title: Neonatal sex-steroid hormones and cognitive abilities at six years.
abstract: Five sex-steroid hormones (testosterone, androstenedione, estradiol, estrone, and progesterone) were assayed in umbilical cord blood. Cognitive abilities were assessed as a part of a 6-year follow-up laboratory visit. Four subtests were given: reading, numbers, listening, and spatial ability. There were no significant differences between boys and girls in cognitive ability scores. Higher levels of perinatal androgens (testosterone and androstenedione) were significantly associated with low age-6 spatial ability in girls. Multiple regression analyses revealed a significant proportion of the variance in cognitive abilities in girls could be accounted for by testosterone and androstenedione. No significant predictions were found for boys. The finding of a stable inverse association between sex and effect of hormones on abilities is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles 90089-1061.
authors.forename: C N
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Jacklin
authors.forename: K T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Wilcox
authors.forename: E E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Maccoby
mesh_terms: D000124:Achievement; D000735:Androstenedione / Q000097:blood; D001077:Aptitude Tests; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology*; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D004970:Estrone / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D011374:Progesterone / Q000097:blood; D012737:Sex Factors; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones; D004970:Estrone; D013739:Testosterone; D000735:Androstenedione; D011374:Progesterone; D004958:Estradiol