1
|
Ilkevič E, Hausmann M, Grikšienė R. Emotion recognition and regulation in males: Role of sex and stress steroids. Front Neuroendocrinol 2024; 74:101145. [PMID: 38862092 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2024.101145] [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: 11/23/2023] [Revised: 06/04/2024] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024]
Abstract
Understanding emotions in males is crucial given their higher susceptibility to substance use, interpersonal violence, and suicide compared to females. Steroid hormones are assumed to be critical biological factors that affect and modulate emotion-related behaviors, together with psychological and social factors. This review explores whether males' abilities to recognize emotions of others and regulate their own emotions are associated with testosterone, cortisol, and their interaction. Higher levels of testosterone were associated with improved recognition and heightened sensitivity to threatening faces. In contrast, higher cortisol levels positively impacted emotion regulation ability. Indirect evidence from neuroimaging research suggested a link between higher testosterone levels and difficulties in cognitive emotion regulation. However, this notion must be investigated in future studies using different emotion regulation strategies and considering social status. The present review contributes to the understanding of how testosterone and cortisol affect psychological well-being and emotional behavior in males.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Erik Ilkevič
- Department of Neurobiology and Biophysics, Life Science Center, Vilnius University, Lithuania
| | | | - Ramunė Grikšienė
- Department of Neurobiology and Biophysics, Life Science Center, Vilnius University, Lithuania.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Scarth M, Hauger LE, Thorsby PM, Leknes S, Hullstein IR, Westlye LT, Bjørnebekk A. Supraphysiological testosterone levels from anabolic steroid use and reduced sensitivity to negative facial expressions in men. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2024; 241:701-715. [PMID: 37993638 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-023-06497-2] [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: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) are used to improve physical performance and appearance, but have been associated with deficits in social cognitive functioning. Approximately 30% of people who use AAS develop a dependence, increasing the risk for undesired effects. OBJECTIVES To assess the relationship between AAS use (current/previous), AAS dependence, and the ability to recognize emotional facial expressions, and investigate the potential mediating role of hormone levels. METHODS In total 156 male weightlifters, including those with current (n = 45) or previous (n = 34) AAS use and never-using controls (n = 77), completed a facial Emotion Recognition Task (ERT). Participants were presented with faces expressing one out of six emotions (sadness, happiness, fear, anger, disgust, and surprise) and were instructed to indicate which of the six emotions each face displayed. ERT accuracy and response time were recorded and evaluated for association with AAS use status, AAS dependence, and serum reproductive hormone levels. Mediation models were used to evaluate the mediating role of androgens in the relationship between AAS use and ERT performance. RESULTS Compared to never-using controls, men currently using AAS exhibited lower recognition accuracy for facial emotional expressions, particularly anger (Cohen's d = -0.57, pFDR = 0.03) and disgust (d = -0.51, pFDR = 0.05). Those with AAS dependence (n = 47) demonstrated worse recognition of fear relative to men without dependence (d = 0.58, p = 0.03). Recognition of disgust was negatively correlated with serum free testosterone index (FTI); however, FTI did not significantly mediate the association between AAS use and recognition of disgust. CONCLUSIONS Our findings demonstrate impaired facial emotion recognition among men currently using AAS compared to controls. While further studies are needed to investigate potential mechanisms, our analysis did not support a simple mediation effect of serum FTI.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Morgan Scarth
- Anabolic Androgenic Steroid Research Group, Section for Clinical Addiction Research, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Postbox 4959, Nydalen, 0424, Oslo, Norway.
