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Prenatal Visual Exposure to a Predator Influences Lateralization in Goldbelly Topminnows. Symmetry (Basel) 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/sym12081257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The role of genetic and environmental factors in modulating the development of brain lateralization is far from being fully understood, and the presence of individual differences in several lateralized functions is still an open question. In goldbelly topminnows, the genetic basis of asymmetrical functions in the brain has been studied, and recently it has been found that light stimulation influences the expression of lateralization of newborns. Here, we investigated whether prenatal exposure to predators affects the development of lateralization in 10-day-old topminnows born from females exposed to a real or to a simulated predator during pregnancy. Offspring from females exposed to a real predator were lateralized in both visual and motor tests, whereas fish from females exposed to a simulated predator were not and did not differ from controls. Prenatal exposure to a real predator might promote the alignment of lateralization in the same direction in different individuals.
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Beking T, Geuze RH, van Faassen M, Kema IP, Kreukels BPC, Groothuis TGG. Prenatal and pubertal testosterone affect brain lateralization. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2018; 88:78-91. [PMID: 29195161 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2017.10.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2017] [Revised: 10/31/2017] [Accepted: 10/31/2017] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
After decades of research, the influence of prenatal testosterone on brain lateralization is still elusive, whereas the influence of pubertal testosterone on functional brain lateralization has not been investigated, although there is increasing evidence that testosterone affects the brain in puberty. We performed a longitudinal study, investigating the relationship between prenatal testosterone concentrations in amniotic fluid, pubertal testosterone concentrations in saliva, and brain lateralization (measured with functional Transcranial Doppler ultrasonography (fTCD)) of the Mental Rotation, Chimeric Faces and Word Generation tasks. Thirty boys and 30 girls participated in this study at the age of 15 years. For boys, we found a significant interaction effect between prenatal and pubertal testosterone on lateralization of Mental Rotation and Chimeric Faces. In the boys with low prenatal testosterone levels, pubertal testosterone was positively related to the strength of lateralization in the right hemisphere, while in the boys with high prenatal testosterone levels, pubertal testosterone was negatively related to the strength of lateralization. For Word Generation, pubertal testosterone was negatively related to the strength of lateralization in the left hemisphere in boys. For girls, we did not find any significant effects, possibly because their pubertal testosterone levels were in many cases below quantification limit. To conclude, prenatal and pubertal testosterone affect lateralization in a task-specific way. Our findings cannot be explained by simple models of prenatal testosterone affecting brain lateralization in a similar way for all tasks. We discuss alternative models involving age dependent effects of testosterone, with a role for androgen receptor distribution and efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Beking
- University of Groningen, Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences, Department Clinical & Developmental Neuropsychology, Grote Kruisstraat 2/1, 9712 TS Groningen, The Netherlands.
| | - R H Geuze
- University of Groningen, Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences, Department Clinical & Developmental Neuropsychology, Grote Kruisstraat 2/1, 9712 TS Groningen, The Netherlands.
| | - M van Faassen
- University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Laboratory Medicine, Hanzeplein 1, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands.
| | - I P Kema
- University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Laboratory Medicine, Hanzeplein 1, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands.
| | - B P C Kreukels
- VU University Medical Center Amsterdam, Department of Medical Psychology, Center of Expertise on Gender Dysphoria, PO Box 7057, 1007 MB, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - T G G Groothuis
- University of Groningen, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands.
