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Delphine Heron
- AP-HP, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, Département de Génétique, Paris, France.,Groupe de Recherche Clinique (GRC) `Déficience Intellectuelle et Autisme' UPMC, Paris, France.,Centre de Référence `Déficiences Intellectuelles de Causes Rares', Paris, France
| | - Timothy J Edwards
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, Australia.,School of Medicine, University of Queensland, Herston, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Angélique Quartier
- IGBMC, Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, INSERM, UMR7104 U964, Strasbourg, France
| | - Charles Galea
- Drug Delivery, Disposition and Dynamics (D4), Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Caroline Nava
- AP-HP, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, Département de Génétique, Paris, France.,INSERM, U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06 UMR S 1127, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Épinière (ICM), Paris, France
| | - Agnès Rastetter
- INSERM, U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06 UMR S 1127, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Épinière (ICM), Paris, France
| | - Marie-Laure Moutard
- AP-HP, Hôpital Trousseau, Service de Neuropédiatrie, Paris, France.,UPMC, GRC ConCer-LD, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France.,Centre de Référence `Neurogénétique', Paris, France
| | - Vicki Anderson
- Developmental Imaging and Child Neuropsychology Research Groups, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Pierre Bitoun
- Génétique Médicale, CHU Paris Nord, Hôpital Jean Verdier, Bondy, France
| | - Jens Bunt
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Anne Faudet
- AP-HP, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, Département de Génétique, Paris, France
| | - Catherine Garel
- AP-HP GHUEP, Hôpital Armand Trousseau, Service de Radiologie, Paris, France
| | - Greta Gillies
- Bruce Lefroy Centre for Genetic Health Research, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ilan Gobius
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, Australia
| | | | - Solveig Heide
- AP-HP, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, Département de Génétique, Paris, France.,Groupe de Recherche Clinique (GRC) `Déficience Intellectuelle et Autisme' UPMC, Paris, France
| | - Boris Keren
- AP-HP, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, Département de Génétique, Paris, France.,INSERM, U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06 UMR S 1127, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Épinière (ICM), Paris, France
| | - Fabien Lesne
- AP-HP, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, Département de Génétique, Paris, France
| | - Vesna Lukic
- Bioinformatics Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Simone A Mandelstam
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Radiology, University of Melbourne, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - George McGillivray
- Victorian Clinical Genetics Services, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Alissandra McIlroy
- Developmental Imaging and Child Neuropsychology Research Groups, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Aurélie Méneret
- INSERM, U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06 UMR S 1127, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Épinière (ICM), Paris, France.,AP-HP, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, Département de Neurologie, Paris, France
| | - Cyril Mignot
- AP-HP, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, Département de Génétique, Paris, France.,Groupe de Recherche Clinique (GRC) `Déficience Intellectuelle et Autisme' UPMC, Paris, France.,Centre de Référence `Déficiences Intellectuelles de Causes Rares', Paris, France
| | - Laura R Morcom
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Sylvie Odent
- Service de Génétique Clinique, Centre de Référence CLAD-Ouest, CHU Rennes, Rennes, France.,UMR 6290 CNRS, IGDR Institut de Génétique et Développement de Rennes, Université de Rennes 1, Rennes, France
| | - Annalisa Paolino
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Kate Pope
- Bruce Lefroy Centre for Genetic Health Research, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Florence Riant
- AP-HP, Groupe Hospitalier Saint-Louis -La Riboisière -Fernand Vidal, Laboratoire de Génétique, Paris, France
| | - Gail A Robinson
- Neuropsychology Research Unit, School of Psychology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Megan Spencer-Smith
- Developmental Imaging and Child Neuropsychology Research Groups, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,School of Psychological Sciences and Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Myriam Srour
- Department of Pediatrics, Montreal Children's Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University Health Center, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Sarah E M Stephenson
- Bruce Lefroy Centre for Genetic Health Research, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Rick Tankard
- Population Health and Immunity Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Oriane Trouillard
- INSERM, U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06 UMR S 1127, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Épinière (ICM), Paris, France
| | - Quentin Welniarz
- INSERM, U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06 UMR S 1127, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Épinière (ICM), Paris, France.,Institut de Biologie Paris Seine, Neuroscience Paris Seine, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, INSERM, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Amanda Wood
- Developmental Imaging and Child Neuropsychology Research Groups, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,School of Life and Health Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham, UK
| | - Alexis Brice
- AP-HP, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, Département de Génétique, Paris, France.,INSERM, U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06 UMR S 1127, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Épinière (ICM), Paris, France
| | - Guy Rouleau
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University Health Center, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Tania Attié-Bitach
- INSERM U1163, Laboratory of Embryology and Genetics of Congenital Malformations, Paris-Descartes University, Sorbonne Paris Cité and Imagine Institute, Paris, France.,AP-HP, Hôpital Necker-Enfants Malades, Département de Génétique, Paris, France
