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Casto KV, Cohen DJ, Akinola M, Mehta PH. Testosterone, gender identity and gender-stereotyped personality attributes. Horm Behav 2024; 162:105540. [PMID: 38652981 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2024.105540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 03/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Sex/gender differences in personality associated with gender stereotyped behavior are widely studied in psychology yet remain a subject of ongoing debate. Exposure to testosterone during developmental periods is considered to be a primary mediator of many sex/gender differences in behavior. Extensions of this research has led to both lay beliefs and initial research about individual differences in basal testosterone in adulthood relating to "masculine" personality. In this study, we explored the relationships between testosterone, gender identity, and gender stereotyped personality attributes in a sample of over 400 university students (65 % female assigned at birth). Participants provided ratings of their self-perceived masculinity and femininity, resulting in a continuous measure of gender identity, and a set of agentic and communal personality attributes. A saliva sample was also provided for assay of basal testosterone. Results showed no compelling evidence that basal testosterone correlates with gender-stereotyped personality attributes or explains the relationship between sex/gender identity and these attributes, across, within, or covarying out sex assigned at birth. Contributing to a more gender diverse approach to assessing sex/gender relationships with personality and testosterone, our continuous measure of self-perceived masculinity and femininity predicted additional variance in personality beyond binary sex and showed some preliminary but weak relationships with testosterone. Results from this study cast doubt on the activational testosterone-masculinity hypothesis for explaining sex differences in gender stereotyped traits and within-sex/gender variation in attributes associated with agency and communality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen V Casto
- Kent State University, Department of Psychological Sciences, United States of America.
| | - Dale J Cohen
- University of North Carolina Wilmington, Department of Psychology, United States of America
| | - Modupe Akinola
- Columbia University, Columbia Business School, United States of America
| | - Pranjal H Mehta
- University College London, Department of Experimental Psychology, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
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2
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Sakaguchi K, Tawata S. Giftedness and atypical sexual differentiation: enhanced perceptual functioning through estrogen deficiency instead of androgen excess. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2024; 15:1343759. [PMID: 38752176 PMCID: PMC11094242 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2024.1343759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Syndromic autism spectrum conditions (ASC), such as Klinefelter syndrome, also manifest hypogonadism. Compared to the popular Extreme Male Brain theory, the Enhanced Perceptual Functioning model explains the connection between ASC, savant traits, and giftedness more seamlessly, and their co-emergence with atypical sexual differentiation. Overexcitability of primary sensory inputs generates a relative enhancement of local to global processing of stimuli, hindering the abstraction of communication signals, in contrast to the extraordinary local information processing skills in some individuals. Weaker inhibitory function through gamma-aminobutyric acid type A (GABAA) receptors and the atypicality of synapse formation lead to this difference, and the formation of unique neural circuits that process external information. Additionally, deficiency in monitoring inner sensory information leads to alexithymia (inability to distinguish one's own emotions), which can be caused by hypoactivity of estrogen and oxytocin in the interoceptive neural circuits, comprising the anterior insular and cingulate gyri. These areas are also part of the Salience Network, which switches between the Central Executive Network for external tasks and the Default Mode Network for self-referential mind wandering. Exploring the possibility that estrogen deficiency since early development interrupts GABA shift, causing sensory processing atypicality, it helps to evaluate the co-occurrence of ASC with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, dyslexia, and schizophrenia based on phenotypic and physiological bases. It also provides clues for understanding the common underpinnings of these neurodevelopmental disorders and gifted populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kikue Sakaguchi
- Research Department, National Institution for Academic Degrees and Quality Enhancement of Higher Education (NIAD-QE), Kodaira-shi, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shintaro Tawata
- Graduate School of Human Sciences, Sophia University, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan
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3
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Davignon LM, Brouillard A, Juster RP, Marin MF. The role of sex hormones, oral contraceptive use, and its parameters on visuospatial abilities, verbal fluency, and verbal memory. Horm Behav 2024; 157:105454. [PMID: 37981465 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2023.105454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/21/2023]
Abstract
Sex hormones can cross the blood-brain barrier and access brain regions underlying higher-order cognition. Containing synthetic sex hormones, oral contraceptives (OC) have been found to modulate visuospatial and verbal abilities, though inconsistencies have been found in the literature. Among possible explanations, certain OC use parameters (progestin androgenicity, synthetic hormone levels, duration of use) have not received consistent consideration. Thus, the objectives were to (1) examine group differences between men, combined OC users, and naturally cycling women (NC women; not using OC) in visuospatial abilities, verbal fluency, and verbal memory and (2) investigate the contribution of endogenous and exogenous sex hormones on these effects. We also aimed to (3) identify OC use parameters relevant to cognitive outcomes. In total, 70 combined OC users, 53 early follicular (EF) women, 43 pre-ovulatory (PO) women, and 47 men underwent cognitive tests. Performance was compared based on hormonal milieus (OC, EF, PO, men) and OC users' contraceptive androgenicity (anti, low, high). Correlations between performance, hormone levels and OC use duration were also conducted. OC use dampened the sex difference that typically favors men in 3D visuospatial abilities, whereas its duration of use positively predicted verbal fluency. Androgenicity and hormone levels did not predict performance in any task. These results highlight the importance of considering OC use duration. Results also did not support a role for androgenicity in cognition. Importantly, combined OC use (including prolonged use) does not impair visuospatial, verbal, and memory functions in a healthy young sample.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa-Marie Davignon
- Research Center of the Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, 7331 Hochelaga Street, Montreal H1N 3J4, Canada; Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, 100 Sherbrooke Street W, Montreal H2X 2P3, Canada
| | - Alexandra Brouillard
- Research Center of the Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, 7331 Hochelaga Street, Montreal H1N 3J4, Canada; Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, 100 Sherbrooke Street W, Montreal H2X 2P3, Canada
| | - Robert-Paul Juster
- Research Center of the Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, 7331 Hochelaga Street, Montreal H1N 3J4, Canada; Department of Psychiatry and Addiction, Université de Montréal, 2900 Edouard-Montpetit Boulevard, Montreal H3T 1J4, Canada
| | - Marie-France Marin
- Research Center of the Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, 7331 Hochelaga Street, Montreal H1N 3J4, Canada; Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, 100 Sherbrooke Street W, Montreal H2X 2P3, Canada; Department of Psychiatry and Addiction, Université de Montréal, 2900 Edouard-Montpetit Boulevard, Montreal H3T 1J4, Canada.
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4
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Hults CM, Francis RC, Clint EK, Smith W, Sober ER, Garland T, Rhodes JS. Still little evidence sex differences in spatial navigation are evolutionary adaptations. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 11:231532. [PMID: 38234440 PMCID: PMC10791541 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.231532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
A putative male advantage in wayfinding ability is the most widely documented sex difference in human cognition and has also been observed in other animals. The common interpretation, the sex-specific adaptation hypothesis, posits that this male advantage evolved as an adaptive response to sex differences in home range size. A previous study a decade ago tested this hypothesis by comparing sex differences in home range size and spatial ability among 11 species and found no relationship. However, the study was limited by the small sample size, the lack of species with a larger female home range and the lack of non-Western human data. The present study represents an update that addresses all of these limitations, including data from 10 more species and from human subsistence cultures. Consistent with the previous result, we found little evidence that sex differences in spatial navigation and home range size are related. We conclude that sex differences in spatial ability are more likely due to experiential factors and/or unselected biological side effects, rather than functional outcomes of natural selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Connor M. Hults
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois, 603 E. Daniel St., Champaign, IL 61820, USA
| | | | - Edward K. Clint
- Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Oregon Institute of Technology, Klamath Falls, OR, USA
| | - Winter Smith
- Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Oregon Institute of Technology, Klamath Falls, OR, USA
| | - Elliott R. Sober
- Department of Philosophy, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Theodore Garland
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Justin S. Rhodes
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois, 603 E. Daniel St., Champaign, IL 61820, USA
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5
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Griksiene R, Monciunskaite R, Ruksenas O. What is there to know about the effects of progestins on the human brain and cognition? Front Neuroendocrinol 2022; 67:101032. [PMID: 36029852 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2022.101032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 07/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Progestins are an important component of hormonal contraceptives (HCs) and hormone replacement therapies (HRTs). Despite an increasing number of studies elucidating the effects of HCs and HRTs, little is known about the effects of different types of progestins included in these medications on the brain. Animal studies suggest that various progestins interact differently with sex steroid, mineralocorticoid and glucocorticoid receptors and have specific modulatory effects on neurotransmitter systems and on the expression of neuropeptides, suggesting differential impacts on cognition and behavior. This review focuses on the currently available knowledge from human behavioral and neuroimaging studies pooled with evidence from animal research regarding the effects of progestins on the brain. The reviewed information is highly relevant for improving women's mental health and making informed choices regarding specific types of contraception or treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramune Griksiene
- Department of Neurobiology and Biophysics, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Lithuania
| | - Rasa Monciunskaite
- Department of Neurobiology and Biophysics, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Lithuania
| | - Osvaldas Ruksenas
- Department of Neurobiology and Biophysics, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Lithuania
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6
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Beltz AM. Hormonal contraceptive influences on cognition and psychopathology: Past methods, present inferences, and future directions. Front Neuroendocrinol 2022; 67:101037. [PMID: 36154817 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2022.101037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
In the last decade, there has been a remarkable surge in research on the neural and behavioral correlates of hormonal contraceptive use, particularly oral contraceptive use. Questions have evolved swiftly and notably, with studies no longer revealing if hormonal contraceptives matter for the brain and behavior, but rather how, when, and for whom they matter most. Paralleling this shift, the goal of this review is to move beyond an average synthesis of hormonal contraceptive influences on human cognition and psychopathology (and their neural substrates) in order to consider the nature and specificity of effects. Accompanied by an evaluation of study methods and informed by findings from animal models, this consideration uncovers promising areas of research in the next ten years, including potential activational and organizational effects of hormonal contraceptive use, individual differences in effects that matter for the wellbeing of unique individuals, and correlates of intrauterine device use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriene M Beltz
- University of Michigan, 2227 East Hall, 530 Church Street, Ann Abor, MI 48109, USA.
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7
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Harris T, Hagg J, Pletzer B. Eye-Movements During Navigation in a Virtual Environment: Sex Differences and Relationship to Sex Hormones. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:755393. [PMID: 35573293 PMCID: PMC9100804 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.755393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2021] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex differences in spatial navigation have been related to different navigation strategies. For example, women are more likely to utilize local landmark-information in the environment compared to men. Furthermore, sex differences appear to be more pronounced when distances need to be judged in Euclidian terms and an allocentric representation of the environment is necessary. This suggests differential attentional processes during spatial navigation in men and women. However, eye-tracking studies on spatial navigation exploring these attentional processes are rare. The present study (39 men and 36 women) set out to investigate sex differences in eye-movements during spatial navigation in a 3D environment using virtual reality goggles. While we observed the expected sex differences in overall navigation performance, women did not benefit from the landmark-based instructions. Gaze fixations were in accordance with the preferred Euclidian strategy in men, but did not confirm the expected landmark-based strategy in women. However, high estradiol levels where related to an increased focus on landmark information. Surprisingly, women showed longer gaze distances than men, although the utilization of distal landmarks has been related to allocentric representations preferred by men. In fact, larger gaze distances related to slower navigation, even though previous studies suggest that the utilization of distal landmarks is beneficial for navigation. The findings are discussed with respect to the utility of virtual reality presentation for studies on sex differences in navigation. While virtual reality allows a full first-person immersion in the environment, proprioceptive and vestibular information is lacking.
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8
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Noachtar I, Harris TA, Hidalgo-Lopez E, Pletzer B. Sex and strategy effects on brain activation during a 3D-navigation task. Commun Biol 2022; 5:234. [PMID: 35296794 PMCID: PMC8927599 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03147-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex differences in navigation have often been attributed to the use of different navigation strategies in men and women. However, no study so far has investigated sex differences in the brain networks supporting different navigation strategies. To address this issue, we employed a 3D-navigation task during functional MRI in 36 men and 36 women, all scanned thrice, and modeled navigation strategies by instructions requiring an allocentric vs. egocentric reference frame on the one hand, as well as landmark-based vs. Euclidian strategies on the other hand. We found distinct brain networks supporting different perspectives/strategies. Men showed stronger activation of frontal areas, whereas women showed stronger activation of posterior brain regions. The left inferior frontal gyrus was more strongly recruited during landmark-based navigation in men. The hippocampus showed stronger connectivity with left-lateralized frontal areas in women and stronger connectivity with superior parietal areas in men. We discuss these findings in the light of a stronger recruitment of verbal networks supporting a more verbal strategy in women compared to a stronger recruitment of spatial networks supporting a more spatial strategy use in men. In summary, this study provides evidence that different navigation strategies activate different brain areas in men and women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Noachtar
- Department of Psychology and Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstr. 34, 5020, Salzburg, Austria.
| | - Ti-Anni Harris
- Department of Psychology and Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstr. 34, 5020, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Esmeralda Hidalgo-Lopez
- Department of Psychology and Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstr. 34, 5020, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Belinda Pletzer
- Department of Psychology and Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstr. 34, 5020, Salzburg, Austria.
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9
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Shirazi TN, Self H, Rosenfield KA, Dawood K, Welling LLM, Cárdenas R, Bailey JM, Balasubramanian R, Delaney A, Breedlove SM, Puts DA. Low Perinatal Androgens Predict Recalled Childhood Gender Nonconformity in Men. Psychol Sci 2022; 33:343-353. [PMID: 35191784 PMCID: PMC8985219 DOI: 10.1177/09567976211036075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The contributions of gonadal hormones to the development of human behavioral sex differences are subjects of intense scientific and social interest. Isolated gonadotropin-releasing-hormone deficiency (IGD) is a rare endocrine disorder that can reveal a possible role of early gonadal hormones. IGD is characterized by low or absent gonadal hormone production after the first trimester of gestation, but external genitalia and hence gender of rearing are concordant with chromosomal and gonadal sex. We investigated recalled childhood gender nonconformity in men (n = 65) and women (n = 32) with IGD and typically developing men (n = 463) and women (n = 1,207). Men with IGD showed elevated childhood gender nonconformity, particularly if they also reported undescended testes at birth, a marker of low perinatal androgens. Women with IGD did not differ from typically developing women. These results indicate that early androgen exposure after the first trimester contributes to male-typical gender-role behaviors in childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Heather Self
- Department of Anthropology, The
Pennsylvania State University
| | | | - Khytam Dawood
- Department of Psychology, The
Pennsylvania State University
| | | | | | | | | | - Angela Delaney
- Reproductive Physiology and
Pathophysiology Group, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda,
Maryland
| | | | - David A. Puts
- Department of Anthropology, The
Pennsylvania State University,David A. Puts, The Pennsylvania
State University, Department of Anthropology
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10
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Beltz AM, Loviska AM, Kelly DP, Nielson MG. The Link Between Masculinity and Spatial Skills Is Moderated by the Estrogenic and Progestational Activity of Oral Contraceptives. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 15:777911. [PMID: 35153692 PMCID: PMC8828973 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.777911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Conversations about gender and spatial skills frequently dissolve into a hackneyed debate over nature and nurture. This is particularly true for conversations concerning three-dimensional (3D) mental rotations skill, which shows the largest gender difference of all aspects of cognition, with men-on average-outperforming women. To advance this empirical area of inquiry, biopsychosocial influences on spatial skills should be considered, and a unique opportunity do to that is provided by combined oral contraceptives (OCs). OCs with relatively low estradiol doses and with highly androgenic progestins have been positively related to spatial skills. Gender self-concepts, including masculine and feminine self-perceptions, have also been positively related to spatial skills. It is wholly unknown, however, whether the exogenous sex hormones contained in OCs moderate the link between self-perceived masculinity and 3D mental rotations. This study filled that knowledge gap by utilizing a sample of 141 naturally cycling (NC) women and 229 OC users who completed a computerized survey and cognitive tests. A series of moderation analyses examined whether the link between masculinity and 3D mental rotations depended on pill use or on the estrogenic, progestational, or androgenic activity in OCs, which were operationalized using a novel coding scheme. Results showed that the positive masculinity-3D mental rotations link was only present for NC women, presumably because it was altered by the exogenous hormones in OCs. Indeed, the link was accentuated in users of OCs with relatively low estrogenic and high progestational activity. Future research on menstrual cycle and pill phase is needed, but these findings importantly delineate ways in which biological and psychosocial factors combine to explain variation in spatial skills among women. They also suggest that focus should be placed on the under-investigated progestational activity of OCs, which is facilitated by the novel quantification of OC action used in this study. Thus, this research increases understanding of the neurocognitive and behavioral correlates of ovarian hormones and has implications for the betterment of women's health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriene M. Beltz
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States,*Correspondence: Adriene M. Beltz,
| | - Amy M. Loviska
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States,Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
| | - Dominic P. Kelly
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Matthew G. Nielson
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
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11
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Hampson E, Morley EE, Evans KL, Fleury C. Effects of oral contraceptives on spatial cognition depend on pharmacological properties and phase of the contraceptive cycle. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 13:888510. [PMID: 36147581 PMCID: PMC9487179 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.888510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The central nervous system effects of oral contraceptives (OCs) are not well-documented. In a set of 3 studies, we investigated a specific cognitive function, mental rotation, in healthy women currently using OCs for contraceptive purposes (n = 201) and in medication-free controls not using OCs (n = 44). Mental rotation was measured using a well-standardized and extensively validated psychometric test, the Vandenberg Mental Rotations Test (MRT). In an initial study (Study 1), current OC users (n = 63) were tested during the active or inactive phases of the contraceptive cycle in a parallel-groups design. Studies 2 and 3 were based on an archival dataset (n = 201 current OC users) that consisted of data on the MRT collected in real-time over a 30-year period and compiled for purposes of the present work. The OCs were combined formulations containing ethinyl estradiol (10-35 ug/day) plus a synthetic progestin. All 4 families of synthetic progestins historically used in OCs were represented in the dataset. Cognitive performance was evaluated during either active OC use ('active phase') or during the washout week of the contraceptive cycle ('inactive phase') when OC steroids are not used. The results showed a significant phase-of-cycle (POC) effect. Accuracy on the MRT was mildly diminished during the active phase of OC use, while scores on verbal fluency and speeded motor tasks were modestly improved. The POC effect was most evident in women using OCs that contained first- or second-generation progestins (the estrane family of progestins or OCs containing levonorgestrel), but not in women using OCs containing recently developed progestins and lower doses of ethinyl estradiol. Using independently established ratings of the estrogenic, androgenic, and progestogenic intensities of the different OC formulations, each brand of OC was classified according to its distinct endocrine profile. Multiple regression revealed that the effects of OC use on the MRT could be predicted based on the estrogenic strength of the contraceptives used. Estrogenic potency, not androgenic or anti-androgenic effects of the OC pill, may underlie the effects of OC usage on spatial cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Hampson
- Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
- Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
- *Correspondence: Elizabeth Hampson,
| | - Erin E. Morley
- Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Kelly L. Evans
- Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Cathleen Fleury
- Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
- Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
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12
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Exploring the sex and gender correlates of cognitive sex differences. Acta Psychol (Amst) 2021; 221:103452. [PMID: 34801881 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2021.103452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Revised: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The correlates of cognitive sex differences are yet to be fully understood. Many biological and psychosocial factors modulate these cognitive abilities leading to mixed results in the scientific literature. The current study aims to explore the different parameters potentially influencing cognitive abilities acting in synergy. Sex and gender correlates of cognitive functioning were assessed in a sample of individuals ages 18 to 45 years (N = 87) from diverse sexual orientations. Sex hormones were assessed via saliva samples at four timepoints throughout the testing. Gender roles, sexual orientation and socio-demographics were measured via self-report questionnaires. Participants completed mental rotation and verbal fluency tasks. Men performed better than women at mental rotation, while no significant difference was found for verbal fluency. Significant positive associations were observed between estradiol and word fluency for the naturally cycling women compared to the women using oral contraception. While controlling for sex hormones, a significant interaction effect of sex by gender roles was identified for mental rotation among masculine women. These exploratory results suggest an effect principally driven by sex and sex hormones on cognitive performance that will need to be furthered with larger studies.
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13
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Shirazi TN, Self H, Dawood K, Welling LLM, Cárdenas R, Rosenfield KA, Bailey JM, Balasubramanian R, Delaney A, Breedlove SM, Puts DA. Evidence that perinatal ovarian hormones promote women's sexual attraction to men. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2021; 134:105431. [PMID: 34601343 PMCID: PMC8957625 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2021.105431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Revised: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Ovarian estrogens may influence the development of the human brain and behavior, but there are few opportunities to test this possibility. Isolated GnRH deficiency (IGD) is a rare endocrine disorder that could provide evidence for the role of estrogens in organizing sexually differentiated phenotypes: Unlike typical development, development in individuals with IGD is characterized by low or absent gonadal hormone production after the first trimester of gestation. Because external genitalia develop in the first trimester, external appearance is nevertheless concordant with gonadal sex in people with IGD. We therefore investigated the effects of gonadal hormones on sexual orientation by comparing participants with IGD (n = 97) to controls (n = 1670). Women with IGD reported lower male-attraction compared with typically developing women. In contrast, no consistent sexuality differences between IGD and typically developing men were evident. Ovarian hormones after the first trimester appear to influence female-typical dimensions of sexual orientation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Talia N Shirazi
- Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, Carpenter Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Heather Self
- Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, Carpenter Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Khytam Dawood
- Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, Moore Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Lisa L M Welling
- Department of Psychology, Oakland University, 212 Pryale Hall, Rochester, MI 48309, USA
| | - Rodrigo Cárdenas
- Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, Moore Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Kevin A Rosenfield
- Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, Carpenter Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - J Michael Bailey
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Swift Hall 303B, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | | | - Angela Delaney
- Reproductive Physiology and Pathophysiology Group, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - S Marc Breedlove
- Neuroscience Program and Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, 240 Giltner Hall, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - David A Puts
- Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, Carpenter Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
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14
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Androgen receptor polymorphism, mental rotation, and spatial visualization in men. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2021; 129:105239. [PMID: 33951564 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2021.105239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Revised: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Circulating levels of testosterone (T) have been hypothesized to influence spatial cognition in adult men, but empirical support for this idea is mixed. Many of testosterone's effects are mediated by the classic nuclear androgen receptor (AR), which contains a polymorphic glutamine repeat (CAG repeat sequence) that varies significantly across individual men and confers differences in receptor function and therefore individual responsivity to T. We genotyped the AR CAG repeat length in 146 healthy adult men who also performed cognitive tests of mental rotation and spatial visualization. Circulating T concentrations were measured in saliva. CAG repeat length was found to be a significant predictor of spatial scores on tests of visualization but not mental rotation. A weaker AR was associated with lower visualization scores. In contrast, T itself, but not CAG repeat length predicted scores on two mental rotation tests. These results support the view that T action in the brain modestly influences spatial cognition in healthy men, but suggest that T's effects on mental rotation might not be AR-dependent and instead occur through an alternative mechanism.
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Kheloui S, Rossi M, Jacmin-Park S, Larocque O, Vallée M, Kerr P, Bourdon O, Juster RP. Psychoneuroendocrine protocol to comprehensively study sexually dimorphic cognition. COMPREHENSIVE PSYCHONEUROENDOCRINOLOGY 2021; 6:100050. [PMID: 35757359 PMCID: PMC9216706 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpnec.2021.100050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2020] [Revised: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background A large body of research provides evidence for sex differences in cognitive abilities. These sex differences stem from the interplay between biological sex (e.g., birth-assigned sex, sex hormones) and psychosocial gender (e.g., gender identity, gender-roles, sexual orientation). Literature remains rather mixed with regards to the magnitude of sex and gender effects on cognitive abilities and mental health. Growing evidence shows that sex hormone assessment combined with measures of psychosocial gender may be fundamental to comprehensively understand individual differences in sexually dimorphic cognitive abilities. Objectives This study protocol describes a sexually dimorphic cognitive battery to assess the influence of sex hormones on performance. In parallel, we aim to assess the inter-related effects that biological sex and psychosocial gender-based factors exert on cognition and mental health. Methods Our projected sample includes 180 adult participants who are at least 18 years old. Sub-groups will be recruited based on birth-assigned sex, gender identity, and sexual orientation. Biological measures will be collected via salivary samples throughout testing to include sex hormones (testosterone, estradiol and progesterone) and stress hormones (cortisol). Demographic and psychosocial variables will be measured through self-report questionnaires. Participants will be required to complete eight classic cognitive tasks that assess a variety of cognitive domains in a 2-h testing session. Results and future directions Results from this study provides unique insights into the correlates of cognitive sex differences and gender diversity. This will give us solid ground to further investigate these influences in clinical populations in which sex hormones and cognitive functioning are often altered. Cognition is modulated by multiple sex and gender factors. Cognitive abilities will be assessed among 180 adults representing diverse sexual orientations and gender identities. This protocol aims to nuance the effects of sex hormones in contrast to those of socio-cultural gender.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Kheloui
- Department of Psychiatry and Addiction, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Centre de recherche de l’Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal, Canada
- Center on Sex∗Gender, Allostasis and Resilience, Canada
| | - Mathias Rossi
- Department of Psychiatry and Addiction, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Centre de recherche de l’Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal, Canada
- Center on Sex∗Gender, Allostasis and Resilience, Canada
| | - Silke Jacmin-Park
- Department of Psychology, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Centre de recherche de l’Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal, Canada
- Center on Sex∗Gender, Allostasis and Resilience, Canada
| | - Ophélie Larocque
- Department of Psychology, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Centre de recherche de l’Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal, Canada
- Center on Sex∗Gender, Allostasis and Resilience, Canada
| | - Morgan Vallée
- Department of Sociology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Centre de recherche de l’Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal, Canada
- Center on Sex∗Gender, Allostasis and Resilience, Canada
| | - Philippe Kerr
- Department of Psychiatry and Addiction, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Centre de recherche de l’Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal, Canada
- Center on Sex∗Gender, Allostasis and Resilience, Canada
| | - Olivier Bourdon
- Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Centre de recherche de l’Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal, Canada
- Center on Sex∗Gender, Allostasis and Resilience, Canada
| | - Robert-Paul Juster
- Department of Psychiatry and Addiction, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Centre de recherche de l’Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal, Canada
- Center on Sex∗Gender, Allostasis and Resilience, Canada
- Corresponding author. Department of Psychiatry and Addiction, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal Centre de recherche de l’Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal 7331 Hochelaga Street, H1N 3V2, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
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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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Shirazi TN, Levenberg K, Cunningham H, Self H, Dawood K, Cárdenas R, Ortiz TL, Carré JM, Breedlove SM, Puts DA. Relationships between ovarian hormone concentrations and mental rotations performance in naturally-cycling women. Horm Behav 2021; 127:104886. [PMID: 33202246 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2020] [Revised: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Circulating gonadal hormones have been linked to variation in the structure and function of the adult human brain, raising the question of how cognition is affected by sex hormones in adulthood. The impacts of progestogens and estrogens are of special interest due to the widespread use of hormone supplementation. Multiple studies have analyzed relationships between ovarian hormones and mental rotation performance, one of the largest known cognitive sex differences; however, results are conflicting. These discrepancies are likely due in part to modest sample sizes and reliance on self-report measures to assess menstrual cycle phase. The present study aimed to clarify the impact of progestogens and estrogens on visuospatial cognition by relating mental rotation task performance to salivary hormone concentrations. Across two studies totaling 528 naturally-cycling premenopausal women, an internal meta-analysis suggested a small, positive effect of within-subjects changes in progesterone on MRT performance (estimate = 0.44, p = 0.014), though this result should be interpreted with caution given multiple statistical analyses. Between-subjects differences and within-subject changes in estradiol did not significantly predict MRT. These results shed light on the potential cognitive effects of endogenous and exogenous hormone action, and the proximate mechanisms modulating spatial cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Talia N Shirazi
- Department of Anthropology, The Pennsylvania Penn State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Kate Levenberg
- College of Medicine, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA
| | - Heather Cunningham
- College of Medicine, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA
| | - Heather Self
- Department of Anthropology, The Pennsylvania Penn State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Khytam Dawood
- Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Rodrigo Cárdenas
- Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Triana L Ortiz
- Department of Psychology, Nippissing University, North Bay, Ontario, Canada
| | - Justin M Carré
- Department of Psychology, Nippissing University, North Bay, Ontario, Canada
| | - S Marc Breedlove
- Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - David A Puts
- Department of Anthropology, The Pennsylvania Penn State University, University Park, PA, USA.