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
| | - Lisa Evju Hauger
- Anabolic Androgenic Steroid Research Group, Section for Clinical Addiction Research, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Postbox 4959, Nydalen, 0424, Oslo, Norway
| | - Per Medbøe Thorsby
- Hormone laboratory, Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biochemical endocrinology and metabolism research group, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Institute of Clinical Medicine and University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Siri Leknes
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Diagnostic Physics, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ingunn R Hullstein
- Norwegian Doping Control Laboratory, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Lars T Westlye
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- KG Jebsen Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Astrid Bjørnebekk
- Anabolic Androgenic Steroid Research Group, Section for Clinical Addiction Research, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Postbox 4959, Nydalen, 0424, Oslo, Norway
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Li Y, Zhou Y, Li Y, Luo RCX, B Ganapathi P, Wu HE, Liu H, Wang D, Zhang X. Gender differences in empathy and clinical symptoms in chronic schizophrenia patients: a large sample study based on a Chinese Han population. Int J Psychiatry Clin Pract 2023; 27:264-271. [PMID: 36719702 DOI: 10.1080/13651501.2023.2171889] [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: 07/07/2022] [Revised: 12/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Empathy is social cognition and reduced empathy in schizophrenia (SCZ) has been noted; however, whether there are gender differences in empathy remains unclear. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore this issue by examining a large sample of the population with SCZ. METHODS We recruited 987 SCZ patients (M/F = 638/349). The empathy was assessed by The Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI). The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) was adopted to assess their clinical psychiatric symptoms and their ability to recognise the facial emotions of others was assessed by the Pictures Of Facial Affect (POFA). RESULTS Female SCZ patients had higher IRI total score than male patients. In male patients, Pearson correlation analysis showed that empathy was negatively correlated with PANSS total score and negative symptom subscale scores, but positively correlated with anger identification. In female patients, IRI total score was negatively correlated with PANSS total score as well as its positive and negative symptom subscale scores (all p < 0.05). CONCLUSION There are gender differences in the empathy of SCZ patients, with female patients having greater empathy and a correlation with their clinical symptoms. This gender difference may provide potential clinical value for the treatment of SCZ.KEY POINTSFemale SCZ were more likely to empathise than males;Female patients had more severe clinical symptoms than males;There were gender differences in the association between certain specific clinical presentations and empathy.In future studies, it may be useful to investigate gender differences in schizophrenia empathy for the diagnosis and treatment of the disorder.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yanli Li
- Department of Psychiatry, Chaohu Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Yongjie Zhou
- Department of Psychiatric Rehabilitation, Shenzhen Kangning Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yuchen Li
- School of Mental Health and Psychological Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Rui-Chen-Xi Luo
- School of Mental Health and Psychological Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Pallavi B Ganapathi
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Hanjing Emily Wu
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Huanzhong Liu
- Department of Psychiatry, Chaohu Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- School of Mental Health and Psychological Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Dongmei Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiangyang Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, Chaohu Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Hess EM, Venniro M, Gould TD. Relative to females, male rats are more willing to forego obtaining sucrose reward in order to prevent harm to their cage mate. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2023:10.1007/s00213-023-06435-2. [PMID: 37530881 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-023-06435-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Empathy, or the ability to perceive, share, and act upon the emotions of another, is a crucial social skill and is dysfunctional in autism and schizophrenia. While the complexities of human empathy are difficult to model in rodents, behavioral paradigms utilizing rats which study decision-making in social contexts may provide a translational framework for assessing biological, pharmacotherapeutic, and environmental interventions. OBJECTIVES Modify and expand upon the three-session rat harm aversion task, which measures the willingness of rats to cease pressing a lever that earns them sucrose reward but delivers a shock to their cage mate. We sought to test the sustainability of harm aversion across seven sessions in male and female rats. METHODS Same-sex pair-housed rats were assigned as either the observer, which had access to the lever, or the demonstrator, which would receive shocks. After training the observer to press the lever to receive sucrose pellets, the demonstrator was placed into an adjacent chamber at which point lever responses would also deliver a shock. If the observer did not press the lever, no shock and no sucrose was delivered. RESULTS A sex difference in harm aversion was observed with female rats having significantly higher response rates and decreased response latencies across the seven test sessions, thus delivering more shocks and obtaining more sucrose, relative to males. CONCLUSIONS These data demonstrate that male rats sustain harm aversion to a greater extent relative to females.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Evan M Hess
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 685 W. Baltimore St., MSTF 936, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA.
| | - Marco Venniro
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 685 W. Baltimore St., MSTF 936, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| | - Todd D Gould
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 685 W. Baltimore St., MSTF 936, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