| | - Martin B Delatycki
- Bruce Lefroy Centre for Genetic Health Research, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Victorian Clinical Genetics Services, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jean-Louis Mandel
- IGBMC, Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, INSERM, UMR7104 U964, Strasbourg, France.,Laboratoires de Génétique, Institut de Génétique Médicale d'Alsace, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - David J Amor
- Bruce Lefroy Centre for Genetic Health Research, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Emmanuel Roze
- INSERM, U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06 UMR S 1127, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Épinière (ICM), Paris, France.,AP-HP, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, Département de Neurologie, Paris, France
| | - Amélie Piton
- IGBMC, Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, INSERM, UMR7104 U964, Strasbourg, France.,Laboratoires de Génétique, Institut de Génétique Médicale d'Alsace, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Melanie Bahlo
- Population Health and Immunity Division, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Thierry Billette de Villemeur
- Centre de Référence `Déficiences Intellectuelles de Causes Rares', Paris, France.,AP-HP, Hôpital Trousseau, Service de Neuropédiatrie, Paris, France.,UPMC, GRC ConCer-LD, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France.,INSERM U1141, Paris, France
| | - Elliott H Sherr
- Department of Neurology, UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Richard J Leventer
- Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Neuroscience Research Group, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Neurology, University of Melbourne, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Linda J Richards
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, Brisbane, Australia.,University of Queensland, School of Biomedical Sciences, St. Lucia, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Paul J Lockhart
- Bruce Lefroy Centre for Genetic Health Research, Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Christel Depienne
- AP-HP, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, Département de Génétique, Paris, France.,IGBMC, Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, INSERM, UMR7104 U964, Strasbourg, France.,INSERM, U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06 UMR S 1127, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle Épinière (ICM), Paris, France.,Laboratoires de Génétique, Institut de Génétique Médicale d'Alsace, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
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29
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Bale TL, Epperson CN. Sex as a Biological Variable: Who, What, When, Why, and How. Neuropsychopharmacology 2017; 42:386-396. [PMID: 27658485 PMCID: PMC5399243 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2016.215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2016] [Revised: 08/22/2016] [Accepted: 09/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The inclusion of sex as a biological variable in research is absolutely essential for improving our understanding of disease mechanisms contributing to risk and resilience. Studies focusing on examining sex differences have demonstrated across many levels of analyses and stages of brain development and maturation that males and females can differ significantly. This review will discuss examples of animal models and clinical studies to provide guidance and reference for the inclusion of sex as an important biological variable relevant to a Neuropsychopharmacology audience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tracy L Bale
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Penn PROMOTES Research on Sex and Gender in Health, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry,Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - C Neill Epperson
- Penn PROMOTES Research on Sex and Gender in Health, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry,Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA, USA
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30
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Schmidt M, Lapert F, Brandwein C, Deuschle M, Kasperk C, Grimsley JM, Gass P. Prenatal stress changes courtship vocalizations and bone mineral density in mice. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2017; 75:203-212. [PMID: 27838514 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2016.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2016] [Revised: 11/03/2016] [Accepted: 11/03/2016] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Stress during the prenatal period has various effects on social and sexual behavior in both human and animal offspring. The present study examines the effects of chronic restraint stress in the second vs third trimester in pregnancy and glucocorticoid receptor (GR) heterozygous mutation on C57BL/6N male offspring's vocal courtship behavior in adulthood by applying a novel analyzing method. Finally, corticosterone and testosterone levels as well as bone mineral density were measured. Prenatal stress in the third, but not in the second trimester caused a significant qualitative change in males' courtship vocalizations, independent of their GR genotype. Bone mineral density was decreased also by prenatal stress exclusively in the third trimester in GR mutant and wildtype mice and - in contrast to corticosterone and testosterone - highly correlated with courtship vocalizations. In Gr+/- males corticosterone serum levels were significantly increased in animals that had experienced prenatal stress in the third trimester. Testosterone serum levels were overall increased in Gr+/- males in comparison to wildtypes as a tendency - whereas prenatal stress had no influence. Prenatal stress alters adult males' courtship vocalizations exclusively when applied in the third trimester, with closely related changes in bone mineral density. Bone mineral density seems to reflect best the complex neuroendocrine mechanisms underlying the production of courtship vocalizations. Besides, we demonstrated for the first time elevated basal corticosterone levels in Gr+/- males after prenatal stress which suggests that the Gr+/- mouse model of depression might also serve as a model of prenatal stress in male offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michaela Schmidt
- Central Institute of Mental Health Mannheim (ZI), Medical Faculty of Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, J5, D-68159 Mannheim, Germany.
