Evidence map›Paper›PMID 27460188›Full record

ArticleJournal of child psychology and psychiatry, and allied disciplines2016

No relationship between prenatal androgen exposure and autistic traits: convergent evidence from studies of children with congenital adrenal hyperplasia and of amniotic testosterone concentrations in typically developing children.

Karson T F Kung, Debra Spencer, Vickie Pasterski, Sharon Neufeld, Vivette Glover, Thomas G O'Connor, Peter C Hindmarsh, Ieuan A Hughes, Carlo L Acerini, Melissa Hines

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In one paragraph

Article in Journal of child psychology and psychiatry, and allied disciplines, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 49 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
49citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
5.3field-weighted citation impact, top 4% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

49 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 98 citations in OpenAlex.

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  8. [Advances in research on gender differences in autism spectrum disorders].Zhongguo dang dai er ke za zhi = Chinese journal of contemporary pediatrics · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.

Karson T F KungDepartment of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
Debra SpencerDepartment of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
Vickie PasterskiDepartment of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
Sharon NeufeldDepartment of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
Vivette GloverInstitute of Reproductive and Developmental Biology, Imperial College London, London, UK.
Thomas G O'ConnorSchool of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA.
Peter C HindmarshDepartment of Paediatric Endocrinology, University College London, London, UK.
Ieuan A HughesDepartment of Paediatrics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
Carlo L AceriniDepartment of Paediatrics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
Melissa HinesDepartment of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
University of Cambridge · GBImperial College London · GBUniversity College London · GBUniversity of Rochester Medical Center · US

Funding

HORMONAL INFLUENCES ON NEURAL-BEHAVIORAL DEVELOPMENTR01HD024542 · NICHD · UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE · PI HINES, MELISSA · 1990 to 2009
$908k
NICHD NIH HHS R01 HD024542
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThere is a marked male preponderance in autism spectrum conditions. The extreme male brain theory and the fetal androgen theory of autism suggest that elevated prenatal testosterone exposure is a key contributor to autistic traits. The current paper reports findings from two separate studies that test this hypothesis.

methodsA parent-report questionnaire, the Childhood Autism Spectrum Test (CAST), was employed to measure autistic traits in both studies. The first study examined autistic traits in young children with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), a condition causing unusually high concentrations of testosterone prenatally in girls. Eighty one children with CAH (43 girls) and 72 unaffected relatives (41 girls), aged 4-11 years, were assessed. The second study examined autistic traits in relation to amniotic testosterone in 92 typically developing children (48 girls), aged 3-5 years.

resultsFindings from neither study supported the association between prenatal androgen (testosterone) exposure and autistic traits. Specifically, young girls with and without CAH did not differ significantly in CAST scores and amniotic testosterone concentrations were not significantly associated with CAST scores in boys, girls, or the whole sample.

conclusionsThese studies do not support a relationship between prenatal testosterone exposure and autistic traits. These findings augment prior research suggesting no consistent relationship between early androgen exposure and autistic traits.

Indexed as

Adrenal Hyperplasia, CongenitalPrenatal Exposure Delayed EffectsAmniotic FluidAutism Spectrum DisorderChildChild, PreschoolFemaleHumansMalePregnancyTestosteroneTestosteroneautismautistic traitsCongenital adrenal hyperplasiaextreme male brainfetal testosteroneprenatal testosterone exposure

Identifiers

PMID27460188
PMCPMC6100761
OpenAlexW2495978237

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.