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Eye-movements during number comparison: Associations to sex and sex hormones. Physiol Behav 2020; 227:113161. [PMID: 32861751 PMCID: PMC7610954 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2020.113161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2019] [Revised: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 08/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Multi-digit numbers are of a hierarchical nature with whole number magnitudes depending on digit magnitudes. Processing of multi-digit numbers can occur in a holistic or decomposed fashion. The unit-decade compatibility effect during number comparison is often used as a measure of decomposed processing. It refers to the fact that performance is reduced when the larger number contains the smaller unit digit (e.g. 73 vs. 26). It has been demonstrated that women show a larger compatibility effect than men, which is in accordance with their general tendency towards focusing on stimulus details during processing of visual hierarchical stimuli (local processing style). Such a local processing style has been related to higher progesterone and lower testosterone levels. One method to study individual processing styles is eye-tracking. The aim of the present study was to examine whether sex and sex hormones (estradiol, progesterone, testosterone) relate to eye movement behavior in the number comparison task. Unlike previous studies we found no evidence for sex differences in the behavioral compatibility effect. Nevertheless, women look more often and longer at individual digits and show a stronger compatibility effect in fixation durations compared to men, while men show more saccades between numbers than women. Estradiol and progesterone were related to fewer fixations and shorter fixation durations and more saccades between numbers in men, but not in women. Furthermore, the compatibility effect in the number of fixations and fixation durations was negatively related to testosterone in women. In summary, this is the first study to demonstrate sex differences and sex hormone influences on eye gaze behavior during number comparison.
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Pubertal timing predicts adult psychosexuality: Evidence from typically developing adults and adults with isolated GnRH deficiency. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2020; 119:104733. [PMID: 32563936 PMCID: PMC8938930 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2020.104733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2020] [Revised: 05/22/2020] [Accepted: 05/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Evidence suggests that psychosexuality in humans is modulated by both organizational effects of prenatal and peripubertal sex steroid hormones, and by activational effects of circulating hormones in adulthood. Experimental work in male rodents indicates that sensitivity to androgen-driven organization of sexual motivation decreases across the pubertal window, such that earlier puberty leads to greater sex-typicality. We test this hypothesis in typically developing men (n = 231) and women (n = 648), and in men (n = 72) and women (n = 32) with isolated GnRH deficiency (IGD), in whom the precise timing of peripubertal hormone exposure can be ascertained via the age at which hormone replacement therapy (HRT) was initiated. Psychosexuality was measured with the Sexual Desire Inventory-2 (SDI-2) and Sociosexual Orientation Inventory-Revised (SOI-R). In both sexes, earlier recalled absolute pubertal timing predicted higher psychosexuality in adulthood, although the magnitude of these associations varied with psychosexuality type and group (i.e., typically developing and IGD). Results were robust when controlling for circulating steroid hormones in typically developing participants. Age of initiation of HRT in men with IGD negatively predicted SOI-R. We discuss the clinical implications of our findings for conditions in which pubertal timing is medically altered.
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20
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Karalexi MA, Georgakis MK, Dimitriou NG, Vichos T, Katsimpris A, Petridou ET, Papadopoulos FC. Gender-affirming hormone treatment and cognitive function in transgender young adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2020; 119:104721. [PMID: 32512250 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2020.104721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Revised: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 05/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous studies have examined whether steroid hormone treatment in transgender individuals may affect cognitive function; yet, their limited power does not allow firm conclusions to be drawn. We leveraged data from to-date literature aiming to explore the effect of gender-affirming hormone administration on cognitive function in transgender individuals. METHODS A search strategy of MEDLINE was developed (through June 1, 2019) using the key terms transgender, hormone therapy and cognitive function. Eligible were (i) cohort studies examining the longitudinal effect of hormone therapy on cognition, and (ii) cross-sectional studies comparing the cognitive function between treated and non-treated individuals. Standardized mean differences (Hedges' g) were pooled using random-effects models. Study quality was evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. OUTCOMES Ten studies (seven cohort and three cross-sectional) were eligible representing 234 birth-assigned males (aM) and 150 birth-assigned females (aF). The synthesis of cohort studies (n = 5) for visuospatial ability following hormone treatment showed a statistically significant enhancement among aF (g = 0.55, 95% confidence intervals [CI]: 0.29, 0.82) and an improvement with a trend towards statistical significance among aM (g = 0.28, 95%CI: -0.01, 0.58). By contrast, no adverse effects of hormone administration were shown. No heterogeneity was evident in most meta-analyses. INTERPRETATION Current evidence does not support an adverse impact of hormone therapy on cognitive function, whereas a statistically significant enhancing effect on visuospatial ability was shown in aF. New longitudinal studies with longer follow-up should explore the long-term effects of hormone therapy, especially the effects on younger individuals, where there is greater scarcity of data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria A Karalexi
- Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece; Department of Neuroscience, Psychiatry, Uppsala University, Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Marios K Georgakis
- Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Nikolaos G Dimitriou
- Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Theodoros Vichos
- Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Andreas Katsimpris
- Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Eleni Th Petridou
- Department of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece; Unit of Clinical Epidemiology, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Fotios C Papadopoulos
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychiatry, Uppsala University, Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden.