| | - Florian Lapert
- Central Institute of Mental Health Mannheim (ZI), Medical Faculty of Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, J5, D-68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Christiane Brandwein
- Central Institute of Mental Health Mannheim (ZI), Medical Faculty of Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, J5, D-68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Michael Deuschle
- Central Institute of Mental Health Mannheim (ZI), Medical Faculty of Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, J5, D-68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Christian Kasperk
- Department of Medicine I and Clinical Chemistry, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jasmine M Grimsley
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, OH 44272, USA
| | - Peter Gass
- Central Institute of Mental Health Mannheim (ZI), Medical Faculty of Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, J5, D-68159 Mannheim, Germany
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31
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Yes, there is a female and a male brain: Morphology versus functionality. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2016; 113:E1971. [PMID: 26957594 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1524418113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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32
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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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33
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Heany SJ, van Honk J, Stein DJ, Brooks SJ. A quantitative and qualitative review of the effects of testosterone on the function and structure of the human social-emotional brain. Metab Brain Dis 2016; 31:157-67. [PMID: 26073231 PMCID: PMC4718938 DOI: 10.1007/s11011-015-9692-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2015] [Accepted: 05/26/2015] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Social and affective research in humans is increasingly using functional and structural neuroimaging techniques to aid the understanding of how hormones, such as testosterone, modulate a wide range of psychological processes. We conducted a meta-analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies of testosterone administration, and of fMRI studies that measured endogenous levels of the hormone, in relation to social and affective stimuli. Furthermore, we conducted a review of structural MRI i.e. voxel based morphometry (VBM) studies which considered brain volume in relation to testosterone levels in adults and in children. In the included testosterone administration fMRI studies, which consisted of female samples only, bilateral amygdala/parahippocampal regions as well as the right caudate were significantly activated by social-affective stimuli in the testosterone condition. In the studies considering endogenous levels of testosterone, stimuli-invoked activations relating to testosterone levels were noted in the bilateral amygdala/parahippocampal regions and the brainstem. When the endogenous testosterone studies were split by sex, the significant activation of the brain stem was seen in the female samples only. Significant stimuli-invoked deactivations relating to endogenous testosterone levels were also seen in the right and left amygdala/parahippocampal regions studies. The findings of the VBM studies were less consistent. In adults larger volumes in the limbic and temporal regions were associated with higher endogenous testosterone. In children, boys showed a positive correlation between testosterone and brain volume in many regions, including the amygdala, as well as global grey matter volume, while girls showed a neutral or negative association between testosterone levels and many brain volumes. In conclusion, amygdalar and parahippocampal regions appear to be key target regions for the acute actions of testosterone in response to social and affective stimuli, while neurodevelopmentally the volumes of a broader network of brain structures are associated with testosterone levels in a sexually dimorphic manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah J Heany
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Groote Schuur Hospital, J2, Anzio road, Observatory, Cape Town, South Africa.
| | - Jack van Honk
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Groote Schuur Hospital, J2, Anzio road, Observatory, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Dan J Stein
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Groote Schuur Hospital, J2, Anzio road, Observatory, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Samantha J Brooks
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Groote Schuur Hospital, J2, Anzio road, Observatory, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Neuroscience, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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34
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Abstract
Many important psychological characteristics show sex differences, and are influenced by sex hormones at different developmental periods. We focus on the role of sex hormones in early development, particularly the differential effects of prenatal androgens on aspects of gender development. Increasing evidence confirms that prenatal androgens have facilitative effects on male-typed activity interests and engagement (including child toy preferences and adult careers), and spatial abilities, but relatively minimal effects on gender identity. Recent emphasis has been directed to the psychological mechanisms underlying these effects (including sex differences in propulsive movement, and androgen effects on interest in people versus things), and neural substrates of androgen effects (including regional brain volumes, and neural responses to mental rotation, sexually arousing stimuli, emotion, and reward). Ongoing and planned work is focused on understanding the ways in which hormones act jointly with the social environment across time to produce varying trajectories of gender development, and clarifying mechanisms by which androgens affect behaviors. Such work will be facilitated by applying lessons from other species, and by expanding methodology. Understanding hormonal influences on gender development enhances knowledge of psychological development generally, and has important implications for basic and applied questions, including sex differences in psychopathology, women's underrepresentation in science and math, and clinical care of individuals with variations in gender expression.
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35
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Postorino V, Fatta LM, De Peppo L, Giovagnoli G, Armando M, Vicari S, Mazzone L. Longitudinal comparison between male and female preschool children with autism spectrum disorder. J Autism Dev Disord 2016; 45:2046-55. [PMID: 25633919 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-015-2366-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Epidemiological studies have highlighted a strong male bias in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), however few studies have examined gender differences in autism symptoms, and available findings are inconsistent. The aim of the present study is to investigate the longitudinal gender differences in developmental profiles of 30 female and 30 male age-matched preschool children with ASD. All the children underwent a comprehensive evaluation at T0 and at T1. Our results have shown no significant interaction between time and gender for predicting autism symptoms, developmental quotient, parental stress, children's adaptive skills and behavior problems. Shedding light on the developmental trajectories in ASD could help clinicians to recognize children with ASD at an earlier age and contribute to the development of appropriate treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Postorino
- Child Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Neuroscience, I.R.C.C.S. Children's Hospital Bambino Gesù, Piazza S. Onofrio, 4, 00165, Rome, Italy
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36
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Maternal testosterone exposure increases anxiety-like behavior and impacts the limbic system in the offspring. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015; 112:14348-53. [PMID: 26578781 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1507514112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
During pregnancy, women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) display high circulating androgen levels that may affect the fetus and increase the risk of mood disorders in offspring. This study investigated whether maternal androgen excess causes anxiety-like behavior in offspring mimicking anxiety disorders in PCOS. The PCOS phenotype was induced in rats following prenatal androgen (PNA) exposure. PNA offspring displayed anxiety-like behavior in the elevated plus maze, which was reversed by flutamide [androgen receptor (AR) blocker] and tamoxifen [selective estrogen receptor (ER) modulator]. Circulating sex steroids did not differ between groups at adult age. The expression of serotonergic and GABAergic genes associated with emotional regulation in the amygdala was consistent with anxiety-like behavior in female, and partly in male PNA offspring. Furthermore, AR expression in amygdala was reduced in female PNA offspring and also in females exposed to testosterone in adult age. To determine whether AR activation in amygdala affects anxiety-like behavior, female rats were given testosterone microinjections into amygdala, which resulted in anxiety-like behavior. Together, these data describe the anxiety-like behavior in PNA offspring and adult females with androgen excess, an impact that seems to occur during fetal life, and is mediated via AR in amygdala, together with changes in ERα, serotonergic, and GABAergic genes in amygdala and hippocampus. The anxiety-like behavior following testosterone microinjections into amygdala demonstrates a key role for AR activation in this brain area. These results suggest that maternal androgen excess may underpin the risk of developing anxiety disorders in daughters and sons of PCOS mothers.
