Submission + - Autistic Traits Linked To Testosterone In Womb (guardian.co.uk)
MCTFB writes: "According to recent research as reported in The Guardian, evidence suggests that autism can now be described as having the characteristics of an "extreme male brain".
It is well known that men are are generally more likely to be systematisers while women are generally more likely to be empathisers, while it is also well known that there are far more males diagnosed with autism than females. While the test subjects in this research were not autistic, this research looks into the Autism Quotient (AQ) of the test subjects and correlated their AQ score with the fetal testosterone levels they had in utero from the amniocentesis samples collected from them.
The results suggest that testosterone is a causal factor in the development of autistic behaviours such as not being very sociable while at the same time being very adept at manipulating and understanding mechanical objects. Perhaps with the recent rise in diagnosed autism over the last 20 years, this research may also suggest that there has also been a likely rise in the geek population as well."
It is well known that men are are generally more likely to be systematisers while women are generally more likely to be empathisers, while it is also well known that there are far more males diagnosed with autism than females. While the test subjects in this research were not autistic, this research looks into the Autism Quotient (AQ) of the test subjects and correlated their AQ score with the fetal testosterone levels they had in utero from the amniocentesis samples collected from them.
The results suggest that testosterone is a causal factor in the development of autistic behaviours such as not being very sociable while at the same time being very adept at manipulating and understanding mechanical objects. Perhaps with the recent rise in diagnosed autism over the last 20 years, this research may also suggest that there has also been a likely rise in the geek population as well."