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Papadatou-Pastou M, Martin M. Cerebral laterality for language is related to adult salivary testosterone levels but not digit ratio (2D:4D) in men: A functional transcranial Doppler ultrasound study. BRAIN AND LANGUAGE 2017; 166:52-62. [PMID: 28088127 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2016.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2015] [Revised: 11/07/2016] [Accepted: 12/12/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The adequacy of three competing theories of hormonal effects on cerebral laterality are compared using functional transcranial Doppler sonography (fTCD). Thirty-three adult males participated in the study (21 left-handers). Cerebral lateralization was measured by fTCD using an extensively validated word generation task. Adult salivary testosterone (T) and cortisol (C) concentrations were measured by luminescence immunoassay and prenatal T exposure was indirectly estimated by the somatic marker of 2nd to 4th digit length ratio (2D:4D). A significant quadratic relationship between degree of cerebral laterality for language and adult T concentrations was observed, with enhanced T levels for strong left hemisphere dominance and strong right hemisphere dominance. No systematic effects on laterality were found for cortisol or 2D:4D. Findings suggest that higher levels of T are associated with a relatively attenuated degree of interhemispheric sharing of linguistic information, providing support for the callosal and the sexual differentiation hypotheses rather than the Geschwind, Behan and Galaburda (GBG) hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marietta Papadatou-Pastou
- Cognition and Health Research Group, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, 9 South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3UD, UK.
| | - Maryanne Martin
- Cognition and Health Research Group, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, 9 South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3UD, UK.
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Early visual experience influences behavioral lateralization in the guppy. Anim Cogn 2016; 19:949-58. [PMID: 27215573 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-016-0995-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2016] [Revised: 05/07/2016] [Accepted: 05/11/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Individual differences in lateralization of cognitive functions characterize both humans and non-human species. Genetic factors can account for only a fraction of the variance observed and the source of individual variation in laterality remains in large part elusive. Various environmental factors have been suggested to modulate the development of lateralization, including asymmetrical stimulation of the sensory system during ontogeny. In this study, we raised newborn guppies in an asymmetric environment to test the hypothesis that early left-right asymmetries in visual input may affect the development of cerebral asymmetries. Each fish was raised in an impoverished environment but could voluntarily observe a complex scene in a nearby compartment containing a group of conspecifics. Using asymmetric structures, we allowed some subjects to observe the complex scene with the right eye, others with the left eye, and control fish with both eyes. Among asymmetrically stimulated fish, the mirror test revealed eye dominance congruent with the direction of asymmetric stimulation, while controls showed no left-right laterality bias. Interestingly, asymmetric exposure to social stimuli also affected another aspect of visual lateralization-eye preference for scrutinizing a potential predator-but did not influence a measure of motor asymmetry. As the natural environment of guppies is fundamentally asymmetrical, we suggest that unequal left-right stimulation is a common occurrence in developing guppies and may represent a primary source of individual variation in lateralization as well as an efficient mechanism for producing laterality phenotypes that are adapted to local environmental conditions.
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Papadatou-Pastou M, Martin M, Mohr C. Salivary testosterone levels are unrelated to handedness or cerebral lateralization for language. Laterality 2016; 22:123-156. [DOI: 10.1080/1357650x.2016.1149485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
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6
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Hampson E. The development of hand preference and dichotic language lateralization in males and females with congenital adrenal hyperplasia. Laterality 2015; 21:415-432. [DOI: 10.1080/1357650x.2015.1102924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Carey DP, Johnstone LT. Quantifying cerebral asymmetries for language in dextrals and adextrals with random-effects meta analysis. Front Psychol 2014; 5:1128. [PMID: 25408673 PMCID: PMC4219560 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2014] [Accepted: 09/16/2014] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Speech and language-related functions tend to depend on the left hemisphere more than the right in most right-handed (dextral) participants. This relationship is less clear in non-right handed (adextral) people, resulting in surprisingly polarized opinion on whether or not they are as lateralized as right handers. The present analysis investigates this issue by largely ignoring methodological differences between the different neuroscientific approaches to language lateralization, as well as discrepancies in how dextral and adextral participants were recruited or defined. Here we evaluate the tendency for dextrals to be more left hemisphere dominant than adextrals, using random effects meta analyses. In spite of several limitations, including sample size (in the adextrals in particular), missing details on proportions of groups who show directional effects in many experiments, and so on, the different paradigms all point to proportionally increased left hemispheric dominance in the dextrals. These results are analyzed in light of the theoretical importance of these subtle differences for understanding the cognitive neuroscience of language, as well as the unusual asymmetry in most adextrals.
