No relationship between prenatal androgen exposure and autistic traits: convergent evidence from studies of children with congenital adrenal hyperplasia and of amniotic testosterone concentrations in typically developing children
No relationship between prenatal androgen exposure and autistic traits: convergent evidence from studies of children with congenital adrenal hyperplasia and of amniotic testosterone concentrations in typically developing children
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DOI：
10.1111/jcpp.12602
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发表时间：
2016-12-01
影响因子：
7.6
通讯作者：
Hines, Melissa
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Kung, Karson T. F.;Spencer, Debra;Hines, Melissa
背景在自闭症谱系中男性占明显优势。自闭症的极端男性大脑理论和胎儿雄激素理论表明，产前睾丸激素水平升高是自闭症特征的关键因素。目前的文件报告的结果，从两个独立的研究，测试这个hypothes.MethodsA家长报告问卷，儿童自闭症谱系测试（CAST），在这两项研究中的自闭症特征进行测量。第一项研究调查了患有先天性肾上腺皮质增生症（CAH）的幼儿的自闭症特征，这种疾病导致女孩产前睾丸激素浓度异常高。对81名CAH患儿（43名女孩）和72名未患病亲属（41名女孩）进行了评估，年龄为4- 11岁。第二项研究调查了92名3- 5岁正常发育儿童（48名女孩）的自闭症特征与羊水睾酮的关系。结果两项研究的结果都不支持产前雄激素（睾酮）暴露与自闭症特征之间的关联。具体而言，年轻女孩与无CAH没有显着差异，在CAST分数和羊水睾酮浓度没有显着相关的CAST分数在男孩，女孩，或整个sample.ConclusionsThese研究不支持产前睾酮暴露和自闭症特征之间的关系。这些发现增强了先前的研究，表明早期雄激素暴露和自闭症特征之间没有一致的关系。
BackgroundThere is a marked male preponderance in autism spectrum conditions. The extreme male brain theory and the fetal androgen theory of autism suggest that elevated prenatal testosterone exposure is a key contributor to autistic traits. The current paper reports findings from two separate studies that test this hypothesis.MethodsA parent-report questionnaire, the Childhood Autism Spectrum Test (CAST), was employed to measure autistic traits in both studies. The first study examined autistic traits in young children with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), a condition causing unusually high concentrations of testosterone prenatally in girls. Eighty one children with CAH (43 girls) and 72 unaffected relatives (41 girls), aged 4-11years, were assessed. The second study examined autistic traits in relation to amniotic testosterone in 92 typically developing children (48 girls), aged 3-5years.ResultsFindings from neither study supported the association between prenatal androgen (testosterone) exposure and autistic traits. Specifically, young girls with and without CAH did not differ significantly in CAST scores and amniotic testosterone concentrations were not significantly associated with CAST scores in boys, girls, or the whole sample.ConclusionsThese studies do not support a relationship between prenatal testosterone exposure and autistic traits. These findings augment prior research suggesting no consistent relationship between early androgen exposure and autistic traits.Read the Commentary on this article at doi: