No Evidence for Enhancement of Spatial Ability with Elevated Prenatal Androgen Exposure in Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia: A Meta-Analysis.

No Evidence for Enhancement of Spatial Ability with Elevated Prenatal Androgen Exposure in Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia: A Meta-Analysis. Arch Sex Behav. 2020 Feb 12;: Authors: Collaer ML, Hines M Abstract Spatial abilities contribute to life and occupational competencies, and certain spatial skills differ, on average, between males and females, typically favoring males when differences occur. Factors contributing to spatial skills could include prenatal as well as experiential/cultural influences, with biological and social influences likely interacting and difficult to disentangle. This meta-analysis examined the potential influence of prenatal androgen exposure on spatial skill by examining studies of patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH). CAH involves elevated adrenal androgens prenatally, with overall androgen concentrations higher for females with CAH versus same-sex controls but with little overall difference between males with CAH versus controls. We hypothesized that, if androgens contribute prenatally to neurobehavioral development in humans as in many other species, females with CAH would show spatial enhancement versus control females, but with no definitive hypothesis for males. Meta-analysis of 12 studies examining overall spatial skill and three spatial subcategories failed to support enhanced spatial performance for females with CAH; males with CAH showed lower spatial ability compared to control males,...
Source: Archives of Sexual Behavior - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Arch Sex Behav Source Type: research