Prenatal testosterone increases sensitivity to prenatal stressors in males with disruptive behavior disorders.

ABSTRACT: Disruptive Behavior Disorders (DBD) exhibit a sex-biased prevalence rate favoring boys, and prenatal testosterone exposure appears to be part of the complex etiology of these disorders. The current study examines whether high prenatal testosterone exposure may heighten the risk for DBD symptoms in males by increasing susceptibility to negative environmental conditions such as maternal nicotine and alcohol use during pregnancy. Participants were 109 three- to six-year-olds (64% male; 72% with DBD) and their 109 primary caregivers and 55 daycare providers/teachers who completed a multi-informant diagnostic procedure. A proxy of prenatal testosterone exposure, finger-length ratios, interacted with maternal report of prenatal nicotine use to predict teacher-rated hyperactivity-impulsivity duri

SUBMITTER: Martel MM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4295486 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Jul-Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature