title: Autistic features in girls from a psychiatric sample are strongly associated with a low 2D:4D ratio.
abstract: Autistic features such as deficits in social interactions and communication have been associated with a low 2D:4D ratio in normal children.This study assessed this association in a large sample of children with a variety of psychiatric disorders (n = 35 girls and n = 147 boys). Autistic features were assessed with a highly valid and reliable measure (Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-Generic). Correlations between the 2D:4D ratio and autistic features were computed separately for boys and girls. Some small negative correlations (r = -0.17 and r = -0.19) were found in the right hand for boys; however, particularly in girls, large negative correlations (r = -0.51 to r = -0.64) were found in the left hand. A low 2D:4D ratio in girls was highly predictive of the presence of autistic features. Thus, a low ratio could possibly be used as a diagnostic predictor in clinical practice.
authors.affiliation: Erasmus Medical Center, Sophia Children's Hospital, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. e.debruin@erasmusmc.nl
authors.forename: Esther I
authors.initials: EI
authors.lastname: De Bruin
authors.forename: Pieter F A
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: De Nijs
authors.forename: Fop
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Verheij
authors.forename: Debora H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Verhagen
authors.forename: Robert F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Ferdinand
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002659:Child Development Disorders, Pervasive / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology*; D003147:Communication Disorders / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005385:Fingers / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000473:pathology / Q000523:psychology*; D012727:Sex Characteristics