Document Detail


Motor development in individuals with congenital adrenal hyperplasia: strength, targeting, and fine motor skill.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  18938041     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
This study investigated early androgen influence on the development of human motor and visuomotor characteristics. Participants, ages 12-45 years, were individuals with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), a disorder causing increased adrenal androgen production before birth (40 females, 29 males) and their unaffected relatives (29 females, 30 males). We investigated grip strength and visuomotor targeting tasks on which males generally outperform females, and fine motor pegboard tasks on which females generally outperform males. Physical characteristics (height and weight) were measured to explore whether body parameters could explain differences in motor skills. Females with CAH were stronger and showed better targeting than unaffected females and showed reduced fine visuomotor skill on one pegboard measure, with no difference on the other. Males with CAH were weaker than unaffected males in grip strength but did not differ on the targeting or pegboard measures. Correction for body size could not explain the findings for females, but suggests that the reduced strength of males with CAH may relate to their smaller stature. Further, the targeting advantage in females with CAH persisted following adjustment for their greater strength. Results in females support the hypothesis that androgen may masculinize, or promote, certain motor characteristics at which males excel, and contribute to defeminization of certain fine motor characteristics at which females excel. Thus, these data suggest that organizational effects of androgens on behavior during prenatal life may extend to motor characteristics and may contribute to general sex differences in motor-related behaviors; however, alternative explanations based on activational influences of androgen or altered experiential factors cannot be excluded without further study.
Authors:
Marcia L Collaer; Charles G D Brook; Gerard S Conway; Peter C Hindmarsh; Melissa Hines
Publication Detail:
Type:  Controlled Clinical Trial; Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't     Date:  2008-10-19
Journal Detail:
Title:  Psychoneuroendocrinology     Volume:  34     ISSN:  0306-4530     ISO Abbreviation:  Psychoneuroendocrinology     Publication Date:  2009 Feb 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2009-01-26     Completed Date:  2009-04-21     Revised Date:  2012-02-29    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  7612148     Medline TA:  Psychoneuroendocrinology     Country:  England    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  249-58     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology & Program in Neuroscience, Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT 05753, USA. collaer@middlebury.edu
Export Citation:
APA/MLA Format     Download EndNote     Download BibTex
MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Adolescent
Adrenal Hyperplasia, Congenital / complications*
Adult
Androgens / physiology
Body Size
Child
Female
Hand Strength
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Motor Skills*
Psychomotor Performance*
Sex Characteristics
Grant Support
ID/Acronym/Agency:
R01 HD024542-09/HD/NICHD NIH HHS
Chemical
Reg. No./Substance:
0/Androgens

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


Previous Document:  Heritability of daytime cortisol levels and cortisol reactivity in children.
Next Document:  Trypsin is the culprit of multiple organ injury with severe acute pancreatitis.