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Affiliation(s)
- David P Carey
- Perception, Action and Memory Research Group, School of Psychology, Bangor University Bangor, UK
| | - Leah T Johnstone
- Perception, Action and Memory Research Group, School of Psychology, Bangor University Bangor, UK
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8
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Hollier LP, Maybery MT, Whitehouse AJ. Chapter 10. Atypical cerebral lateralisation and language impairment in autism. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014. [DOI: 10.1075/tilar.11.11hol] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/21/2023]
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Motofei IG, Rowland DL, Georgescu SR, Baconi DL, Dimcevici NP, Paunica S, Constantin VD, Balalau C. A pilot study on the sexual side effects of finasteride as related to hand preference for men undergoing treatment of male pattern baldness. BJU Int 2012; 111:E221-6. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1464-410x.2012.11580.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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10
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Hampson E, Sankar JS. Hand preference in humans is associated with testosterone levels and androgen receptor gene polymorphism. Neuropsychologia 2012; 50:2018-25. [PMID: 22579704 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2012.04.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2011] [Revised: 03/23/2012] [Accepted: 04/27/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Exposure of the central nervous system to androgens during the early developmental period has been proposed to play a role in the establishment of hand preference in males. Existing data, however, are inconclusive. In the present investigation, handedness was assessed in a large sample of left-, mixed-, and right-handed men (N=180) using a standardized handedness inventory. Saliva sampling was used to assay levels of bioavailable testosterone and DNA genotyping was carried out to quantify AR-CAG repeat length, a genetic marker of the capacity of the androgen receptor to respond to testosterone. Strongly left-handed males were found to have lower levels of bioavailable testosterone than right-handed males, while males with mixed handedness exhibited a weaker androgen receptor, but no significant difference from right-handers in circulating testosterone levels. These findings support the view that testosterone could play a role in the development of hand preference in males. Furthermore, because the AR gene lies on the X chromosome, it provides a potential theoretical bridge to genetic theories of handedness that postulate the existence of an X-linked locus important in the establishment of hand preference.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Hampson
- Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada N6A 5C2.
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12
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Lenz B, Müller CP, Stoessel C, Sperling W, Biermann T, Hillemacher T, Bleich S, Kornhuber J. Sex hormone activity in alcohol addiction: integrating organizational and activational effects. Prog Neurobiol 2011; 96:136-63. [PMID: 22115850 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2011.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2011] [Revised: 11/03/2011] [Accepted: 11/08/2011] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
There are well-known sex differences in the epidemiology and etiopathology of alcohol dependence. Male gender is a crucial risk factor for the onset of alcohol addiction. A directly modifying role of testosterone in alcohol addiction-related behavior is well established. Sex hormones exert both permanent (organizational) and transient (activational) effects on the human brain. The sensitive period for these effects lasts throughout life. In this article, we present a novel early sex hormone activity model of alcohol addiction. We propose that early exposure to sex hormones triggers structural (organizational) neuroadaptations. These neuroadaptations affect cellular and behavioral responses to adult sex hormones, sensitize the brain's reward system to the reinforcing properties of alcohol and modulate alcohol addictive behavior later in life. This review outlines clinical findings related to the early sex hormone activity model of alcohol addiction (handedness, the second-to-fourth-finger length ratio, and the androgen receptor and aromatase) and includes clinical and preclinical literature regarding the activational effects of sex hormones in alcohol drinking behavior. Furthermore, we discuss the role of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal and -gonadal axes and the opioid system in mediating the relationship between sex hormone activity and alcohol dependence. We conclude that a combination of exposure to sex hormones in utero and during early development contributes to the risk of alcohol addiction later in life. The early sex hormone activity model of alcohol addiction may prove to be a valuable tool in the development of preventive and therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernd Lenz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Friedrich-Alexander-University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany.