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Floris DL, Lai MC, Auer T, Lombardo MV, Ecker C, Chakrabarti B, Wheelwright SJ, Bullmore ET, Murphy DGM, Baron-Cohen S, Suckling J. Atypically rightward cerebral asymmetry in male adults with autism stratifies individuals with and without language delay. Hum Brain Mapp 2015; 37:230-53. [PMID: 26493275 PMCID: PMC4913747 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.23023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2015] [Revised: 08/20/2015] [Accepted: 10/04/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
In humans, both language and fine motor skills are associated with left‐hemisphere specialization, whereas visuospatial skills are associated with right‐hemisphere specialization. Individuals with autism spectrum conditions (ASC) show a profile of deficits and strengths that involves these lateralized cognitive functions. Here we test the hypothesis that regions implicated in these functions are atypically rightward lateralized in individuals with ASC and, that such atypicality is associated with functional performance. Participants included 67 male, right‐handed adults with ASC and 69 age‐ and IQ‐matched neurotypical males. We assessed group differences in structural asymmetries in cortical regions of interest with voxel‐based analysis of grey matter volumes, followed by correlational analyses with measures of language, motor and visuospatial skills. We found stronger rightward lateralization within the inferior parietal lobule and reduced leftward lateralization extending along the auditory cortex comprising the planum temporale, Heschl's gyrus, posterior supramarginal gyrus, and parietal operculum, which was more pronounced in ASC individuals with delayed language onset compared to those without. Planned correlational analyses showed that for individuals with ASC, reduced leftward asymmetry in the auditory region was associated with more childhood social reciprocity difficulties. We conclude that atypical cerebral structural asymmetry is a potential candidate neurophenotype of ASC. Hum Brain Mapp 37:230–253, 2016. © 2015 The Authors Human Brain Mapping Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorothea L Floris
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Meng-Chuan Lai
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.,Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital and College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Tibor Auer
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Michael V Lombardo
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.,Department of Psychology and Center for Applied Neuroscience, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Christine Ecker
- Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopment, Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Bhismadev Chakrabarti
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.,Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and Neurodynamics, School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, United Kingdom
| | - Sally J Wheelwright
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Edward T Bullmore
- Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, United Kingdom.,Brain Mapping Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.,National Institute of Health Research, Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, Cambridge, United Kingdom.,Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Declan G M Murphy
- Sackler Institute for Translational Neurodevelopment, Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Simon Baron-Cohen
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.,Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, United Kingdom.,Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - John Suckling
- Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, United Kingdom.,Brain Mapping Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.,National Institute of Health Research, Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, Cambridge, United Kingdom.,Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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Sealey LA, Hughes BW, Pestaner JP, Steinemann A, Pace DG, Bagasra O. Environmental factors may contribute to autism development and male bias: Effects of fragrances on developing neurons. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2015; 142:731-8. [PMID: 26408793 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2015.08.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2015] [Revised: 08/20/2015] [Accepted: 08/25/2015] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are developmental conditions characterized by deficits in social interaction, impairments in verbal and nonverbal communication, and stereotyped patterns of behavior. Previous studies have implicated environmental factors in the development of ASD. Although no reliable neurophysiological network is associated with ASD, low levels of plasma oxytocin (OXY) and arginine vasopressin (AVP) have been reported. The "twin" nonapeptides OXY and AVP are mainly produced in the brain of mammals, and dysregulation of these neuropeptides has been associated with changes in behavior, especially social interactions. METHODS Previously, we analyzed 91 commonly used fragrances and reported significant mutagenic, neurocytotoxic, and stimulatory effects on fetal neuroblastoma cell lines (NBC). In this study, we analyzed the neuromodifications of three selected fragrances on male and female human fetal brain neurons, utilizing immunohistochemistry. RESULTS We show that exposure to femtomolar concentrations of fragrances results in morphological changes by light microscopy in the NBC. Importantly, these fragrances significantly reduced the OXY- and AVP-receptor positive (OXYR+ and AVPR+) neurons in male NBC but not in female NBC, possibly contributing to the development of male bias in ASD. CONCLUSION This study is the first to show a potential link between fragrance exposure, depletion of OXYR+ and AVPR+ neurons, and a male bias in autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leanna A Sealey
- South Carolina Center for Biotechnology at Claflin University, 400 Magnolia St., Orangeburg, SC, USA.
