title: Low digit ratio (2D:4D) in male suicide victims.
abstract: Although women attempt suicides equally or more often than men do, men are more likely to die of suicide than women (sex paradox of suicidal behavior). Furthermore, the male traits of aggression and impulsivity predict suicide completion. Here, we studied the second-to-fourth-finger length ratio (2D:4D), a proxy for prenatal androgen exposure, in 46 suicide corpses and 25 non-suicide corpses. We report significantly lower 2D:4D in male suicide corpses than non-suicide corpses (p = .030, partial η2= .147). There was no significant association between 2D:4D and the suicide method. Our findings indicate increased risk of suicide following higher prenatal androgen exposure in males. The results may improve future efforts to predict and prevent suicides.
authors: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Schwabachanlage 6, 91054, Erlangen, Germany. bernd.lenz@uk-erlangen.de.
authors: Bernd
authors: B
authors: Lenz
authors: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Schwabachanlage 6, 91054, Erlangen, Germany.|Institute for Legal Medicine, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany.
authors: Daniela
authors: D
authors: Thiem
authors: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Schwabachanlage 6, 91054, Erlangen, Germany.
authors: Polyxeni
authors: P
authors: Bouna-Pyrrou
authors: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Schwabachanlage 6, 91054, Erlangen, Germany.
authors: Christiane
authors: C
authors: Mühle
authors: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Schwabachanlage 6, 91054, Erlangen, Germany.
authors: Christina
authors: C
authors: Stoessel
authors: Institute for Legal Medicine, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany.
authors: Peter
authors: P
authors: Betz
authors: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Schwabachanlage 6, 91054, Erlangen, Germany.
authors: Johannes
authors: J
authors: Kornhuber
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000886:Anthropometry; D005260:Female; D005385:Fingers / Q000473:pathology*; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000473:pathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D013405:Suicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
keywords: 2D:4D; Prenatal androgen exposure; Second-to-fourth-finger length ratio; Suicide