HORMONAL INFLUENCES ON HUMAN SEXUALLY-DIMORPHIC BEHAVIOR

本课题是研究性腺激素对人体的影响 先天性肾上腺皮质增生症患儿性二态行为 增生（CAH），一种遗传性疾病，导致增加产前 雄激素水平。 这是早期研究的延续， 显示激素对游戏行为，攻击性和空间的影响 能力，并代表了第一次纵向研究的行为 产前雄激素暴露升高的后果。 的目的 拟议的研究是进一步阐述行为机制， 哪些性腺激素使行为雄性化， 荷尔蒙对早期玩具选择的影响，以及 哪些社会因素改变了性别类型行为的表达。的 目标有三个方面：（l）继续跟踪暴露于暴力的人， 对照组儿童已经在性别类型行为的各个方面进行了测试 看看这些暴露在阳光下的女孩们 在男性活动，如果是这样，以确定是否激素 对这些活动和空间能力的影响是 （2）在幼儿期增加男孩的玩具;（3）研究是否 运动技能受到产前雄激素的影响，如果是这样， 如果在粗运动技能与精细运动技能（单独和 结合高运动活动）占参与 男性活动;（3）评估儿童是否偏好 同性玩伴受到产前雄激素的影响，如果是这样， 确定该偏好是否可从玩具偏好预测，或者 其他性行为 受试者包括61名CAH女孩和46名CAH男孩 年龄3-15岁，109名性别和年龄匹配的相对对照。受试者将 在两个场合测试的措施，性别类型的活动，同行 偏好、运动技能、运动活动和认知能力。 的 研究的纵向性质允许检查关系 儿童早期玩玩具和后来的性活动之间的关系， 能力. 本研究的结果将提供以下信息： 荷尔蒙对特定行为的发展的影响， 与社会和教育相关。 他们还将提供信息 比可以用于医疗管理和咨询的病人， CAH，以及在子宫内暴露于男性化药物的儿童， 治疗不孕症的方法。

This project is an investigation of gonadal hormone influences on human sexually-dimorphic behavior in children with congenital' adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), a genetic disease which results in increased prenatal levels of androgen. It is a continuation of earlier studies, which demonstrated hormonal influences on play behavior, aggression, and spatial ability, and represents the first longitudinal study of the behavioral consequences of elevated prenatal androgen exposure. The purpose of the proposed study is to elaborate further the behavioral mechanisms through which gonadal hormones masculinize behavior, the developmental consequences of hormonal influences on early toy choices, and the ways in which social factors modify the expression of sex-typed behaviors. The aims are three-fold: (l) to continue to follow-up hormone-exposed and control children already tested on various aspects of sex-typed behavior to see if these hormone-exposed girls continue to have increased interest in masculine activities, and, if so, to determine whether hormonal influences on these activities and spatial ability are the result of increased play with boys' toys in early childhood; (2) to study whether motor skills are influenced by prenatal androgen, and, if so, to determine if relative superiority in gross vs. fine motor skills (alone and in combination with high motor activity) accounts for participation in masculine activities; (3) to assess whether children's preference for same-sex playmates is influenced by prenatal androgen, and, if so, to determine whether this preference is predictable from toy preference or other sex-typed behavior. Subjects include 61 CAH girls and 46 CAH boys aged 3-15, and 109 sex- and age-matched relative controls. Subjects will be tested on two occasions on measures of sex-typed activities, peer preferences, motor skills, motor activity, and cognitive abilities. The longitudinal nature of the study allows examination of relationships between early childhood toy play and later sex-typed activities and abilities. Results from this study will provide information about hormonal influences on the development of specific behaviors that are both socially and educationally relevant. They will also provide information than can be used in the medical management and counseling of patients with CAH, and children who are exposed to masculinizing drugs in utero because of maternal treatment for infertility problems.