| | - Brandon W Hughes
- South Carolina Center for Biotechnology at Claflin University, 400 Magnolia St., Orangeburg, SC, USA.
| | | | - Anne Steinemann
- Chief Forensic Pathologist, Coroner's Office, County of Sacramento, Sacramento, CA, USA.
| | - Donald Gene Pace
- School of Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
| | - Omar Bagasra
- South Carolina Center for Biotechnology at Claflin University, 400 Magnolia St., Orangeburg, SC, USA; Professor and Interim Dean, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Claflin University, Orangeburg, SC, USA.
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Hu VW, Sarachana T, Sherrard RM, Kocher KM. Investigation of sex differences in the expression of RORA and its transcriptional targets in the brain as a potential contributor to the sex bias in autism. Mol Autism 2015; 6:7. [PMID: 26056561 PMCID: PMC4459681 DOI: 10.1186/2040-2392-6-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2014] [Accepted: 01/05/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by significant impairment in reciprocal social interactions and communication coupled with stereotyped, repetitive behaviors and restricted interests. Although genomic and functional studies are beginning to reveal some of the genetic complexity and underlying pathobiology of ASD, the consistently reported male bias of ASD remains an enigma. We have recently proposed that retinoic acid-related orphan receptor alpha (RORA), which is reduced in the brain and lymphoblastoid cell lines of multiple cohorts of individuals with ASD and oppositely regulated by male and female hormones, might contribute to the sex bias in autism by differentially regulating target genes, including CYP19A1 (aromatase), in a sex-dependent manner that can also lead to elevated testosterone levels, a proposed risk factor for autism. Methods In this study, we examine sex differences in RORA and aromatase protein levels in cortical tissues of unaffected and affected males and females by re-analyzing pre-existing confocal immunofluorescence data from our laboratory. We further investigated the expression of RORA and its correlation with several of its validated transcriptional targets in the orbital frontal cortex and cerebellum as a function of development using RNAseq data from the BrainSpan Atlas of the Developing Human Brain. In a pilot study, we also analyzed the expression of Rora and the same transcriptional targets in the cortex and cerebellum of adult wild-type male and female C57BL/6 mice. Results Our findings suggest that Rora/RORA and several of its transcriptional targets may exhibit sexually dimorphic expression in certain regions of the brain of both mice and humans. Interestingly, the correlation coefficients between Rora expression and that of its targets are much higher in the cortex of male mice relative to that of female mice. A strong positive correlation between the levels of RORA and aromatase proteins is also seen in the cortex of control human males and females as well as ASD males, but not ASD females. Conclusions Based on these studies, we suggest that disruption of Rora/RORA expression may have a greater impact on males, since sex differences in the correlation of RORA and target gene expression indicate that RORA-deficient males may experience greater dysregulation of genes relevant to ASD in certain brain regions during development. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/2040-2392-6-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valerie W Hu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, 2300 Eye St. NW, Washington, DC 20037 USA
| | - Tewarit Sarachana
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, 2300 Eye St. NW, Washington, DC 20037 USA ; Department of Clinical Chemistry, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Rachel M Sherrard
- Institut de Biologie Paris Seine, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06 & CNRS, UMR 8256 Biological Adaptation and Ageing, F-75005 Paris, France
| | - Kristen M Kocher
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, 2300 Eye St. NW, Washington, DC 20037 USA
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40
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Tanaka-Arakawa MM, Matsui M, Tanaka C, Uematsu A, Uda S, Miura K, Sakai T, Noguchi K. Developmental changes in the corpus callosum from infancy to early adulthood: a structural magnetic resonance imaging study. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0118760. [PMID: 25790124 PMCID: PMC4366394 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0118760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2013] [Accepted: 01/06/2015] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous research has reported on the development trajectory of the corpus callosum morphology. However, there have been only a few studies that have included data on infants. The goal of the present study was to examine the morphology of the corpus callosum in healthy participants of both sexes, from infancy to early adulthood. We sought to characterize normal development of the corpus callosum and possible sex differences in development. We performed a morphometric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study of 114 healthy individuals, aged 1 month to 25 years old, measuring the size of the corpus callosum. The corpus callosum was segmented into seven subareas of the rostrum, genu, rostral body, anterior midbody, posterior midbody, isthmus and splenium. Locally weighted regression analysis (LOESS) indicated significant non-linear age-related changes regardless of sex, particularly during the first few years of life. After this increase, curve slopes gradually became flat during adolescence and adulthood in both sexes. Age of local maximum for each subarea of the corpus callosum differed across the sexes. Ratios of total corpus callosum and genu, posterior midbody, as well as splenium to the whole brain were significantly higher in females compared with males. The present results demonstrate that the developmental trajectory of the corpus callosum during early life in healthy individuals is non-linear and dynamic. This pattern resembles that found for the cerebral cortex, further suggesting that this period plays a very important role in neural and functional development. In addition, developmental trajectories and changes in growth do show some sex differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megumi M. Tanaka-Arakawa
- Department of Psychology, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Mie Matsui
- Department of Psychology, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
- * E-mail:
| | - Chiaki Tanaka
- Department of Pediatrics, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Akiko Uematsu
- Department of Psychology, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Satoshi Uda
- Department of Psychology, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Kayoko Miura
- Department of Psychology, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Tomoko Sakai