- Baltimore Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Veterans Affairs Maryland Health Care System, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Livingston LA, Waldren LH, Walton E, Shah P. Emotion processing differences mediate the link between sex and autistic traits in young adulthood. JCPP ADVANCES 2022; 2:e12096. [PMID: 37431389 PMCID: PMC10242897 DOI: 10.1002/jcv2.12096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 09/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Background The male preponderance in autism diagnoses is widely reported, yet the psychological mechanisms (e.g., emotion processing) underlying this sex difference are poorly understood. Contributing to this gap in knowledge, most research has not been designed to investigate the intermediary (i.e., mediating) role of psychological processes in the relationship between sex and autism. Compounding this issue, concerns that autism measures are not reliably measuring the same constructs in males and females, and bias against females in clinical samples, make it difficult to investigate the psychological mechanisms underlying sex differences in autism. Methods Over two cross-sectional studies, 1656 young adults from the general population reported their sex (as assigned at birth) and completed questionnaires indexing their emotion processing differences, as well as a measure of autistic traits suggested to tap into the same psychometric construct in males and females. Results Emotion processing differences mediated the relationship between sex and autistic traits, whereby being male was associated with more emotion processing differences, which were subsequently linked with greater levels of autistic traits. There remained a direct effect of sex on autistic traits after accounting for emotion processing differences. Conclusions Emotion processing differences are a potential psychological mechanism underpinning higher prevalence of autism in males, which may serve a compensatory function in females; for example, females may seek out emotion-inducing experiences to help compensate for social-emotional difficulties. These findings inform our understanding of autism-related sex differences and have potential implications for clinical practice, where the need for sex-specific support and diagnostic processes is increasingly being recognised.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lucy A. Livingston
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research InstituteCardiff UniversityCardiffUK
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and NeuroscienceKing's College LondonLondonUK
| | | | | | - Punit Shah
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of BathBathUK
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Single-dose testosterone administration modulates instant empathic responses to others' pain: An EEG study. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2022; 141:105768. [PMID: 35500352 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2022.105768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2021] [Revised: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Whether or not testosterone can impair empathy remains unclear in the literature. Given that empathic responses to others' emotional experiences depend strongly upon top-down controlled mechanisms of attention, here we investigated whether the effects of testosterone administration on pain empathy could be modulated by manipulating attention. We used a double-blind, placebo-controlled within-participant design, in which either testosterone or placebo was administrated in separate sessions. Images depicting painful or nonpainful scenes were presented to induce instant empathic responses. Experiment 1 adopted the pain-judgment and hands-counting tasks to direct attention toward painful or nonpainful aspect of the images, respectively. Experiment 2 employed the pain-rating task to estimate affective and cognitive aspects of pain empathy. When discriminating nonpainful aspects of the images in the hands-counting task, accuracies were lower and empathic late positive potential responses were greater in testosterone sessions than in placebo sessions. This suggested that testosterone enhanced empathic responses to task-irrelevant pain-related features, which interfered with task performance. When providing empathic ratings to the images in the pain-rating task, empathic event-related potentials in the early stage were only observed in the testosterone session. This suggested that testosterone facilitated automatic affective reactivity to others' pain when elaborately processing empathic stimuli. Nevertheless, when discriminating painful aspects of the images in the pain-judgment task, we did not observe any significant differences between the two sessions. These results demonstrated that testosterone effects on enhancing brain reactivity to empathic stimuli were dependent upon task demands deploying attention allocation. The enhancement likely arose from the altered brain state (e.g., increased vigilance and arousal levels) after testosterone administration, as evidenced by the reduced amplitude of spontaneous α-oscillation recorded before the onset of the images. It expands our understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms that affect empathy, and highlights the role of testosterone.
Collapse
|
7
|
Meybodi AM, Jolfaei AG. Evaluation of personality disorders in patients with Gender Identity Disorder (GID): An update. J Family Med Prim Care 2022; 11:3196-3202. [PMID: 36119335 PMCID: PMC9480747 DOI: 10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_1931_21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2021] [Revised: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Gender dysphoria (GD) could cause various mental illnesses, but its main cause is unclear. GD patients also suffer from different personality disorders that increase the risk of side effects among them. The present review study is aimed to investigate the most recent studies on comorbid personality disorders in patients with GD. Materials and Methods Online databases were searched using related keywords for collecting any related articles. After precise reviewing the abstract of all collected articles, those with more appropriate content were included in our study. Findings The prevalence rate of personality disorders in GD patients has been reported to be from 15% to 80% by different studies. In line with the data from previous studies, it was revealed that borderline personality disorder is one of the most prevalent disorders among GD patients. Available comorbid personality disorders cause a wide range of side effects on the normal function of patients. Conclusion The majority of studies carried out on the comorbidity of personality disorders have revealed that the possibility of personality disorders in GD patients is high. Anyway, further studies are required to understand the exact effect of psychological care on personality disorders in these patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Azadeh M. Meybodi
- Taleghani Hospital Research Development Committee and Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Atefeh G. Jolfaei
- Mental Health Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Wang H, Li J, Chen L, He L. Do women's natural hormonal fluctuations modulate prosociality? A within-subject analysis. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2022; 138:105663. [PMID: 35063685 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2022.105663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Revised: 10/17/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Prosocial behavior is central to functional societies. While studies have shown that the administration of exogenous hormones modulates prosocial propensities, it remains unclear whether natural hormonal fluctuations track women's prosocial behavior. In this study, we investigated the relationships between women's natural salivary steroid hormone levels (estradiol, progesterone, and testosterone) and their prosociality in a variety of contexts, as measured by three behavioral tasks (Charitable Donation, Social Value Orientation, and Social Discounting tasks) and one self-reported questionnaire (the Prosocial Tendencies Measure). Participants completed five weekly laboratory tests to obtain within-subject hormonal fluctuation data and prosociality measurements. In a pre-registered analysis, we found little evidence supporting the hypotheses that women's prosociality tracked natural changes in salivary estradiol, progesterone, estradiol-to-progesterone ratio, or testosterone. Our results demonstrate the importance of performing within-subject analyses when examining the relationships between hormonal levels and social behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hongyi Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Psychological Crisis Intervention, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, China.