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Beaton AA, Rudling N, Kissling C, Taurines R, Thome J. Digit ratio (2D:4D), salivary testosterone, and handedness. Laterality 2011; 16:136-55. [DOI: 10.1080/13576500903410369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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14
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Schaafsma SM, Groothuis TG. Sex-specific effects of postnatal testosterone on lateralization in cichlid fish. Anim Behav 2011. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2010.10.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Vuoksimaa E, Peter Eriksson CJ, Pulkkinen L, Rose RJ, Kaprio J. Decreased prevalence of left-handedness among females with male co-twins: evidence suggesting prenatal testosterone transfer in humans? Psychoneuroendocrinology 2010; 35:1462-72. [PMID: 20570052 PMCID: PMC2950868 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2010.04.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2009] [Revised: 04/19/2010] [Accepted: 04/23/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Studies of singletons suggest that right-handed individuals may have higher levels of testosterone than do left-handed individuals. Prenatal testosterone levels are hypothesised to be especially related to handedness formation. In humans, female members from opposite-sex twin pairs may experience elevated level of prenatal exposure to testosterone in their intrauterine environment shared with a male. We tested for differences in rates of left-handedness/right-handedness in female twins from same-sex and opposite-sex twin pairs. Our sample consisted of 4736 subjects, about 70% of all Finnish twins born in 1983-1987, with information on measured pregnancy and birth related factors. Circulating testosterone and estradiol levels at age 14 were available on 771 and 744 of these twins, respectively. We found significantly (p=.006) lower prevalence of left-handedness in females from opposite-sex pairs (5.3%) compared to females from same-sex pairs (8.6%). The circulating levels of neither testosterone nor estradiol related to handedness in either females or males. Nor were there differences in circulating testosterone or estradiol levels between females from opposite-sex and same-sex twin pairs. Birth and pregnancy related factors for which we had information were unrelated to handedness. Our results are difficult to fully explain by postnatal factors, but they offer support to theory that relates testosterone to formation of handedness, and in a population-based sample, are suggestive of effects of prenatal testosterone transfer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eero Vuoksimaa
- Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Finland.
| | - C. J. Peter Eriksson
- Department of Alcohol, Drugs and Addiction, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Lea Pulkkinen
- Department of Psychology, University of Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Richard J. Rose
- Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Finland, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, USA
| | - Jaakko Kaprio
- Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Finland, Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland, Institute for Molecular Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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Herrero N, Gadea M, Rodríguez-Alarcón G, Espert R, Salvador A. What happens when we get angry? Hormonal, cardiovascular and asymmetrical brain responses. Horm Behav 2010; 57:276-83. [PMID: 20045413 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2009.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2009] [Revised: 12/15/2009] [Accepted: 12/15/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate neuroendocrine and cardiovascular responses together with changes in brain asymmetry following an anger mood induction laboratory task. Previous research has shown an increase in heart rate and blood pressure when anger is experienced. Increased testosterone and decreased cortisol in response to anger and aggressive behavior have also been reported. With regard to asymmetrical frontal brain activity and emotion, the valence model links negative affect (as anger) to the right hemisphere while the motivational direction model links approach-related emotions (as anger) to the left hemisphere. From the subjective perception and from the neuroendocrine and cardiovascular response of the subjects, we can conclude that the self-referent statement anger induction method by Engebretson et al. (1999) was able to generate an experience of an anger affect in 30 healthy men. Another question was to analyze the consequences of that experience upon perceptual asymmetry when measured with a non-emotional laterality task. Regarding dichotic listening, an enhanced REA (right ear advantage) was observed after anger which indicates greater left hemisphere activity, supporting the motivational direction model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neus Herrero
- Unitat de Psiquiatria i Psicologia Mèdica, Facultat de Medicina, Departament Medicina, Universitat de València, CIBERSAM, València, Spain.