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kyo Noguchi
- Department of Radiology, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
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41
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Differences in salivary testosterone, digit ratio and empathy between intellectually gifted and control boys. INTELLIGENCE 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.intell.2014.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
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Pangelinan MM, Leonard G, Perron M, Pike GB, Richer L, Veillette S, Pausova Z, Paus T. Puberty and testosterone shape the corticospinal tract during male adolescence. Brain Struct Funct 2014; 221:1083-94. [PMID: 25503450 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-014-0956-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2014] [Accepted: 12/03/2014] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Some of the known sex differences in white matter emerge during adolescence. Here, we replicate and extend our previous findings of sex differences in the structure of the corticospinal tract (Perrin et al. 2009; Hervé et al. 2009). In a large normative sample of adolescents, we observed age × sex interactions in the signal intensity of T1-weighted (T1W) images (n = 941) and in magnetization transfer ratio (MTR; n = 761); both features were inversely associated with age in males but not in females. Moreover, we hypothesized that the age-related differences in CST structure exhibited by males would be mediated by differences in puberty stage and levels of bioavailable testosterone. We confirmed this prediction using mediation analysis with bootstrapping. These findings suggest that sex differences in the CST structure observed during male adolescence may be due to multiple processes associated with puberty, including (but not limited to) the rising levels of testosterone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa M Pangelinan
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care, 3560 Bathurst Street, Toronto, ON, M6A 2E1, Canada
| | - Gabriel Leonard
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, 3801 University Street, Montreal, QC, H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Michel Perron
- ECOBES, Céjep de Jonquière, 2505 Rue Saint Hubert, Jonquière, QC, G7X 3W1, Canada
- Département des Sciences de la Santé, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, 555 Boulevard de l'Université, Chicoutimi, QC, G7H 2B1, Canada
| | - G Bruce Pike
- Faculty of Medicine, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, 3330 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Louis Richer
- Département des Sciences de la Santé, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, 555 Boulevard de l'Université, Chicoutimi, QC, G7H 2B1, Canada
| | - Suzanne Veillette
- ECOBES, Céjep de Jonquière, 2505 Rue Saint Hubert, Jonquière, QC, G7X 3W1, Canada
- Département des Sciences de la Santé, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, 555 Boulevard de l'Université, Chicoutimi, QC, G7H 2B1, Canada
| | - Zdenka Pausova
- The Hospital of Sick Children, Toronto, ON, M5G 1X8, Canada
| | - Tomáš Paus
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care, 3560 Bathurst Street, Toronto, ON, M6A 2E1, Canada.
- Departments of Psychology and Psychiatry, University of Toronto, 100 St. George Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 3G3, Canada.
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Kranz GS, Hahn A, Kaufmann U, Küblböck M, Hummer A, Ganger S, Seiger R, Winkler D, Swaab DF, Windischberger C, Kasper S, Lanzenberger R. White matter microstructure in transsexuals and controls investigated by diffusion tensor imaging. J Neurosci 2014; 34:15466-75. [PMID: 25392513 PMCID: PMC4699258 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2488-14.2014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2014] [Revised: 09/16/2014] [Accepted: 10/02/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Biological causes underpinning the well known gender dimorphisms in human behavior, cognition, and emotion have received increased attention in recent years. The advent of diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging has permitted the investigation of the white matter microstructure in unprecedented detail. Here, we aimed to study the potential influences of biological sex, gender identity, sex hormones, and sexual orientation on white matter microstructure by investigating transsexuals and healthy controls using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Twenty-three female-to-male (FtM) and 21 male-to-female (MtF) transsexuals, as well as 23 female (FC) and 22 male (MC) controls underwent DTI at 3 tesla. Fractional anisotropy, axial, radial, and mean diffusivity were calculated using tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) and fiber tractography. Results showed widespread significant differences in mean diffusivity between groups in almost all white matter tracts. FCs had highest mean diffusivities, followed by FtM transsexuals with lower values, MtF transsexuals with further reduced values, and MCs with lowest values. Investigating axial and radial diffusivities showed that a transition in axial diffusivity accounted for mean diffusivity results. No significant differences in fractional anisotropy maps were found between groups. Plasma testosterone levels were strongly correlated with mean, axial, and radial diffusivities. However, controlling for individual estradiol, testosterone, or progesterone plasma levels or for subjects' sexual orientation did not change group differences. Our data harmonize with the hypothesis that fiber tract development is influenced by the hormonal environment during late prenatal and early postnatal brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Martin Küblböck
- MR Centre of Excellence, Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria, and
| | - Allan Hummer
- MR Centre of Excellence, Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria, and
| | | | - Rene Seiger
- Departments of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy and
| | | | - Dick F Swaab
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, An Institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, 1105 BA Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Christian Windischberger
- MR Centre of Excellence, Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria, and