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21
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Shirazi TN, Self H, Cantor J, Dawood K, Cárdenas R, Rosenfield K, Ortiz T, Carré J, McDaniel MA, Blanchard R, Balasubramanian R, Delaney A, Crowley W, Breedlove SM, Puts D. Timing of peripubertal steroid exposure predicts visuospatial cognition in men: Evidence from three samples. Horm Behav 2020; 121:104712. [PMID: 32059854 PMCID: PMC8817672 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2019] [Revised: 01/23/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2020] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Experiments in male rodents demonstrate that sensitivity to the organizational effects of steroid hormones decreases across the pubertal window, with earlier androgen exposure leading to greater masculinization of the brain and behavior. Similarly, some research suggests the timing of peripubertal exposure to sex steroids influences aspects of human psychology, including visuospatial cognition. However, prior studies have been limited by small samples and/or imprecise measures of pubertal timing. We conducted 4 studies to clarify whether the timing of peripubertal hormone exposure predicts performance on male-typed tests of spatial cognition in adulthood. In Studies 1 (n = 1095) and 2 (n = 173), we investigated associations between recalled pubertal age and spatial cognition in typically developing men, controlling for current testosterone levels in Study 2. In Study 3 (n = 51), we examined the relationship between spatial performance and the age at which peripubertal hormone replacement therapy was initiated in a sample of men with Isolated GnRH Deficiency. Across Studies 1-3, effect size estimates for the relationship between spatial performance and pubertal timing ranged from. -0.04 and -0.27, and spatial performance was unrelated to salivary testosterone in Study 2. In Study 4, we conducted two meta-analyses of Studies 1-3 and four previously published studies. The first meta-analysis was conducted on correlations between spatial performance and measures of the absolute age of pubertal timing, and the second replaced those correlations with correlations between spatial performance and measures of relative pubertal timing where available. Point estimates for correlations between pubertal timing and spatial cognition were -0.15 and -0.12 (both p < 0.001) in the first and second meta-analyses, respectively. These associations were robust to the exclusion of any individual study. Our results suggest that, for some aspects of neural development, sensitivity to gonadal hormones declines across puberty, with earlier pubertal hormone exposure predicting greater sex-typicality in psychological phenotypes in adulthood. These results shed light on the processes of behavioral and brain organization and have implications for the treatment of IGD and other conditions wherein pubertal timing is pharmacologically manipulated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Talia N Shirazi
- Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, Carpenter Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Heather Self
- Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, Carpenter Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - James Cantor
- Centre for Addition and Mental Health, 2 Carlton Street, suite 1820, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1J3, Canada
| | - Khytam Dawood
- Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, Moore Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Rodrigo Cárdenas
- Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, Moore Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Kevin Rosenfield
- Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, Carpenter Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Triana Ortiz
- Department of Psychology, Nipissing University, 100 College Drive, North Bay, Ontario P1B 8L7, Canada
| | - Justin Carré
- Department of Psychology, Nipissing University, 100 College Drive, North Bay, Ontario P1B 8L7, Canada
| | - Michael A McDaniel
- Department of Management, Virginia Commonwealth University, Arlington, VA 22209, USA
| | - Ray Blanchard
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, 250 College, Toronto, Ontario M5T 1L8, Canada
| | | | - Angela Delaney
- Reproductive Physiology and Pathophysiology Group, National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - William Crowley
- Reproductive Endocrine Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit St, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - S Marc Breedlove
- Department of Neuroscience, Michigan State University. 240 Giltner Hall, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - David Puts
- Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, Carpenter Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
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Griksiene R, Arnatkeviciute A, Monciunskaite R, Koenig T, Ruksenas O. Mental rotation of sequentially presented 3D figures: sex and sex hormones related differences in behavioural and ERP measures. Sci Rep 2019; 9:18843. [PMID: 31827215 PMCID: PMC6906480 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-55433-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2019] [Accepted: 11/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Mental rotation of 3D objects demonstrates one of the largest sex differences. We investigated sex and sex hormones-related differences in behaviour and event related potentials (ERP) using a modified Shepard and Metzler task composed of sequentially presented 3D figures in 29 men and 32 women. We demonstrated a significant increase in response time and decrease in both accuracy and positivity of the parietal ERP with increasing angular disparity between the figures. Higher angular disparity evoked an increase of global field power (GFP) from 270 to 460 ms and different activation topographies from 470 to 583 ms with lower parietal, but higher left frontal positivity. Flatter slopes in higher angular disparity condition suggest distinct strategies being implemented depending on the difficulty of the rotation. Men performed the task more accurately than women. Performance accuracy in women tended to be negatively related to estradiol while the response time tended to increase with increasing progesterone. There were no associations with testosterone. Women demonstrated higher GFP and an increased positivity over the parietal scalp area, while men showed higher activation in the left frontal cortex. Together these findings indicate dynamic angular disparity- and sex-related differences in brain activity during mental rotation of 3D figures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramune Griksiene
- Department of Neurobiology and Biophysics, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania.
| | | | - Rasa Monciunskaite
- Department of Neurobiology and Biophysics, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Thomas Koenig
- Translational Research Center, University Hospital of Psychiatry, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Osvaldas Ruksenas
- Department of Neurobiology and Biophysics, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania
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Pletzer B, Steinbeisser J, van Laak L, Harris T. Beyond Biological Sex: Interactive Effects of Gender Role and Sex Hormones on Spatial Abilities. Front Neurosci 2019; 13:675. [PMID: 31338015 PMCID: PMC6629906 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.00675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2019] [Accepted: 06/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex differences in spatial abilities are well documented, even though their underlying causes are poorly understood. Some studies assume a biological basis of these differences and study the relationship of sex hormone levels to spatial abilities. Other studies assume social influences and study the relationship of gender role (masculinity/femininity) to spatial abilities. Contemporary theories postulate a psychobiosocial model of sex differences in spatial abilities, in which both biological (e.g., hormonal) and psychosocial (e.g., gender role) variables interactively modulate spatial abilities. However, few studies have addressed both aspects simultaneously. Accordingly, the present study explores potential interactive effects between gender role and sex hormones on spatial performance. 41 men and 41 women completed a mental rotation and a virtual navigation task. Sex hormone levels and gender role were assessed in all participants. Sex differences favoring men were observed in both tasks. We found that neither sex hormones nor gender role alone emerged as mediators of these sex differences. However, several interactive effects between gender role and sex hormones were identified. Combined effects of masculinity and testosterone were observed for those variables that displayed sex differences. Participants with both, high masculinity and high testosterone showed the best performance. However, this association was further modulated by biological sex and progesterone levels. Furthermore, we observed an interactive effect of femininity, estradiol and testosterone on response times in both tasks. Consistent across both tasks and irrespective of biological sex, testosterone related to response times in participants with low estradiol levels, depending on their femininity. In participants with low femininity, testosterone was related to slower reaction times, while in participants with higher femininity, testosterone was related to faster reaction times.
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Affiliation(s)
- Belinda Pletzer
- Department of Psychology, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | | | - Lara van Laak
- Department of Psychology, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - TiAnni Harris
- Department of Psychology, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
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Harris T, Scheuringer A, Pletzer B. Perspective and strategy interactively modulate sex differences in a 3D navigation task. Biol Sex Differ 2019; 10:17. [PMID: 30954081 PMCID: PMC6451294 DOI: 10.1186/s13293-019-0232-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2018] [Accepted: 03/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Sex differences in navigation performance have been attributed to sex differences in information processing during navigation. Perspective refers to the viewpoint of the navigator, with previous work suggesting that men tend to use an allocentric perspective, while women tend to use an egocentric perspective during navigation. Furthermore, different navigation strategies may be used when moving from point A to B, with previous work suggesting that men tend to use a Euclidian strategy, while women tend to use a landmark-based strategy. However, it has not been studied whether perspective and strategy affect sex differences in navigation interactively or independently of each other. The present study aimed to investigate the interactive effects of perspective and strategy on sex differences in a 3D navigation task. In different levels of the task, perspective and strategy were modulated in a 2 × 2 design via different instructions. Potential mediating effects of video gaming experience and sex hormone levels were addressed. We found that men outperformed women in all levels of the navigation task. However, the male advantage was more pronounced using the allocentric perspective compared to the egocentric perspective. When using the allocentric perspective, men showed better performance using a Euclidian strategy while women showed better performance using a landmark-based strategy. The strategy did not modulate performance under the egocentric perspective. Accordingly, sex differences in navigation were interactively modulated by perspective and strategy. These effects were not explained by sex differences in video gaming experience or sex hormone levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- TiAnni Harris
- Department of Psychology and Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, Paris-Lodron University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstraße 34, A-5020, Salzburg, Austria.
| | - Andrea Scheuringer
- Department of Psychology and Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, Paris-Lodron University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstraße 34, A-5020, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Belinda Pletzer
- Department of Psychology and Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, Paris-Lodron University of Salzburg, Hellbrunnerstraße 34, A-5020, Salzburg, Austria
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Moser VA, Christensen A, Liu J, Zhou A, Yagi S, Beam CR, Galea L, Pike CJ. Effects of aging, high-fat diet, and testosterone treatment on neural and metabolic outcomes in male brown Norway rats. Neurobiol Aging 2019; 73:145-160. [PMID: 30359877 PMCID: PMC6252085 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2018.09.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2017] [Revised: 07/01/2018] [Accepted: 09/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD) is affected by multiple factors, including aging, obesity, and low testosterone. We previously showed that obesity and low testosterone independently and interactively exacerbate AD-related outcomes in young adult rodents. The goals of the present study are two-fold: to examine whether the effects of an obesogenic diet differ with increasing age and to determine if testosterone treatment in middle-aged and aged animals mitigates negative effects of the diet. Male brown Norway rats were maintained on control or high-fat diets for 12 weeks beginning in young adulthood, middle age, or advanced age. Separate cohorts of middle-aged and aged animals were treated with testosterone during dietary manipulations. Endpoints included metabolic indices, inflammation, cognitive performance, and neural health outcomes. Aging was associated with poorer outcomes that were generally exacerbated by high-fat diet, especially at middle age. Testosterone treatment was largely without benefit, exerting only subtle effects on a select number of measures. Understanding how the deleterious effects of obesity are affected by advancing age and the ability of protective strategies such as testosterone to reduce these effects may provide significant insight into both the development and prevention of age-related cognitive decline and AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Alexandra Moser
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Amy Christensen
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jiahui Liu
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Amanda Zhou
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Shunya Yagi
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver BC, Canada
| | - Christopher R Beam
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Liisa Galea
- Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver BC, Canada
| | - Christian J Pike
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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Griksiene R, Monciunskaite R, Arnatkeviciute A, Ruksenas O. Does the use of hormonal contraceptives affect the mental rotation performance? Horm Behav 2018. [PMID: 29522764 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2018.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Oral contraceptive pill (OC) is one of the most popular form of contraception. Despite both behavioral and neuroimaging evidence of its significant impact on female brain and cognitive functions, much remains to be discovered regarding OCs targets in the brain and mechanisms of action. In the present study mental rotation performance was compared between women using anti-androgenic oral contraceptives (n = 35), naturally cycling (NC) women (n = 33) and men (n = 29). On average, OC users were less accurate than NC women and men. Men performed the task more accurately than NC women, but the difference reached significance only in the highest angular disparity condition (150 deg). The response time was positively related with progesterone level while accuracy was negatively related with 17ß-estradiol level, in NC, but not OC women. The comparison of slope and intercept values (parameters relating response time to angular disparity) revealed the main result of present study: OC users exhibited significantly lower slope compared to men and NC women, but there were no differences in intercept between groups. These results suggest that OC users instead of using rotation in mind strategy implemented some alternative method(s). We conclude that lower performance accuracy of OC users could be related to a less efficient performance strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramune Griksiene
- Institute of Biosciences, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania.