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Lust J, Geuze R, Van de Beek C, Cohen-Kettenis P, Groothuis A, Bouma A. Sex specific effect of prenatal testosterone on language lateralization in children. Neuropsychologia 2010; 48:536-40. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2009.10.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2009] [Revised: 09/23/2009] [Accepted: 10/16/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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18
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Matsui F, Koh E, Yamamoto K, Sugimoto K, Sin HS, Maeda Y, Honma S, Namiki M. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) assay for simultaneous measurement of salivary testosterone and cortisol in healthy men for utilization in the diagnosis of late-onset hypogonadism in males. Endocr J 2009; 56:1083-93. [PMID: 19734692 DOI: 10.1507/endocrj.k09e-186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
It is well known that late-onset hypogonadism in males can cause a variety of symptoms, and the differential diagnosis is relatively difficult, including psychological disorders, stress, and mood disturbances. The level of serum cortisol can be measured to reflect a patient's level of stress. Salivary hormones facilitate the evaluation of physiological hormonal actions based on free hormone assay. For the simultaneous measurement of testosterone and cortisol levels in saliva, we validate a sensitive liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) assay. Concerning accuracy and precision, the lower limit of quantification of salivary testosterone and cortisol were established as 5 and 10 pg/mL, respectively. Testosterone and cortisol in saliva is stable for 2 days, 14 days, and 28 days at room temperature, refrigeration and frozen, respectively. Freezing and thawing for 3 cycles and stimulation of salivation with gum chewing do not alter the measured values of testosterone and cortisol. Total, bioavailable, and free serum testosterone showed slight diurnal changes, but total and bioavailable serum cortisol showed marked diurnal changes. Salivary testosterone levels negatively correlate with age, regardless of the time of saliva collection (r=0.64, p<0.05). However, there is no relationship between salivary cortisol and age (r=0033, p>0.05). LC-MS/MS allows rapid, simultaneous, sensitive, and accurate quantification of testosterone and cortisol in saliva for the diagnosis late-onset hypogonadism or other hormone related disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Futoshi Matsui
- Department of Integrative Cancer Therapy and Urology, Kanazawa University Graduate School of Medical Science, Ishikawa, Japan
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Fink M, Wadsak W, Savli M, Stein P, Moser U, Hahn A, Mien LK, Kletter K, Mitterhauser M, Kasper S, Lanzenberger R. Lateralization of the serotonin-1A receptor distribution in language areas revealed by PET. Neuroimage 2008; 45:598-605. [PMID: 19103294 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2008.11.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2008] [Revised: 10/06/2008] [Accepted: 11/12/2008] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Lateralization is a well described aspect of the human brain. A plethora of morphological, cytological and functional studies describes hemispheric asymmetry in auditory and language areas. However, no study has reported cortical lateralization in the healthy human brain in vivo on the level of neurotransmitter receptors and in relation to functional organization so far. In this study, we assessed the distribution of the main inhibitory serotonergic receptor (the 5-HT1A receptor) and analyzed its regional binding with regard to hemisphere, sex and plasma levels of sex steroid hormones (testosterone, estradiol, progesterone). We quantified the 5-HT1A receptor binding potential by positron emission tomography (PET) using the highly selective and specific radioligand [carbonyl-11C]WAY-100635 and measured hormone levels in thirty-four (16 females, 18 males) healthy right-handed subjects. The obtained data were analyzed in an automated region of interest (ROI) based approach investigating 14 auditory, language and limbic areas. We found significantly higher 5-HT1A receptor binding in the superior and middle frontal gyri of the right hemisphere, the triangular and orbital parts of the inferior frontal gyrus, the supramarginal gyrus, the superior gyrus of the temporal pole and the middle temporal gyrus. Regions of the primary and secondary auditory cortex (Heschl's gyrus and superior temporal gyrus) and the Rolandic operculum displayed significantly higher receptor binding in the left hemisphere. 5-HT1A receptor binding was 1.8-2.9% higher in right frontal ROIs and 2-3.6% higher in left primary and secondary auditory regions. There was no hemispheric difference in 5-HT(1A) receptor binding in the hippocampus, amygdala, and insula. Post-hoc testing suggested that lateralization of 5-HT1A receptor binding differed between the sexes in the triangular part of the inferior frontal gyrus. For the first time, this PET study shows lateralization of the main inhibitory receptor of the serotonergic system in functionally asymmetric organized regions of the healthy human brain in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Fink
