Sex hormone testosterone affects language organization in the infant brain.
Using a phonological discrimination paradigm, we show that the brain responses of 4-week-old infants systematically vary as a function of biological sex and testosterone level. Females who are generally low on testosterone demonstrated a clear phonological discrimination effect with a bilateral distribution. In male infants this effect systematically varied as a function of testosterone level. Males with high testosterone showed no discrimination effect, whereas males with low testosterone displayed a discrimination effect, which was clearly left-lateralized. The present data provide evidence for a strong influence of testosterone on language function and lateralization already present during the first weeks of life.
Friederici
Angela D
AD
Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany. angelafr@cbs.mpg.de
Pannekamp
Ann
A
Partsch
Carl-Joachim
CJ
Ulmen
Ulrike
U
Oehler
Klaus
K
Schmutzler
Renate
R
Hesse
Volker
V
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D004192:Discrimination, Psychological / Q000502:physiology; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007802:Language; D008297:Male; D010898:Pitch Perception / Q000502:physiology; D013739:Testosterone / Q000502:physiology*
D013739:Testosterone