| | - Jianhua Li
- Department of Psychology, University of Macau, China
| | - Lan Chen
- School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, China
| | - Lisheng He
- SILC Business School, Shanghai University, China
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Behavioral, hormonal, and neural alterations induced by social contagion for pain in mice. Neuropharmacology 2022; 203:108878. [PMID: 34774550 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2021.108878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2021] [Revised: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Neurobiology of social contagion/empathy aims to collaborate with the development of treatments for human disorders characterized by the absence of this response - autism spectrum disorder, schizophrenia, and antisocial personality disorder. Previous studies using sustained aversive stimuli (e.g., neuropathic pain or stress) to induce social contagion behaviors in rodents have demonstrated that these conditions may increase hypernociception, anxiogenic-like effects, and defensive behaviors in cagemates. To amplify the knowledge about behavioral, hormonal, and neural alterations induced by cohabitation with a pair in neuropathic pain, we investigated the effects of this protocol on (i) pain (writhing, formalin, hot plate tests) and depression (sucrose splash test) responses, (ii) the serum levels of corticosterone, testosterone, and oxytocin, (iii) noradrenalin, dopamine and its metabolite (DOPAC and HVA) levels in the amygdaloid complex and insular cortex, (iv) neuronal activation pattern (FosB labeling) in the ventral tegmental area (VTA), paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN) and supraoptic nucleus (SO). One day after weaning, male Swiss mice were housed in pairs for 14 days. Then, they were divided into two groups: sciatic nerve constricted cagemate [CNC; i.e., one animal of each pair was subjected to sciatic nerve constriction (NC)], and cagemate sham (CS; a similar procedure but with no nerve constriction), and housed for further 14 days. After 28 days of cohabiting, four independent groups were subjected to (a) behavioral analyses (Exp. 1) and (b) blood samples collected for Elisa assays of corticosterone, testosterone, and oxytocin (Exp. 2), remotion of brains for the (c) HPLC in the noradrenaline dopamine and metabolites quantification (Exp. 3) or (d) immunoassays analyses for FosB labeling (Exp. 4). Results showed that cohabitation with a conspecific in chronic pain induces hypernociception and antinociception in the writhing and formalin tests, respectively, and anhedonic-like effects in the sucrose splash test. Hormonal results indicated a decrease in plasma corticosterone only in nerve constricted mice, in testosterone (CNC and NC animals), and an increase in oxytocin serum levels. The neurochemical analyses demonstrated that the social contagion for pain protocol increases in dopamine turnover in the amygdala and insula. This assay also revealed an increase in noradrenaline levels and dopamine turnover within the insula of NC mice. In the FosB labeling measure, we observed a rise in the VTA, PVN and SO in the CNC group whereas for the NC group an increase of this activation pattern occurred only in the VTA. Present results suggest the role of hormones (testosterone and oxytocin) and neurotransmitters (dopamine) in the modulation of behavioral changes induced by social contagion in animals cohabitating with a conspecific in pain.
Collapse
|
10
|
Calderoni S. Sex/gender differences in children with autism spectrum disorder: A brief overview on epidemiology, symptom profile, and neuroanatomy. J Neurosci Res 2022; 101:739-750. [PMID: 35043482 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.25000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Revised: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are a heterogeneous group of neurodevelopmental conditions whose shared core features are impairments in social interaction and communication as well as restricted patterns of behavior, interests, and activities. The significant and consistent male preponderance in ASD prevalence has historically affected the scientific knowledge of autism in females as regards, inter alia, the clinical presentation, the genetic architecture, and the structural brain underpinnings. Indeed, females with ASD are under-investigated as samples recruited for clinical research typically reflect the strong male bias of the disorder. In the last years, the study of the various aspects of sex/gender (s/g) differences in ASD is gaining increased clinical and research interest resulting in a growing number of investigations on this topic. Here, I review and discuss evidence emerged from epidemiological, clinical, and neuroimaging studies in the last decade focusing on s/g differences in children with ASD. These studies are the prerequisites for the development of assessment and treatment practices which take into consideration s/g differences in ASD. Ultimately, a better understanding of s/g differences aims at improving healthcare for both ASD males and females.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sara Calderoni
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris, Pisa, Italy.,Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Rochat MJ. Sex and gender differences in the development of empathy. J Neurosci Res 2022; 101:718-729. [PMID: 35043464 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.25009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2020] [Revised: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The topic of typical sex and gender difference in empathy is examined in both a developmental and neuroscientific perspective. Empathy is construed as a multi-layered phenomenon with various degrees of complexity unfolding in ontogeny. The different components of empathy (i.e., affective, cognitive, and prosocial motivation) will be discussed as they interact and are expressed behaviorally. Significant sex/gender differences in empathy are discussed in relation to putative bottom-up or top-down processes underlying empathetic responses. The early onset and the pervasive presence of such sex/gender differences throughout the lifespan are further discussed in light of social and neurobiological modeling factors, including early socialization, brain's structural/functional variances, as well as genetics and hormonal factors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Magali Jane Rochat
- Functional and Molecular Neuroimaging Unit, IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Williams OOF, Coppolino M, Perreault ML. Sex differences in neuronal systems function and behaviour: beyond a single diagnosis in autism spectrum disorders. Transl Psychiatry 2021; 11:625. [PMID: 34887388 PMCID: PMC8660826 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-021-01757-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder that is associated with functional brain alterations that underlie the expression of behaviour. Males are diagnosed up to four times more than females, and sex differences have been identified in memory, cognitive flexibility, verbal fluency, and social communication. Unfortunately, there exists a lack of information on the sex-dependent mechanisms of ASD, as well as biological markers to distinguish sex-specific symptoms in ASD. This can often result in a standardized diagnosis for individuals across the spectrum, despite significant differences in the various ASD subtypes. Alterations in neuronal connectivity and oscillatory activity, such as is observed in ASD, are highly coupled to behavioural states. Yet, despite the well-identified sexual dimorphisms that exist in ASD, these functional patterns have rarely been analyzed in the context of sex differences or symptomology. This review summarizes alterations in neuronal oscillatory function in ASD, discusses the age, region, symptom and sex-specific differences that are currently observed across the spectrum, and potential targets for regulating neuronal oscillatory activity in ASD. The need to identify sex-specific biomarkers, in order to facilitate specific diagnostic criteria and allow for more targeted therapeutic approaches for ASD will also be discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Melissa L Perreault
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Luberti FR, Reside TL, Bonin PL, Carré JM. Development of a single-dose intranasal testosterone administration paradigm for use in men and women. Horm Behav 2021; 136:105046. [PMID: 34488062 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2021.105046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
For over two decades, researchers in the field of human social neuroendocrinology have been using single-dose pharmacological challenge protocols to determine the causal effects of testosterone on psychological, behavioural, and neural processes. Most of these single-dose administration studies have so far used (1) single-sex samples and (2) varying modes of testosterone administration (intramuscular, transdermal, sublingual, and intranasal) that produced vastly different dose-response curves. Moreover, whereas studies with male participants increased men's testosterone concentrations within the high normal physiological range, studies with women typically increased testosterone concentrations to supraphysiological levels. The purpose of this study was to develop a single-dose administration protocol using intranasal testosterone that would produce a proportionally similar rise in testosterone for both sexes. We found that an 11 mg intranasal testosterone dose in men and a 0.3 mg dose in women raised testosterone concentrations to the high normal physiological range for each sex, producing similar dose-response dynamics in both sexes. This paradigm will allow researchers to design studies with mixed-sex samples that test physiologically plausible sex differences/similarities in the causal effects of testosterone. It will also provide a replicable protocol to examine the possible adaptive functions of acute increases in testosterone in both sexes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Tracy-Lynn Reside
- Department of Psychology, Nipissing University, North Bay, ON, Canada; School of Physical Health and Education, Nipissing University, North Bay, ON, Canada
| | - Pierre L Bonin
- Family Medicine, Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Sudbury, ON, Canada
| | - Justin M Carré
- Department of Psychology, Nipissing University, North Bay, ON, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Zenzmaier C, Janssen J, Zulmin C, Österreicher P, Heinrich L, Tucek G, Perkhofer S. Response of salivary biomarkers to an empathy triggering film sequence-a pilot study. Sci Rep 2021; 11:15794. [PMID: 34349165 PMCID: PMC8338960 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-95337-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Empathy is a multifaceted phenomenon that is difficult to measure. Self-report questionnaires are the most common and well-validated measures while currently no validated protein biomarkers associated with the empathic reaction have been established. Trigger films have been previously used in psychological research to evoke emotions. Thus, in the present randomized cross-over study we investigated the responses of nine salivary biomarkers that have been related to emotions and stress following an empathy triggering and a control film sequence. Additionally, questionnaires for empathy (Saarbrucken Personality Questionnaire (SPQ)) and current mental stress were applied and participants were asked to assess the film protagonists’ emotions using the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule. Data from 46 participants were included in the analysis. α-Amylase, IgA, IL-1β and estradiol showed a significantly different response between the empathy and control intervention. Moreover, normalized levels of these biomarkers significantly correlated with single scales of the SPQ (control film sequence: α-amylase and IgA with personal distress; estradiol with empathic concern; IL-1β with fantasy; empathy triggering film sequence: IgA with empathic concern, fantasy and the total empathy score). These findings indicated that the observed changes in salivary biomarker levels were reflective of a physiological response to the empathy triggering film sequence. Future studies using different triggers and settings will show if the identified biomarkers can be considered as surrogate markers for empathic reactions in general.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Jessie Janssen
- Josef Ressel Centre, Horizons of personalized music therapy-Researching music therapy processes and relationships in selected fields of neurologic rehabilitation, Department of Health Sciences, Institute of Therapeutic Sciences, IMC University of Applied Sciences Krems, Krems an der Donau, Austria
| | | | - Philipp Österreicher
- Josef Ressel Centre, Horizons of personalized music therapy-Researching music therapy processes and relationships in selected fields of neurologic rehabilitation, Department of Health Sciences, Institute of Therapeutic Sciences, IMC University of Applied Sciences Krems, Krems an der Donau, Austria
| | - Lea Heinrich
- Health University of Applied Sciences Tyrol, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Gerhard Tucek
- Josef Ressel Centre, Horizons of personalized music therapy-Researching music therapy processes and relationships in selected fields of neurologic rehabilitation, Department of Health Sciences, Institute of Therapeutic Sciences, IMC University of Applied Sciences Krems, Krems an der Donau, Austria
| | | |
Collapse
|
15
|