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
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Sommer IEC, Cohen-Kettenis PT, van Raalten T, Vd Veer AJ, Ramsey LE, Gooren LJG, Kahn RS, Ramsey NF. Effects of cross-sex hormones on cerebral activation during language and mental rotation: An fMRI study in transsexuals. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2008; 18:215-21. [PMID: 17997284 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2007.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2007] [Revised: 09/25/2007] [Accepted: 10/01/2007] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Androgens and estrogens affect the performance on certain cognitive tests, particularly those measuring verbal fluency and mental rotation. Their effects on cognition have frequently been attributed to changes in cerebral lateralization. This study tested the impact of a reversal of the sex steroid milieu on cerebral activation and lateralization during verbal and spatial tasks in transsexuals. fMRI scans were obtained from 6 female-to-male and 8 male-to-female transsexuals at baseline and after cross-sex steroid treatment. Activation was measured during language and mental rotation tasks. Language activation increased after sex steroid treatment in both groups (F(1,12) =3.7, p=0.08), and total language activity was correlated to post-treatment estradiol levels (rho=0.54, p=0.05). Lateralization was not affected by the reversal of sex steroid milieus (F(1,12)=1.47, p=0.25). Activation during mental rotation did not increase during treatment (F(1,12)=0.54, p=0.34), but post-treatment testosterone levels correlated to total activation during mental rotation (rho=0.64, p=0.01). Findings suggest that sex steroids may influence cerebral activation, but lateralization remains stable.
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Affiliation(s)
- I E C Sommer
- Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, Brain Division, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands.
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21
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Jackson C. Prediction of hemispheric asymmetry as measured by handedness from digit length and 2D:4D digit ratio. Laterality 2008; 13:34-50. [DOI: 10.1080/13576500701692507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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22
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Silva MADS, Topic B, Lamounier-Zepter V, Huston JP, Tomaz C, Barros M. Evidence for hemispheric specialization in the marmoset (Callithrix penicillata) based on lateralization of behavioral/neurochemical correlations. Brain Res Bull 2007; 74:416-28. [PMID: 17920450 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2007.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2007] [Revised: 06/25/2007] [Accepted: 07/12/2007] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
A correlative study between behavioral, neurochemical and hormonal measures was conducted on male black tufted-ear marmoset monkeys (Callithrix penicillata). Behavioral analysis was performed in order to examine the effects of confrontation with a natural predator (taxidermized oncilla cat, Felis tigrina). The subjects were subjected to four trials without predator, six confrontation trials with predator present, and four trials with the predator removed. Handedness was analyzed by the frequency with which they performed scratching, grooming and hanging behaviors with the left or right hands. The animals' brains were subjected to ex vivo neurochemical analysis of several structures from both hemispheres. The content of monoamines, acetycholine and metabolites were analyzed by HPLC-ED. Plasma levels of cortisol and adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) were analyzed by chemoluminescence immunoassay. Testosterone plasma concentration was determined by radioimmunoassay. Higher levels of dopamine and acetylcholine were detected in the right caudate/putamen, in comparison to the left. For the remaining areas, similar levels were observed in both hemispheres. A hand preference between and within the behaviors scored was not detected. However, correlative analyses revealed complex interactions between the behavioral and neurochemical measures, particularly in the left hemisphere. Lateralized correlations were found in relation to brain site, type of behavior, neurochemical parameter and treatment condition, thus providing evidence for functional brain asymmetries in this species. Interhemispheric comparisons of neurochemical/behavioral correlations appear to be a promising approach towards delineating hemispheric specialization of functions in this, and perhaps, other species.