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Mowery TM, Wilson SM, Kostylev PV, Dina B, Buchholz JB, Prieto AL, Garraghty PE. Embryological exposure to valproic acid disrupts morphology of the deep cerebellar nuclei in a sexually dimorphic way. Int J Dev Neurosci 2014; 40:15-23. [PMID: 25447790 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijdevneu.2014.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2014] [Revised: 09/26/2014] [Accepted: 10/23/2014] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is diagnosed in males at a much higher rate than females. For this reason, the majority of autism research has used male subjects exclusively. However; more recent studies using genetic sex as a factor find that the development of the male and female brain is differentially affected by ASD. That is, the natural sex-specific differences that exist between male and female brains lead to sexually dimorphic expressions of autism. Here we investigate the putative sexual dimorphism that exists in the deep cerebellar nuclei of male and female rats exposed to valproic acid (VPA) on embryological day 12.5. We find natural sex-specific differences in adult nucleus area, length, and estimated cell populations. Therefore VPA exposure during embryology creates some sex-specific deficits such as higher cell counts in the VPA males and lower cell counts in the VPA females. At the same time, some effects of VPA exposure occur regardless of sex. That is, smaller nucleus area and length lead to truncated nuclei in both VPA males and females. These deficits are more pronounced in the VPA males suggesting that genetic sex could play a role in teratogenic susceptibility to VPA. Taken together our results suggests that VPA exposure induces sexually dimorphic aberrations in morphological development along a mediolateral gradient at a discrete region of the hindbrain approximate to rhombomere (R) 1 and 2. Sex-specific disruption of the local and long-range projections emanating from this locus of susceptibility could offer a parsimonious explanation for the brain-wide neuroanatomical variance reported in males and females with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Todd M Mowery
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States.
| | - Sarah M Wilson
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States
| | - Polina V Kostylev
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States
| | - Blair Dina
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States
| | - Jennifer B Buchholz
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States
| | - Anne L Prieto
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States; Program in Neuroscience, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States
| | - Preston E Garraghty
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States; Program in Neuroscience, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, United States
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45
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Liu F, Cao S, Liu J, Du Z, Guo Z, Ren C. Ultrasound measurement of the corpus callosum and neural development of premature infants. Neural Regen Res 2014; 8:2432-40. [PMID: 25206553 PMCID: PMC4146107 DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1673-5374.2013.26.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2013] [Accepted: 07/20/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Length and thickness of 152 corpus callosa were measured in neonates within 24 hours of birth. Using ultrasonic diagnostic equipment with a neonatal brain-specific probe, corpus callosum length and thickness of the genu, body, and splenium were measured on the standard mid-sagittal plane, and the anteroposterior diameter of the genu was measured in the coronal plane. Results showed that corpus callosum length as well as thickness of the genu and splenium increased with tional age and birth weight, while other measures did not. These three factors on the standard mid-sagittal plane are therefore likely to be suitable for real-time evaluation of corpus callosum velopment in premature infants using cranial ultrasound. Further analysis revealed that thickness of the body and splenium and the anteroposterior diameter of the genu were greater in male infants than in female infants, suggesting that there are sex differences in corpus callosum size during the neonatal period. A second set of measurements were taken from 40 premature infants whose gestational age was 34 weeks or less. Corpus callosum measurements were corrected to a gestational age of 40 weeks, and infants were grouped for analysis depending on the outcome of a neonatal behavioral neurological assessment. Compared with infants with a normal neurological assessment, corpus callosum length and genu and splenium thicknesses were less in those with abnormalities, indicating that corpus callosum growth in premature infants is associated with neurobehavioral development during the early extrauterine stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang Liu
- Department of Pediatrics, NICU, Bethune International Peace Hospital, Shijiazhuang 050082, Hebei Province, China
| | - Shikao Cao
- Department of Ultrasound, Bethune International Peace Hospital, Shijiazhuang 050082, Hebei Province, China
| | - Jiaoran Liu
- Department of Ultrasound, Bethune International Peace Hospital, Shijiazhuang 050082, Hebei Province, China
| | - Zhifang Du
- Department of Ultrasound, Bethune International Peace Hospital, Shijiazhuang 050082, Hebei Province, China
| | - Zhimei Guo
- Department of Ultrasound, Bethune International Peace Hospital, Shijiazhuang 050082, Hebei Province, China
| | - Changjun Ren
- Department of Pediatrics, NICU, the First Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050051, Hebei Province, China
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Hollier LP, Maybery MT, Keelan JA, Hickey M, Whitehouse AJO. Perinatal testosterone exposure and cerebral lateralisation in adult males: evidence for the callosal hypothesis. Biol Psychol 2014; 103:48-53. [PMID: 25148786 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2014.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2014] [Revised: 08/13/2014] [Accepted: 08/13/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Two competing theories address the influence of foetal testosterone on cerebral laterality: one proposing exposure to high foetal testosterone concentrations is related to atypical lateralisation (Geschwind-Galaburda hypothesis), the other that high foetal testosterone concentrations exaggerate typical lateralisation (callosal hypothesis). The current study examined the relationship between cord testosterone concentrations and cerebral laterality for language and spatial memory in adulthood. Male participants with high (>0.15nmol) and low (<0.10nmol) cord testosterone levels were invited to take part in the study (n=18 in each group). Cerebral laterality was measured using functional Transcranial Doppler ultrasonography, while participants completed word generation and visual short-term memory tasks. Typical left lateralisation of language was more common in the high-testosterone group than in the low-testosterone group, χ(2)=4.50, df=1, p=034. Spatial memory laterality was unrelated to cord testosterone level. Our findings indicate that foetal testosterone exposure is related to language laterality in a direction that supports the callosal hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren P Hollier
- Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Australia; Neurocognitive Development Unit, School of Psychology, University of Western Australia, Australia.
| | - Murray T Maybery
- Neurocognitive Development Unit, School of Psychology, University of Western Australia, Australia
| | - Jeffrey A Keelan
- School of Women's and Infant's Health, University of Western Australia, Australia
| | - Martha Hickey
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Melbourne and The Royal Women's Hospital, Victoria, Australia
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47
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Davies W. Sex differences in attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: candidate genetic and endocrine mechanisms. Front Neuroendocrinol 2014; 35:331-46. [PMID: 24680800 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2014.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2013] [Revised: 02/13/2014] [Accepted: 03/17/2014] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a developmental condition characterised by severe inattention, pathological impulsivity and hyperactivity; it is relatively common affecting up to 6% of children, and is associated with a risk of long-term adverse educational and social consequences. Males are considerably more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than females; the course of the disorder and its associated co-morbidities also appear to be sensitive to sex. Here, I discuss fundamental biological (genetic and endocrine) mechanisms that have been shown to, or could theoretically, contribute towards these sexually dimorphic phenomena. Greater understanding of how and why the sexes differ with respect to ADHD vulnerability should allow us to identify and characterise novel protective and risk factors for the disorder, and should ultimately facilitate improved diagnosis, prognosis and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Davies
- Behavioural Genetics Group, Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Schools of Psychology and Medicine, Cardiff University, Tower Building, Park Place, Cardiff CF10 3AT, UK; Medical Research Council Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Cardiff University, Hadyn Ellis Building, Cardiff CF24 4HQ, UK.
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48
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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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49
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The ontogenesis of language lateralization and its relation to handedness. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2014; 43:191-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2014.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2014] [Revised: 04/05/2014] [Accepted: 04/15/2014] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
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50
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Chavarria MC, Sánchez FJ, Chou YY, Thompson PM, Luders E. Puberty in the corpus callosum. Neuroscience 2014; 265:1-8. [PMID: 24468104 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2014.01.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2013] [Revised: 01/15/2014] [Accepted: 01/15/2014] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Adolescence is an important period for brain development. White matter growth is influenced by sex hormones such as testosterone, and the corpus callosum-the largest white matter structure in the human brain-may change structurally during the hormone-laden period of adolescence. Little is known about puberty's relationship to structural brain development, even though pubertal stage may better predict cognitive and behavioral maturity than chronological age. We therefore aimed to establish the presence and direction of pubertal effects on callosal anatomy. For this purpose, we applied advanced surface-based mesh-modeling to map correlations between callosal thickness and pubertal stage in a large and well-matched sample of 124 children and adolescents (62 female and 62 male) aged 5-18years from a normative database. When linking callosal anatomy to pubertal status, only positive correlations reached statistical significance, indicating that callosal growth advances with puberty. In tests of differences in callosal anatomy at different stages of puberty, callosal growth was concentrated in different locations depending on the pubertal stage. Changing levels of circulating sex hormones during different phases of puberty likely contributed to the observed effects, and further research is clearly needed. Direct quantification of sex hormone levels and regional fiber connectivity-ideally using fiber tractography-will reveal whether hormones are the main drivers of callosal change during puberty. These callosal findings may lead to hypotheses regarding cortical changes during puberty, which may promote or result from changes in inter-hemispheric connectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- M C Chavarria
- Department of Neurology, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - F J Sánchez
- Department of Counseling Psychology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Y-Y Chou
- Image Processing Core, Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - P M Thompson
- Department of Neurology, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, United States; Imaging Genetics Center, Institute for Neuroimaging and Informatics, USC Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, United States; Department of Neurology, USC Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, United States; Department of Psychiatry, USC Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, United States; Department of Radiology, USC Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, United States; Department of Engineering, USC Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, United States; Department of Ophthalmology, USC Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, United States; Department of Psychiatry & Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute for Neuroscience & Human Behavior, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - E Luders
- Department of Neurology, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, United States.
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