Contributions of sex, testosterone, and androgen receptor CAG repeat number to virtual Morris water maze performance.
The possibility that androgens contribute to the male advantage typically found on measures of spatial cognition has been investigated using a variety of approaches. To date, evidence to support the notion that androgens affect spatial cognition in healthy young adults is somewhat equivocal. The present study sought to clarify the association between testosterone (T) and spatial performance by extending measurements of androgenicity to include both measures of circulating T as well as an androgen receptor-specific genetic marker. The aims of this study were to assess the contributions of sex, T, and androgen receptor CAG repeat number (CAGr) on virtual Morris water task (vMWT) performance in a group of healthy young men and women. The hypothesis that men would outperform women on vMWT outcomes was supported. Results indicate that CAGr may interact with T to impact navigation performance and suggest that consideration of androgen receptor sensitivity is an important consideration in evaluating hormone-behavior relationships.
University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee, Department of Psychology, Milwaukee, WI, USA. Electronic address: nowaksae@uwm.edu.
Nicole T
NT
Nowak
Georgia Regents University, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, GA, USA.
Michael P
MP
Diamond
Wayne State University, Wayne State Applied Genomics Technology Center, Detroit, MI, USA.
Susan J
SJ
Land
Georgia Institute of Technology, School of Psychology, Atlanta, GA, USA.
Scott D
SD
Moffat
D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D011944:Receptors, Androgen / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood*; D018911:Trinucleotide Repeats / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D014584:User-Computer Interface; D055815:Young Adult
D011944:Receptors, Androgen; D013739:Testosterone
Androgen receptor CAG repeat; Sex difference; Spatial cognition; Testosterone; Virtual Morris water task