Digit Ratio 2D:4D in Relation to Autism Spectrum Disorders, Empathizing, and Systemizing: A Quantitative Review
Prenatal testosterone (PT) effects have been proposed to increase systemizing (the drive to understand lawful input–output relationships), to decrease empathizing (the drive to understand others), and to cause autism via hypermasculinization of the brain. Digit ratio 2D:4D is a putative marker of PT effects in humans. An online study (n = 1896) into the relationship between the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (a widely used measure of empathizing) and self‐measured 2D:4D in a nonclinical sample is reported. No evidence for a link between empathizing and 2D:4D in either females or males emerged. Further, three meta‐analyses are presented that look into the relationships of 2D:4D with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), systemizing, and empathizing. 2D:4D was substantially lower (more masculine) in ASD‐affected individuals than in normal controls (d = −.58, P < .1). However, 2D:4D was found to be virtually unrelated to systemizing and empathizing in normal adults. The results support the idea that high PT is a risk factor for autism, but they challenge the view that PT substantially contributes to sex differences in systemizing and empathizing. Possibly, this pattern reflects an interaction effect, whereby PT drives ASD characteristic changes only in brains with a specific damage. Autism Res 212, : –.
Related Content
Long-term (3-year) neurocognitive effectiveness of antipsychotic medications in first-episode non-affective psychosis: a randomized comparison of haloperidol, olanzapine, and risperidone
The initially postulated superior neurocognitive effectiveness of second-generation antipsychotics is currently under debate. A prospective, randomized, open-label study was carried out to compare the long-term neurocognitive effectiveness of haloperidol, olanzapine, and risperidone in the first ...


Escitalopram reduces attentional performance in anxious older adults with high-expression genetic variants at serotonin 2A and 1B receptors
Older adults are among the most vulnerable to adverse cognitive effects of psychotropic medications and, therefore, the personalization of psychotropic treatment based on adverse drug reactions in this demographic is of great importance. We examined changes on neuropsychological tests of attentio...
Executive functioning and alcohol binge drinking in university students
Binge drinking (BD) is prevalent among college students. Studies on alcoholism have shown that the prefrontal cortex is vulnerable to the neurotoxic effects of alcohol. The prefrontal cortex undergoes both structural and functional changes during adolescence and young adulthood. Sex differences h...
S-ketamine concentrations are greatly increased by grapefruit juice
We examined the effect of grapefruit juice on the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of oral S-ketamine. A randomized crossover open-label study design with two phases at an interval of 4 weeks was conducted in 12 healthy volunteers. Grapefruit juice or water was ingested 2 ml t.i.d. for 5 day...
Effectiveness of stop-smoking medications: findings from the International Tobacco Control (ITC) Four Country Survey
To evaluate the population effectiveness of stop-smoking medications while accounting for potential recall bias by controlling for quit attempt recency. Prospective cohort survey. United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and the United States. A total of 7436 adult smokers (18+ years) selected via rando...


Effects of antipsychotic treatment on cognition in healthy subjects
Cognitive impairments can be observed in the majority of diseases with disturbed dopamine transmission. They are considered as core symptoms of schizophrenia, a disorder in which they appear to be particularly pronounced. Their neurobiological background is not yet sufficiently investigated, but ...
Behind Closed Doors: Medication Storage and Disposal in the Home
More than half of all medications are inappropriately prescribed, dispensed, or sold and only 50% of patients take their medications correctly. Oftentimes, unwanted or expired medications are saved for later use, stored indefinitely, or disposed via the sink, toilet, or garbage. To determine how ...
Association between tobacco industry denormalization beliefs, tobacco control community discontent and smokers' level of nicotine dependence
Tobacco industry denormalization (TID) informs the public about the tobacco industry's role in the tobacco epidemic and is an important component of a comprehensive tobacco control strategy. Although TID beliefs have been noted in adult smokers and associated with intent to quit, research has not...
Comparison of the Behavioral and Cardiovascular Effects of Intranasal and Oral d-Amphetamine in Healthy Human Subjects
Recent reports indicate an increase in intranasal use of prescription oral stimulant medication. However, there do not appear to be any published clinical studies that have characterized the behavioral and cardiovascular effects of intranasally administered d-amphetamine, which is commonly prescr...
Working Memory Subsystems are Impaired in Chronic Drug Dependents
Despite a large body of research that has investigated substance dependence and Working Memory (WM) resources, no prior study has used a comprehensive test battery to examine the impact of chronic drug dependence on WM as a multi-component system.This study examined the efficiency of several WM c...