| | - Rasa Monciunskaite
- Institute of Biosciences, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Aurina Arnatkeviciute
- Institute of Biosciences, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania
| | - Osvaldas Ruksenas
- Institute of Biosciences, Life Sciences Center, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania
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Wagner BA, Braddick VC, Batson CG, Cullen BH, Miller LE, Spritzer MD. Effects of testosterone dose on spatial memory among castrated adult male rats. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2018; 89:120-130. [PMID: 29414025 PMCID: PMC5878712 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2017.12.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2017] [Revised: 12/22/2017] [Accepted: 12/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Previous research on the activational effects of testosterone on spatial memory has produced mixed results, possibly because such effects are dose-dependent. We tested a wide range of testosterone doses using two spatial memory tasks: a working-reference memory version of the radial-arm maze (RAM) and an object location memory task (OLMT). Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were castrated or sham-castrated and given daily injections of drug vehicle (Oil Sham and Oil GDX) or one of four doses of testosterone propionate (0.125, 0.250, 0.500, and 1.000 mg T) beginning seven days before the first day of behavioral tests and continuing throughout testing. For the RAM, four arms of the maze were consistently baited on each day of testing. Testosterone had a significant effect on working memory on the RAM, with the Oil Sham, 0.125 mg T, and 0.500 mg T groups performing better than the Oil GDX group. In contrast, there was no significant effect of testosterone on spatial reference memory on the RAM. For the OLMT, we tested long-term memory using a 2 h inter-trial interval between first exposure to two identical objects and re-exposure after one object had been moved. Only the 0.125 and 0.500 mg T groups showed a significant increase in exploration of the moved object during the testing trials, indicating better memory than all other groups. Testosterone replacement restored spatial memory among castrated male rats on both behavioral tasks, but there was a complex dose-response relationship; therefore, the therapeutic value of testosterone is likely sensitive to dose.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin A. Wagner
- Program in Neuroscience, Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT 05753, U.S.A
| | | | | | - Brendan H. Cullen
- Program in Neuroscience, Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT 05753, U.S.A
| | - L. Erin Miller
- Program in Neuroscience, Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT 05753, U.S.A
| | - Mark D. Spritzer
- Program in Neuroscience, Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT 05753, U.S.A,Department of Biology, Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT 05753, U.S.A,Corresponding author: Mark Spritzer, Department of Biology, McCardell Bicentennial Hall, Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT 05753, USA, phone: 802-443-5676, FAX: 802-443-2072
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Toivainen T, Papageorgiou KA, Tosto MG, Kovas Y. Sex differences in non-verbal and verbal abilities in childhood and adolescence. INTELLIGENCE 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.intell.2017.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Pletzer B, Harris TA, Ortner T. Sex and menstrual cycle influences on three aspects of attention. Physiol Behav 2017; 179:384-390. [PMID: 28694156 PMCID: PMC7115981 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2017.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2017] [Revised: 07/06/2017] [Accepted: 07/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Sex differences and menstrual cycle influences have been investigated in a variety of cognitive abilities, but results regarding attention are comparably sparse. In the present study, 35 men and 32 naturally cycling women completed three attention tasks, which are commonly used in neuropsychological assessment situations. All participants completed two sessions, which were time-locked to the follicular (low progesterone) and luteal cycle phase (high progesterone) in women. The results reveal higher operation speed during sustained attention in men, but no sex differences in selected and divided attention. Menstrual cycle influences were observed on accuracy in all three tasks. During divided and sustained attention, for which a male advantage was previously reported, accuracy was higher during the early follicular compared to the mid-luteal cycle phase. Furthermore, during selected and sustained attention the learning effect from the first to the second test session was higher in women who started the experiment in their luteal cycle phase. These results suggest a possible role of progesterone in modulating the ability to focus on certain stimulus aspects, while inhibiting others and to sustain attention over a longer period of time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Belinda Pletzer
- Department of Psychology, University of Salzburg, Austria; Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Salzburg, Austria.
| | - Ti-Anni Harris
- Department of Psychology, University of Salzburg, Austria
| | - Tuulia Ortner
- Department of Psychology, University of Salzburg, Austria
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Scheuringer A, Pletzer B. Sex Differences and Menstrual Cycle Dependent Changes in Cognitive Strategies during Spatial Navigation and Verbal Fluency. Front Psychol 2017; 8:381. [PMID: 28367133 PMCID: PMC5355435 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2016] [Accepted: 02/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Men typically outperform women in spatial navigation tasks, while the advantage of women in verbal fluency is more controversial. Sex differences in cognitive abilities have been related to sex-specific cognitive strategies on the one hand and sex hormone influences on the other hand. However, sex hormone and menstrual cycle influences on cognitive strategies have not been previously investigated. In the present study we assessed cognitive strategy use during spatial navigation and verbal fluency in 51 men and 49 women. In order to evaluate sex hormone influences, all participants completed two test sessions, which were time-locked to the early follicular (low estradiol and progesterone) and mid-luteal cycle phase (high estradiol and progesterone) in women. As hypothesized, men outperformed women in navigation, whereas women outperformed men in phonemic verbal fluency. Furthermore, women switched more often between categories in the phonemic fluency condition, compared to men, indicating sex-specific strategy use. Sex differences in strategy use during navigation did, however, not follow the expected pattern. Menstrual cycle phase, however, did modulate strategy use during navigation as expected, with improved performance with the landmark strategy in the luteal, compared to the follicular phase. No menstrual cycle effects were observed on clustering or switching during verbal fluency. This suggests a modulation of cognitive strategy use during spatial navigation, but not during verbal fluency, by relative hormone increases during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Belinda Pletzer
- Department of Psychology, University of Salzburg,Salzburg, Austria; Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Salzburg,Salzburg, Austria
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Wang LJ, Chou MC, Chou WJ, Lee MJ, Lee SY, Lin PY, Lee YH, Yang YH, Yen CF. Potential role of pre- and postnatal testosterone levels in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: is there a sex difference? Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat 2017; 13:1331-1339. [PMID: 28553119 PMCID: PMC5439987 DOI: 10.2147/ndt.s136717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Both prenatal testosterone (T) exposure and postnatal T levels have been associated with developing neural circuitry and behavioral systems. This study examined the potential correlation between pre- and postnatal T levels and behavioral and neurocognitive profiles of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). METHODS Two hundred ADHD patients with a mean age of 8.7±2.0 years (158 boys and 42 girls) were recruited. The ratio of the length of the right index finger (2D) to that of the right ring finger (4D) (2D/4D ratio) served as a surrogate of prenatal T exposure, and postnatal T was determined using salivary T concentration. Behavioral symptoms were evaluated using the Swanson, Nolan, and Pelham - Version IV Scale for ADHD (SNAP-IV). Neurocognitive function was assessed using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children - Fourth Edition (WISC-IV) and Conners' Continuous Performance Test (CPT). RESULTS Lower 2D/4D ratios were associated with comorbid disruptive behavior disorders (t=2.15, P=0.033) in all participants. Among the boys with ADHD, neither 2D/4D ratios nor salivary T levels were associated with behavioral symptoms or neurocognitive function. Among the girls with ADHD, the salivary T level was positively correlated with the Perceptual Reasoning Index of the WISC-IV (r=0.48, P=0.001) and the Confidence Index (r=0.37, P=0.017) and Omission Errors of the CPT (r=0.62, P<0.001). CONCLUSION Findings suggest that a higher prenatal T exposure is associated with a greater risk of developing disruptive behavior disorders, and T may exert differential neurocognitive effects between boys and girls with ADHD. However, the neurobiological mechanisms of T involved in the pathogenesis of ADHD warrant further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang-Jen Wang
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine.,Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, and Graduate Institute of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University
| | - Miao-Chun Chou
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine
| | - Wen-Jiun Chou
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine
| | - Min-Jing Lee
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine
| | - Sheng-Yu Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung.,Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine and Hospital, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan
| | - Pao-Yen Lin
- Department of Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine
| | - Yi-Hsuan Lee
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine
| | - Yi-Hsin Yang
- School of Pharmacy, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital
| | - Cheng-Fang Yen
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, and Graduate Institute of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University.,Department of Psychiatry, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
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Tan A, Ma W, Vira A, Marwha D, Eliot L. The human hippocampus is not sexually-dimorphic: Meta-analysis of structural MRI volumes. Neuroimage 2016; 124:350-366. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2015.08.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2015] [Revised: 08/20/2015] [Accepted: 08/22/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
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Quaiser-Pohl C, Jansen P, Lehmann J, Kudielka BM. Is there a relationship between the performance in a chronometric mental-rotations test and salivary testosterone and estradiol levels in children aged 9-14 years? Dev Psychobiol 2015; 58:120-8. [DOI: 10.1002/dev.21333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2014] [Accepted: 06/28/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Quaiser-Pohl
