Fetal testosterone and autistic traits
Fetal testosterone and autistic traits
复制标题
DOI：
10.1348/000712608x311731
复制
发表时间：
2009-02-01
影响因子：
4
通讯作者：
Hackett, Gerald
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Auyeung, Bonnie;Baron-Cohen, Simon;Hackett, Gerald
对人类羊膜睾丸素的研究表明，胎儿睾酮(FT)与认知和行为的特定(但不是全部)性二态方面有关。也有人提出，自闭症可能是一些男性典型特征的极端表现，无论是在认知方面还是神经解剖学方面。在这篇论文中，我们研究了自闭症特征与常规羊水穿刺术中测得的羊水FT水平之间存在联系的可能性。这些妇女完成了两个测量自闭症特征数量的工具(儿童自闭症光谱测试(CAST)和儿童自闭症谱商(AQ-Child))，测量对象是6-10岁的孩子(N=235)。对这些儿童中的一部分(N=74)进行智商(IQ)测量。FT水平与CAST和AQ-Child的高分呈正相关。这种关系在性行为中以及在两性结合时都可以看到，这表明这是英国《金融时报》的影响，而不是性本身。未发现总智商与预测变量、智商与CAST或AQ-Child之间的关系。这些发现与产前雄激素暴露与儿童表现出更多自闭症特征有关的假设一致。这些结果需要在更大的样本中进行跟踪，以测试ASC的临床病例是否有FT升高。
Studies of amniotic testosterone in humans suggest that fetal testosterone (fT) is related to specific (but not all) sexually dimorphic aspects of cognition and behaviour. It has also been suggested that autism may be an extreme manifestation of some male-typical traits, both in terms of cognition and neuroanatomy. In this paper, we examine the possibility of a link between autistic traits and fT levels measured in amniotic fluid during routine amniocentesis. Two instruments measuring number of autistic traits (the Childhood Autism Spectrum Test (CAST) and the Child Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ-Child)) were completed by these women about their children (N = 235), ages 6-10 years. Intelligence Quotient (IQ) was measured in a subset of these children (N = 74). fT levels were positively associated with higher scores on the CAST and AQ-Child. This relationship was seen within sex as well as when the sexes were combined, suggesting this is an effect of fT rather than of sex per se. No relationships were found between overall IQ and the predictor variables, or between IQ and CAST or AQ-Child. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that prenatal androgen exposure is related to children exhibiting more autistic traits. These results need to be followed up in a much larger sample to test if clinical cases of ASC have elevated fT.