McKenna BG, Huang Y, Vervier K, Hofammann D, Cafferata M, Al-Momani S, Lowenthal F, Zhang A, Koh JY, Thenuwara S, Brueggeman L, Bahl E, Koomar T, Pottschmidt N, Kalmus T, Casten L, Thomas TR, Michaelson JJ. Genetic and morphological estimates of androgen exposure predict social deficits in multiple neurodevelopmental disorder cohorts. Mol Autism 2021; 12:43. [PMID: 34108004 PMCID: PMC8190870 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-021-00450-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2020] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) display a strong male bias. Androgen exposure is profoundly increased in typical male development, but it also varies within the sexes, and previous work has sought to connect morphological proxies of androgen exposure, including digit ratio and facial morphology, to neurodevelopmental outcomes. The results of these studies have been mixed, and the relationships between androgen exposure and behavior remain unclear. METHODS Here, we measured both digit ratio masculinity (DRM) and facial landmark masculinity (FLM) in the same neurodevelopmental cohort (N = 763) and compared these proxies of androgen exposure to clinical and parent-reported features as well as polygenic risk scores. RESULTS We found that FLM was significantly associated with NDD diagnosis (ASD, ADHD, ID; all [Formula: see text]), while DRM was not. When testing for association with parent-reported problems, we found that both FLM and DRM were positively associated with concerns about social behavior ([Formula: see text], [Formula: see text]; [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], respectively). Furthermore, we found evidence via polygenic risk scores (PRS) that DRM indexes masculinity via testosterone levels ([Formula: see text], [Formula: see text]), while FLM indexes masculinity through a negative relationship with sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) levels ([Formula: see text], [Formula: see text]). Finally, using the SPARK cohort (N = 9419) we replicated the observed relationship between polygenic estimates of testosterone, SHBG, and social functioning ([Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] for testosterone and SHBG, respectively). Remarkably, when considered over the extremes of each variable, these quantitative sex effects on social functioning were comparable to the effect of binary sex itself (binary male: [Formula: see text]; testosterone: [Formula: see text] from 0.1%-ile to 99.9%-ile; SHBG: [Formula: see text] from 0.1%-ile to 99.9%-ile). LIMITATIONS In the devGenes and SPARK cohorts, our analyses rely on indirect, rather than direct measurement of androgens and related molecules. CONCLUSIONS These findings and their replication in the large SPARK cohort lend support to the hypothesis that increasing net androgen exposure diminishes capacity for social functioning in both males and females.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Yongchao Huang
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, USA
| | - Kévin Vervier
- Host-Microbiota Interactions Laboratory, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Hinxton, UK
| | | | - Mary Cafferata
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, USA
| | - Seima Al-Momani
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska, Omaha, USA
| | | | - Angela Zhang
- University of Washington School of Public Health, Seattle, USA
| | - Jin-Young Koh
- Molecular Otolaryngology and Renal Research Laboratories, University of Iowa, Iowa City, USA
| | | | - Leo Brueggeman
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, USA
| | - Ethan Bahl
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, USA
| | - Tanner Koomar
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, USA
| | | | - Taylor Kalmus
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, USA
| | - Lucas Casten
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, USA
| | - Taylor R Thomas
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa, Iowa City, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
16
|
Pubertal Testosterone and Brain Response to Faces in Young Adulthood: An Interplay between Organizational and Activational Effects in Young Men. J Neurosci 2021; 41:2990-2999. [PMID: 33589514 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0190-20.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2020] [Revised: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
According to the organizational-activational hypothesis, the organizational effects of testosterone during (prenatal) brain development moderate the activational effects of adult testosterone on behavior. Accumulating evidence supports the notion that adolescence is another period during which sex hormones organize the nervous system. Here we investigate how pubertal sex hormones moderate the activational effects of adult sex hormones on social cognition in humans. To do so, we recruited a sample of young men (n = 507; age, ∼19 years) from a longitudinal birth cohort and investigated whether testosterone exposure during adolescence (from 9 to 17 years of age) moderates the relation between current testosterone and brain response to faces in young adulthood, as assessed with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Our results showed that the cumulative exposure to testosterone during adolescence moderated the relation between adult testosterone and both the mean fMRI response and functional connectivity (i.e., node strength). Specifically, in participants with low exposure to testosterone during puberty, we observed a positive relationship between current testosterone and the brain response to faces; this was not the case for participants with medium and high pubertal testosterone. Furthermore, we observed a stronger relationship between the brain response and current testosterone in parts of the angry-face network associated with (vs without) motion in the eye region of an observed (angry) face. We speculate that pubertal testosterone modulates the relationship between current testosterone and brain response to social cues carried by the eyes and signaling a potential threat.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Accumulating evidence supports the organizational effects of pubertal testosterone, but the body of literature examining these effects on social cognition in humans is in its infancy. With a sample of young men from a longitudinal birth cohort, we showed that the cumulative exposure to testosterone during adolescence moderated the relation between adult testosterone and both the mean BOLD signal change and functional connectivity. Specifically, we observed a positive relationship between adult testosterone and the brain response to faces in participants with low exposure to testosterone during puberty, but not in participants with medium and high pubertal testosterone. Results of further analysis suggest that sensitivity to cues carried by the eyes might underlie the relationship between testosterone and brain response to faces, especially in the context of a potential threat.
Collapse
|
17
|
Stewart-Williams S, Halsey LG. Men, women and STEM: Why the differences and what should be done? EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PERSONALITY 2021. [DOI: 10.1177/0890207020962326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
It is a well-known and widely lamented fact that men outnumber women in a number of fields in STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths). The most commonly discussed explanations for the gender gaps are discrimination and socialization, and the most common policy prescriptions target those ostensible causes. However, a great deal of evidence in the behavioural sciences suggests that discrimination and socialization are only part of the story. The purpose of this paper is to highlight other aspects of the story: aspects that are commonly overlooked or downplayed. More precisely, the paper has two main aims. The first is to examine the evidence that factors other than workplace discrimination contribute to the gender gaps in STEM. These include relatively large average sex differences in career and lifestyle preferences, and relatively small average differences in cognitive aptitudes – some favouring males, others favouring females – which are associated with progressively larger differences the further above the average one looks. The second aim is to examine the evidence suggesting that these sex differences are not purely a product of social factors but also have a substantial biological (i.e. inherited) component. A more complete picture of the causes of the unequal sex ratios in STEM may productively inform policy discussions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Lewis G Halsey
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Roehampton, London, UK
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Lausen A, Broering C, Penke L, Schacht A. Hormonal and modality specific effects on males' emotion recognition ability. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2020; 119:104719. [PMID: 32544773 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2020.104719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2019] [Revised: 05/11/2020] [Accepted: 05/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Successful emotion recognition is a key component of human socio-emotional communication skills. However, little is known about the factors impacting males' accuracy in emotion recognition tasks. This pre-registered study examined potential candidates, focusing on the modality of stimulus presentation, emotion category and individual baseline hormone levels. In an additional exploratory analysis, we examined the association of testosterone x cortisol interaction with recognition accuracy and reaction times. We obtained accuracy and reaction time scores from 282 males who categorized voice, face and voice-face stimuli for nonverbal emotional content. Results showed that recognition accuracy was significantly higher in the audio-visual than in the auditory or visual modality. While Spearman's rank correlations showed no significant association of testosterone (T) with recognition accuracy or with response times for specific emotions, the logistic and linear regression models uncovered some evidence for a positive association between T and recognition accuracy as well as between cortisol (C) and reaction time. In addition, the overall effect size of T by C interaction with recognition accuracy and reaction time was significant, but small. Our results establish that audio-visual congruent stimuli enhance recognition accuracy and provide novel empirical support by showing that the interaction of testosterone and cortisol relates to males' accuracy and response times in emotion recognition tasks.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adi Lausen
- Department of Affective Neuroscience and Psychophysiology, Institute of Psychology, University of Goettingen, 37073 Goettingen, Germany; Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester CO4 3SQ, United Kingdom; Leibniz ScienceCampus "Primate Cognition", 37077 Goettingen, Germany.
| | - Christina Broering
- Department of Affective Neuroscience and Psychophysiology, Institute of Psychology, University of Goettingen, 37073 Goettingen, Germany; Department of Psychology, Private University of Applied Sciences (PFH) Goettingen, 37073 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Lars Penke
- Department of Biological Personality Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Goettingen, 37073 Goettingen, Germany; Leibniz ScienceCampus "Primate Cognition", 37077 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Annekathrin Schacht
- Department of Affective Neuroscience and Psychophysiology, Institute of Psychology, University of Goettingen, 37073 Goettingen, Germany; Leibniz ScienceCampus "Primate Cognition", 37077 Goettingen, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Knight EL, McShane BB, Kutlikova HH, Morales PJ, Christian CB, Harbaugh WT, Mayr U, Ortiz TL, Gilbert K, Ma-Kellams C, Riečanský I, Watson NV, Eisenegger C, Lamm C, Mehta PH, Carré JM. Weak and Variable Effects of Exogenous Testosterone on Cognitive Reflection Test Performance in Three Experiments: Commentary on Nave, Nadler, Zava, and Camerer (2017). Psychol Sci 2020; 31:890-897. [PMID: 32586198 DOI: 10.1177/0956797619885607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Erik L Knight
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon.,Center for Healthy Aging, The Pennsylvania State University
| | | | - Hana H Kutlikova
- Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, University of Vienna
| | | | | | | | - Ulrich Mayr
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon
| | | | | | | | - Igor Riečanský
- Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, University of Vienna.,Centre of Experimental Medicine, Slovak Academy of Sciences
| | | | - Christoph Eisenegger
- Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, University of Vienna
| | - Claus Lamm
- Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, University of Vienna
| | - Pranjal H Mehta
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon.,Department of Experimental Psychology, University College London
| | | |
Collapse
|
20
|
Heany SJ, Terburg D, Stein DJ, van Honk J, Bos PA. Neural responses in the pain matrix when observing pain of others are unaffected by testosterone administration in women. Exp Brain Res 2020; 238:751-759. [PMID: 32086551 PMCID: PMC7080706 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-020-05749-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2019] [Accepted: 02/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
There is evidence of testosterone having deteriorating effects on cognitive and affective empathic behaviour in men and women under varying conditions. However, whether testosterone influences empathy for pain has not yet been investigated. Therefore, we tested neural responses to witnessing others in pain in a within-subject placebo-controlled testosterone administration study in healthy young women. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we provide affirming evidence that an empathy-inducing paradigm causes changes in the activity throughout the pain circuitry, including the bilateral insula and anterior cingulate cortex. Administration of testosterone, however, did not influence these activation patterns in the pain matrix. Testosterone has thus downregulating effects on aspects of empathic behaviour, but based on these data does not seem to influence neural responses during empathy for others' pain. This finding gives more insight into the role of testosterone in human empathy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah J. Heany
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - David Terburg
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Dan J. Stein
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Jack van Honk
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Peter A. Bos
- Institute of Education and Child Studies, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Doi H, Shinohara K. Low Salivary Testosterone Level Is Associated With Efficient Attention Holding by Self Face in Women. Front Behav Neurosci 2019; 13:261. [PMID: 31849621 PMCID: PMC6895659 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2019] [Accepted: 11/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Capacity to recognize one’s own face (hereinafter referred to as self face) is a fundamental component of various domains of social cognition such as empathy in humans. Previous research has demonstrated that a high level of androgen suppresses empathic behavior and social brain function. Taking these into consideration, we hypothesized that people with high androgen level show reduced response to self face. The present study examined this hypothesis by investigating the association between attentiveness towards self face, as assessed by a psychophysiological experiment, and salivary testosterone concentration. The attentional responses to self face was measured by a modified Go/NoGo task. In this task, self face or unfamiliar other’s face was presented simultaneously with Go or NoGo signal. In go trials, participants had to divert their attention from the face to a peripheral target. The reaction time (RT) for peripheral target detection in each condition was measured. In addition to behavioral data, saliva samples were collected to assay salivary testosterone concentration. The index of potency of self face to hold viewer’s attention that was computed based on RT data was regressed against salivary testosterone concentration in men and women separately. The analyses revealed that self face holds visuospatial attention more effectively in women with low than high salivary testosterone level, but no such trend was observed in men. This pattern of results indicates that low testosterone level is associated with a pronounced response to self face as we hypothesized and raises the possibility that multiple aspects of self-face processing are under the influence of endocrinological function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hirokazu Doi
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Kazuyuki Shinohara
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Nadler A, Camerer CF, Zava DT, Ortiz TL, Watson NV, Carré JM, Nave G. Does testosterone impair men's cognitive empathy? Evidence from two large-scale randomized controlled trials. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20191062. [PMID: 31480979 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.1062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The capacity to infer others' mental states (known as 'mind reading' and 'cognitive empathy') is essential for social interactions across species, and its impairment characterizes psychopathological conditions such as autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia. Previous studies reported that testosterone administration impaired cognitive empathy in healthy humans, and that a putative biomarker of prenatal testosterone exposure (finger digit ratios) moderated the effect. However, empirical support for the relationship has relied on small sample studies with mixed evidence. We investigate the reliability and generalizability of the relationship in two large-scale double-blind placebo-controlled experiments in young men (n = 243 and n = 400), using two different testosterone administration protocols. We find no evidence that cognitive empathy is impaired by testosterone administration or associated with digit ratios. With an unprecedented combined sample size, these results counter current theories and previous high-profile reports, and demonstrate that previous investigations of this topic have been statistically underpowered.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Colin F Camerer
- Department of the Humanities and Social Sciences, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E California Boulevard, MC 228-77, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - David T Zava
- ZRT Laboratory, 8605 SW Creekside Place, Beaverton, OR 97008, USA
| | - Triana L Ortiz
- Department of Psychology, Nipissing University, 100 College Drive, North Bay, Ontario, Canada P1B 8L7
| | - Neil V Watson
- Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada V5A 1S6
| | - Justin M Carré
- Department of Psychology, Nipissing University, 100 College Drive, North Bay, Ontario, Canada P1B 8L7
| | - Gideon Nave
- Marketing Department, The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, 3730 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| |
Collapse
|