- Institute of Psychology; University of Koblenz-Landau; Universitaetsstr. 1 D-56070 Koblenz Germany
| | - Petra Jansen
- Institute of Sport Science; University of Regensburg; Regensburg Germany
| | - Jennifer Lehmann
- Institute of Sport Science; University of Regensburg; Regensburg Germany
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Puts DA, Pope LE, Hill AK, Cárdenas RA, Welling LLM, Wheatley JR, Marc Breedlove S. Fulfilling desire: evidence for negative feedback between men's testosterone, sociosexual psychology, and sexual partner number. Horm Behav 2015; 70:14-21. [PMID: 25644313 PMCID: PMC4409524 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2015.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2014] [Revised: 01/21/2015] [Accepted: 01/23/2015] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Across human societies and many nonhuman animals, males have greater interest in uncommitted sex (more unrestricted sociosexuality) than do females. Testosterone shows positive associations with male-typical sociosexual behavior in nonhuman animals. Yet, it remains unclear whether the human sex difference in sociosexual psychology (attitudes and desires) is mediated by testosterone, whether any relationships between testosterone and sociosexuality differ between men and women, and what the nature of these possible relationships might be. In studies to resolve these questions, we examined relationships between salivary testosterone concentrations and sociosexual psychology and behavior in men and women. We measured testosterone in all men in our sample, but only in those women taking oral contraception (OC-using women) in order to reduce the influence of ovulatory cycle variation in ovarian hormone production. We found that OC-using women did not differ from normally-ovulating women in sociosexual psychology or behavior, but that circulating testosterone mediated the sex difference in human sociosexuality and predicted sociosexual psychology in men but not OC-using women. Moreover, when sociosexual psychology was controlled, men's sociosexual behavior (number of sexual partners) was negatively related to testosterone, suggesting that testosterone drives sociosexual psychology in men and is inhibited when those desires are fulfilled. This more complex relationship between androgens and male sexuality may reconcile some conflicting prior reports.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Puts
- Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA; Center for Behavior, Brain, and Cognition, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
| | - Lauramarie E Pope
- Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Alexander K Hill
- Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Rodrigo A Cárdenas
- Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - Lisa L M Welling
- Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - John R Wheatley
- Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA
| | - S Marc Breedlove
- Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
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Celec P, Ostatníková D, Hodosy J. On the effects of testosterone on brain behavioral functions. Front Neurosci 2015; 9:12. [PMID: 25741229 PMCID: PMC4330791 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2015.00012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2014] [Accepted: 01/12/2015] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Testosterone influences the brain via organizational and activational effects. Numerous relevant studies on rodents and a few on humans focusing on specific behavioral and cognitive parameters have been published. The results are, unfortunately, controversial and puzzling. Dosing, timing, even the application route seem to considerably affect the outcomes. In addition, the methods used for the assessment of psychometric parameters are a bit less than ideal regarding their validity and reproducibility. Metabolism of testosterone contributes to the complexity of its actions. Reduction to dihydrotestosterone by 5-alpha reductase increases the androgen activity; conversion to estradiol by aromatase converts the androgen to estrogen activity. Recently, the non-genomic effects of testosterone on behavior bypassing the nuclear receptors have attracted the interest of researchers. 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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Celec
- Institute of Molecular Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University Bratislava, Slovakia ; Center for Molecular Medicine, Slovak Academy of Sciences Bratislava, Slovakia ; Institute of Pathophysiology, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University Bratislava, Slovakia ; Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Daniela Ostatníková
- Institute of Molecular Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University Bratislava, Slovakia ; Institute of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Július Hodosy
- Institute of Molecular Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University Bratislava, Slovakia ; Center for Molecular Medicine, Slovak Academy of Sciences Bratislava, Slovakia ; Institute of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University Bratislava, Slovakia
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van Hemmen J, Veltman DJ, Hoekzema E, Cohen-Kettenis PT, Dessens AB, Bakker J. Neural Activation During Mental Rotation in Complete Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome: The Influence of Sex Hormones and Sex Chromosomes. Cereb Cortex 2014; 26:1036-45. [DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhu280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
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Schultheiss OC, Zimni M. Associations Between Implicit Motives and Salivary Steroids, 2D:4D Digit Ratio, Mental Rotation Performance, and Verbal Fluency. ADAPTIVE HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND PHYSIOLOGY 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s40750-014-0012-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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Li R. Why women see differently from the way men see? A review of sex differences in cognition and sports. JOURNAL OF SPORT AND HEALTH SCIENCE 2014; 3:155-162. [PMID: 25520851 PMCID: PMC4266559 DOI: 10.1016/j.jshs.2014.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The differences of learning and memory between males and females have been well documented and confirmed by both human and animal studies. The sex differences in cognition started from early stage of neuronal development and last through entire life span. The major biological basis of the gender-dependent cognitive activity includes two major components: sex hormone and sex-related characteristics, such as sex-determining region of the Y chromosome (SRY) protein. However, the knowledge of how much biology of sex contributes to normal cognitive function and elite athletes in various sports are still pretty limited. In this review, we will be focusing on sex differences in spatial learning and memory - especially the role of male- and female-type cognitive behaviors in sports.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rena Li
- Center for Hormone Advanced Science and Education, Roskamp Institute, Sarasota, FL 34243, USA
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Li R, Singh M. Sex differences in cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease. Front Neuroendocrinol 2014; 35:385-403. [PMID: 24434111 PMCID: PMC4087048 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2014.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 333] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2013] [Revised: 12/31/2013] [Accepted: 01/06/2014] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Studies have shown differences in specific cognitive ability domains and risk of Alzheimer's disease between the men and women at later age. However it is important to know that sex differences in cognitive function during adulthood may have their basis in both organizational effects, i.e., occurring as early as during the neuronal development period, as well as in activational effects, where the influence of the sex steroids influence brain function in adulthood. Further, the rate of cognitive decline with aging is also different between the sexes. Understanding the biology of sex differences in cognitive function will not only provide insight into Alzheimer's disease prevention, but also is integral to the development of personalized, gender-specific medicine. This review draws on epidemiological, translational, clinical, and basic science studies to assess the impact of sex differences in cognitive function from young to old, and examines the effects of sex hormone treatments on Alzheimer's disease in men and women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rena Li
- Center for Hormone Advanced Science and Education (CHASE), Roskamp Institute, Sarasota, FL 34243, United States.
| | - Meharvan Singh
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Institute for Aging and Alzheimer's Disease Research (IAADR), Center FOR HER, University of North Texas, Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX 76107, United States
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Pletzer B, Petasis O, Cahill L. Switching between forest and trees: opposite relationship of progesterone and testosterone to global-local processing. Horm Behav 2014; 66:257-66. [PMID: 24874173 PMCID: PMC4139269 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2014.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2014] [Revised: 05/13/2014] [Accepted: 05/15/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Sex differences in attentional selection of global and local components of stimuli have been hypothesized to underlie sex differences in cognitive strategy choice. A Navon figure paradigm was employed in 32 men, 41 naturally cycling women (22 follicular, 19 luteal) and 19 users of oral contraceptives (OCs) containing first to third generation progestins in their active pill phase. Participants were first asked to detect targets at any level (divided attention) and then at either the global or the local level only (focused attention). In the focused attention condition, luteal women showed reduced global advantage (i.e. faster responses to global vs. local targets) compared to men, follicular women and OC users. Accordingly, global advantage during the focused attention condition related significantly positively to testosterone levels and significantly negatively to progesterone, but not estradiol levels in a multiple regression model including all naturally cycling women and men. Interference (i.e. delayed rejection of stimuli displaying targets at the non-attended level) was significantly enhanced in OC users as compared to naturally cycling women and related positively to testosterone levels in all naturally cycling women and men. Remarkably, when analyzed separately for each group, the relationship of testosterone to global advantage and interference was reversed in women during their luteal phase as opposed to men and women during their follicular phase. As global processing is lateralized to the right and local processing to the left hemisphere, we speculate that these effects stem from a testosterone-mediated enhancement of right-hemisphere functioning as well as progesterone-mediated inter-hemispheric decoupling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Belinda Pletzer
- Department of Neurobiology & Behavior, University of California, Irvine, USA; Center for Neurobiology of Learning & Memory, University of California, Irvine, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Salzburg, Austria; Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Salzburg, Austria.
