title: Primary amenorrhea in anorexia nervosa: impact on characteristic masculine and feminine traits.
abstract: Animal studies indicate that gonadal hormones at puberty have an effect on the development of masculine and feminine traits. However, it is unknown whether similar processes occur in humans. We examined whether women with anorexia nervosa (AN), who often experience primary amenorrhea, exhibit attenuated feminization in their psychological characteristics in adulthood due to the decrease/absence of gonadal hormones at puberty. Women with AN were compared on a number of psychological characteristics using general linear models on the basis of the presence/absence of primary amenorrhea. Although women with primary amenorrhea exhibited lower anxiety scores than those without primary amenorrhea, in general, results did not provide evidence of attenuated feminization in women with AN with primary amenorrhea. Future research should utilize novel techniques and direct hormone measurement to explore the effects of pubertal gonadal hormones on masculine and feminine traits.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, USA.
authors.forename: Jessica H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Baker
authors.forename: Cheryl L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Sisk
authors.forename: Laura M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Thornton
authors.forename: Harry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Brandt
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Crawford
authors.forename: Manfred M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Fichter
authors.forename: Katherine A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Halmi
authors.forename: Craig
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Allan S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Kaplan
authors.forename: James E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Strober
authors.forename: Janet
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Treasure
authors.forename: D Blake
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Woodside
authors.forename: Wade H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Berrettini
authors.forename: Walter H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Kaye
authors.forename: Cynthia M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Bulik
authors.forename: Kelly L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Klump
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000568:Amenorrhea / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D057227:Femininity; D006801:Humans; D057228:Masculinity; D010551:Personality; D010555:Personality Inventory
keywords: amenorrhea; anorexia nervosa; organizational effects; pubertal timing; sex differences