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Affiliation(s)
- M A de Souza Silva
- Institute of Physiological Psychology, University of Düsseldorf, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany.
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Medland SE, Duffy DL, Spurdle AB, Wright MJ, Geffen GM, Montgomery GW, Martin NG. Opposite effects of androgen receptor CAG repeat length on increased risk of left-handedness in males and females. Behav Genet 2006; 35:735-44. [PMID: 16273319 DOI: 10.1007/s10519-005-6187-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2004] [Accepted: 06/01/2005] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Prenatal exposure to testosterone has been hypothesised to effect lateralization by influencing cell death in the foetal brain. Testosterone binds to the X chromosome linked androgen receptor, which contains a polymorphic polyglutamine CAG repeat, the length of which is positively correlated with testosterone levels in males, and negatively correlated in females. To determine whether the length of the androgen receptor mediates the effects of testosterone on laterality, we examined the association between the number of CAG repeats in the androgen receptor gene and handedness for writing. Association was tested by adding regression terms for the length of the androgen receptor alleles to a multi-factorial-threshold model of liability to left-handedness. In females we found the risk of left-handedness was greater in those with a greater number of repeats (p=0.04), this finding was replicated in a second independent sample of female twins (p=0.014). The length of the androgen receptor explained 6% of the total variance and 24% of the genetic variance in females. In males the risk of left-handedness was greater in those with fewer repeats (p=0.02), with variation in receptor length explaining 10% of the total variance and 24% of the genetic variance. Thus, consistent with Witelson's theory of testosterone action, in all three samples the likelihood of left handedness increased in those individuals with variants of the androgen receptor associated with lower testosterone levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E Medland
- Queensland Institute of Medical Research, PO Royal Brisbane Hospital, Brisbane 4029, Australia.
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Cohen-Bendahan CCC, van de Beek C, Berenbaum SA. Prenatal sex hormone effects on child and adult sex-typed behavior: methods and findings. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2005; 29:353-84. [PMID: 15811504 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2004.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 345] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2004] [Revised: 10/21/2004] [Accepted: 11/05/2004] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
There is now good evidence that human sex-typed behavior is influenced by sex hormones that are present during prenatal development, confirming studies in other mammalian species. Most of the evidence comes from clinical populations, in which prenatal hormone exposure is atypical for a person's sex, but there is increasing evidence from the normal population for the importance of prenatal hormones. In this paper, we briefly review the evidence, focusing attention on the methods used to study behavioral effects of prenatal hormones. We discuss the promises and pitfalls of various types of studies, including those using clinical populations (concentrating on those most commonly studied, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, androgen insensitivity syndrome, ablatio penis, and cloacal exstrophy), direct measures of hormones in the general population (assayed through umbilical cord blood, amniotic fluid, and maternal serum during pregnancy), and indirect measures of hormones in the general population (inferred from intrauterine position and biomarkers such as otoacoustic emissions, finger length ratios, and dermatoglyphic asymmetries). We conclude with suggestions for interpreting and conducting studies of the behavioral effects of prenatal hormones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Celina C C Cohen-Bendahan
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands
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Gadea M, Gómez C, González-Bono E, Espert R, Salvador A. Increased cortisol and decreased right ear advantage (REA) in dichotic listening following a negative mood induction. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2005; 30:129-38. [PMID: 15471611 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2004.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2004] [Revised: 04/14/2004] [Accepted: 06/10/2004] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate neuroendocrine responses and changes in perceptual asymmetry following an induced negative affect. Cortisol increasing in response to negative affect has been reported, while current brain models of emotion processing link negative affect to the right hemisphere. In this study, the Velten Mood Induction Procedure was used to generate neutral or negative affect in 44 healthy subjects. The PANAS scales were used to assess self-reported mood. A consonant-vowel dichotic listening (DL) test was applied after the neutral and negative affect inductions, and levels of salivary cortisol were determined by radioimmunoassay. For the negative affect condition, and congruent with the hypothesis tested, PANAS positive scores diminished (p<0.001) and PANAS negative scores increased (p<0.001), yielding an inverse correlation between them. A significant increase in cortisol levels was also seen (p<0.04). When taking cortisol reactivity into account, PANAS negative scores were higher for high-than for low-cortisol responders (p<0.02). Regarding DL, an increase in left ear items (p<0.04) and a decrease in right ear items (p<0.03) reported for those subjects who obtained a right ear advantage in the neutral condition. An explanation in terms of Kinsbourne's model for attentional-activation influences on DL is postulated and implications for the issue of affective illness are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marien Gadea
- Area de Psicobiologia, Facultat de Psicologia, Universitat de València, Avda. Blasco Ibañez 21, E. 46010 València, Spain.
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26
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Fink B, Manning JT, Neave N, Tan U. Second to fourth digit ratio and hand skill in Austrian children. Biol Psychol 2004; 67:375-84. [PMID: 15294393 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2004.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/05/2004] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Prenatal exposure to testosterone is thought to promote the development of the right-hemisphere and increase the incidence of sinistrality. A direct test of this hypothesis has previously been problematic because of the difficulty of indirectly assessing prenatal sex steroid exposure. Evidence now suggests that the ratio between the length of the second and fourth digits (2D:4D) is related to prenatal testosterone exposure. We tested whether digit ratio is related to the degree of hand skill such that low 2D:4D (indicating high levels of testosterone in utero) may be correlated with enhanced left-hand performance. In right-handed children, high 2D:4D correlated with improved right-hand skill and low 2D:4D correlated with enhanced left-hand skill. Correlations were found to be similar for girls and for boys. Since low 2D:4D has been previously reported to be associated with faster left-hand speed compared to right in Afro-Caribbean children with very low mean 2D:4D, the present finding in a Caucasian population with high mean 2D:4D suggests that a tendency of improved left-hand performance due to prenatal testosterone may be found across ethnic groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernhard Fink
- Ludwig-Boltzmann-Institute for Urban Ethology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, A-1090 Vienna, Austria.
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Cohen-Bendahan CCC, Buitelaar JK, van Goozen SHM, Cohen-Kettenis PT. Prenatal exposure to testosterone and functional cerebral lateralization: a study in same-sex and opposite-sex twin girls. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2004; 29:911-6. [PMID: 15177706 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2003.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2003] [Revised: 07/10/2003] [Accepted: 07/30/2003] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
In animals it has been shown that exposure to sex hormones is influenced by intrauterine position. Thus fetuses located between two male fetuses are exposed to higher levels of testosterone (T) than fetuses situated between two female fetuses or one female and one male fetus. In a group of opposite-sex (OS) twin girls and same-sex (SS) twin girls a potential effect of prenatal exposure to testosterone (T) on functional cerebral lateralization was investigated. We hypothesized that prenatal exposure to T would result in a more masculine, i.e. a more lateralized pattern of cerebral lateralization in OS twin girls than in SS twin girls. An auditory-verbal dichotic listening task (DLT) was used as an indirect method to study hemispheric specialization. Firstly, we established a sex difference on the DLT. Compared with SS girls, OS twin boys showed a more lateralized pattern of processing verbal stimuli. Secondly, as predicted OS girls had a more masculine pattern of cerebral lateralization, than SS girls. These findings support the notion of an influence of prenatal T on early brain organization in girls.
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