| | - Ourania Petasis
- Department of Neurobiology & Behavior, University of California, Irvine, USA; Center for Neurobiology of Learning & Memory, University of California, Irvine, USA
| | - Larry Cahill
- Department of Neurobiology & Behavior, University of California, Irvine, USA; Center for Neurobiology of Learning & Memory, University of California, Irvine, USA
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Nowak NT, Diamond MP, Land SJ, Moffat SD. Contributions of sex, testosterone, and androgen receptor CAG repeat number to virtual Morris water maze performance. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2014; 41:13-22. [PMID: 24495604 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2013.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2013] [Revised: 10/29/2013] [Accepted: 12/03/2013] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The possibility that androgens contribute to the male advantage typically found on measures of spatial cognition has been investigated using a variety of approaches. To date, evidence to support the notion that androgens affect spatial cognition in healthy young adults is somewhat equivocal. The present study sought to clarify the association between testosterone (T) and spatial performance by extending measurements of androgenicity to include both measures of circulating T as well as an androgen receptor-specific genetic marker. The aims of this study were to assess the contributions of sex, T, and androgen receptor CAG repeat number (CAGr) on virtual Morris water task (vMWT) performance in a group of healthy young men and women. The hypothesis that men would outperform women on vMWT outcomes was supported. Results indicate that CAGr may interact with T to impact navigation performance and suggest that consideration of androgen receptor sensitivity is an important consideration in evaluating hormone-behavior relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole T Nowak
- University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee, Department of Psychology, Milwaukee, WI, USA.
| | - Michael P Diamond
- Georgia Regents University, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA, USA
| | - Susan J Land
- Wayne State University, Wayne State Applied Genomics Technology Center, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Scott D Moffat
- Georgia Institute of Technology, School of Psychology, Atlanta, GA, USA
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The new science of cognitive sex differences. Trends Cogn Sci 2014; 18:37-45. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2013.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 362] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2013] [Revised: 10/07/2013] [Accepted: 10/09/2013] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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The influence of steroid sex hormones on the cognitive and emotional processing of visual stimuli in humans. Front Neuroendocrinol 2013; 34:315-28. [PMID: 23988462 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2013.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2013] [Revised: 07/16/2013] [Accepted: 07/30/2013] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Steroid sex hormones are responsible for some of the differences between men and women. In this article, I review evidence that steroid sex hormones impact on visual processing. Given prominent sex-differences, I focus on three topics for sex hormone effects for which there is most research available: 1. Preference and mate choice, 2. Emotion and recognition, and 3. Cerebral/perceptual asymmetries and visual-spatial abilities. For each topic, researchers have examined sex hormones and visual processing using various methods. I review indirect evidence addressing variation according to: menstrual cycle phase, pregnancy, puberty, and menopause. I further address studies of variation in testosterone and a measure of prenatal testosterone, 2D:4D, on visual processing. The most conclusive evidence, however, comes from experiments. Studies in which hormones are administrated are discussed. Overall, many studies demonstrate that sex steroids are associated with visual processing. However, findings are sometimes inconsistent, differences in methodology make strong comparisons between studies difficult, and we generally know more about activational than organizational effects.
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Mental rotation in intellectually gifted boys is affected by the androgen receptor CAG repeat polymorphism. Neuropsychologia 2013; 51:1693-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2013.05.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2013] [Revised: 05/21/2013] [Accepted: 05/23/2013] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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Ellis L, Das S. Delinquency, androgens, and the family: a test of evolutionary neuroandrogenic theory. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OFFENDER THERAPY AND COMPARATIVE CRIMINOLOGY 2013; 57:966-984. [PMID: 22514238 DOI: 10.1177/0306624x12440564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
There is little doubt that family factors can influence involvement in delinquency, although the full nature and extent of their influences remain unclear. In recent decades, testosterone has been increasingly implicated as a contributor to adolescent offending. The present study sought to determine whether two important types of familial factors--parental socioeconomic status and amicable parent-child relationships--are interacting with testosterone (and possibly other androgens) to affect delinquency. A large sample of North American college students self-reported their involvement in eight categories of delinquency along with self-ratings of various androgen-promoted traits (e.g., muscularity and low-deep voice), parental social status, and the quality of the relationships they had with parents. In both sexes, parent-child relationships and androgens were significantly associated with delinquency but parental social status was not. Factor analysis revealed that the authors' measures of all four categories of variables exhibited strong loadings onto their respective factors. Androgens and amicable parent-child relationships were associated with delinquency but parental social status was not. About one third of the influence of parent-child relationships on delinquency appeared to be attributable to androgens. Findings are discussed from the perspective of the evolutionary neuroandrogenic theory of delinquent and criminal behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lee Ellis
- University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
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Spritzer MD, Fox EC, Larsen GD, Batson CG, Wagner BA, Maher J. Testosterone influences spatial strategy preferences among adult male rats. Horm Behav 2013; 63:800-12. [PMID: 23597827 PMCID: PMC3759970 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2013.03.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2012] [Revised: 03/26/2013] [Accepted: 03/31/2013] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Males outperform females on some spatial tasks, and this may be partially due to the effects of sex steroids on spatial strategy preferences. Previous work with rodents indicates that low estradiol levels bias females toward a striatum-dependent response strategy, whereas high estradiol levels bias them toward a hippocampus-dependent place strategy. We tested whether testosterone influenced the strategy preferences in male rats. All subjects were castrated and assigned to one of three daily injection doses of testosterone (0.125, 0.250, or 0.500 mg/rat) or a control group that received daily injections of the drug vehicle. Three different maze protocols were used to determine rats' strategy preferences. A low dose of testosterone (0.125 mg) biased males toward a motor-response strategy on a T-maze task. In a water maze task in which the platform itself could be used intermittently as a visual cue, a low testosterone dose (0.125 mg) caused a significant increase in the use of a cued-response strategy relative to control males. Results from this second experiment also indicated that males receiving a high dose of testosterone (0.500 mg) were biased toward a place strategy. A third experiment indicated that testosterone dose did not have a strong influence on the ability of rats to use a nearby visual cue (floating ball) in the water maze. For this experiment, all groups seemed to use a combination of place and cued-response strategies. Overall, the results indicate that the effects of testosterone on spatial strategy preference are dose dependent and task dependent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark D Spritzer
- Department of Biology, Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT 05753, USA.
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Borniger JC, Chaudhry A, Muehlenbein MP. Relationships among musical aptitude, digit ratio and testosterone in men and women. PLoS One 2013; 8:e57637. [PMID: 23520475 PMCID: PMC3592910 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0057637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2012] [Accepted: 01/27/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Circulating adult testosterone levels, digit ratio (length of the second finger relative to the fourth finger), and directional asymmetry in digit ratio are considered sexually dimorphic traits in humans. These have been related to spatial abilities in men and women, and because similar brain structures appear to be involved in both spatial and musical abilities, neuroendocrine function may be related to musical as well as spatial cognition. To evaluate relationships among testosterone and musical ability in men and women, saliva samples were collected, testosterone concentrations assessed, and digit ratios calculated using standardized protocols in a sample of university students (N = 61), including both music and non-music majors. Results of Spearman correlations suggest that digit ratio and testosterone levels are statistically related to musical aptitude and performance only within the female sample: A) those females with greater self-reported history of exposure to music (p = 0.016) and instrument proficiency (p = 0.040) scored higher on the Advanced Measures of Music Audiation test, B) those females with higher left hand digit ratio (and perhaps lower fetal testosterone levels) were more highly ranked (p = 0.007) in the orchestra, C) female music students exhibited a trend (p = 0.082) towards higher testosterone levels compared to female non-music students, and D) female music students with higher rank in the orchestra/band had higher testosterone levels (p = 0.003) than lower ranked students. None of these relationships were significant in the male sample, although a lack of statistical power may be one cause. The effects of testosterone are likely a small part of a poorly understood system of biological and environmental stimuli that contribute to musical aptitude. Hormones may play some role in modulating the phenotype of musical ability, and this may be the case for females more so than males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy C. Borniger
- Department of Anthropology, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Adeel Chaudhry
- Department of Anthropology, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Michael P. Muehlenbein
- Department of Anthropology, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Courvoisier DS, Renaud O, Geiser C, Paschke K, Gaudy K, Jordan K. Sex hormones and mental rotation: an intensive longitudinal investigation. Horm Behav 2013; 63:345-51. [PMID: 23261859 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2012.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2012] [Revised: 10/24/2012] [Accepted: 12/13/2012] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The present study used an intensive longitudinal design to examine whether mental rotation performance varies according to a monthly cycle in both males and females and whether these variations are related to variations in progesterone, estradiol, and testosterone levels. We collected reaction time and accuracy data for 10 males and seven females each workday over eight weeks using 136 pairs of mental rotation stimuli/day, and measured sexual hormones concentrations in the saliva twice a week. A mixed linear model statistical analysis revealed that all females and seven males showed significant cycle effects in mental rotation performance. The female cycle showed an amplitude that was twice as large compared with the amplitude found in males. For males and females, estradiol and testosterone were significantly linearly and quadratically related to interindividual variation in performance at the beginning of the study (progesterone was linearly related to performance for females). The association between testosterone and performance differed across sexes: for males, it had an inverse U-shape, for females it was U-shaped. Towards the end of the study, none of the hormones were significantly related to performance anymore. Thus, the relationship between hormones and mental rotation performance disappeared with repeated testing. Only estradiol levels were significantly elevated at the lowest point of the cycle in mental rotation performance in females. In conclusion, in this intensive longitudinal study spanning two months, a monthly cycle in mental rotation performance was found among both males and females, with a larger cycle's amplitude for females.
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