Evidence for the influence of testosterone in the performance of spatial navigation in a virtual water maze in women but not in men

Burkitt, Jennifer A.; Widman, David R.; Saucier, Deborah M.

doi:10.1016/j.yhbeh.2007.03.007

Cited by 68 publications

(55 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…However, attesting to the representativeness of our sample is the fact that we replicated sex differences in 2D:4D ratio (e.g., Burton et al, 2005;Coolican & Peters, 2003;Manning & Taylor, 2001;Manning, Scutt, Wilson, & Lewis-Jones, 1998;Puts et al, 2004but cf. Rahman & Koerting, 2008Sanders et al, 2005), virtual navigation (Astur et al, 1998(Astur et al, , 2004Burkitt et al, 2007;Driscoll et al, 2005;Sandstrom et al, 1998) and pencil and paper measures of spatial cognition (e.g., Voyer et al, 1995).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A meta-analysis of water-maze performance in rodents revealed a moderate effect size favoring males (Jonasson, 2005). A sex difference favoring men in vMWT performance has also been reported (Astur et al, 1998;Astur, Tropp, Sava, Constable, & Markus, 2004;Burkitt, Widman, & Saucier, 2007;Driscoll, Hamilton, Yeo, Brooks, & Sutherland, 2005;Mueller et al, 2008;Rahman & Koerting, 2008;Sandstrom, Kaufman, & Huettel, 1998) with several effect sizes as large or larger than one SD (e.g., Astur et al, 1998;Mueller et al, 2008). Importantly, the absence of a sex difference when the platform is visible indicates that the male advantage is not due to swimming skill or exploratory behavior in rodents or visuomotor control in humans.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 92%

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The Relationship Between Second to Fourth Digit Ratio, Spatial Cognition, and Virtual Navigation

Nowak

Moffat

2010

Arch Sex Behav

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Studies in human and non-human animals have found that early life exposure to androgens may affect later spatial performance. Recent studies have suggested that the ratio of the second to fourth digit (2D:4D) may serve as an index of prenatal androgen exposure. Some studies have found that the 2D:4D ratio predicts adult spatial performance, although the nature of the relationship is equivocal. This study was designed to quantify the relationships between 2D:4D ratio, spatial cognition, and spatial navigation using a virtual Morris water task (vMWT) in a sample of young adult men and women (N = 140). The results replicated findings from the literature regarding sex differences in 2D:4D ratio, vMWT performance, and spatial cognition. However, 2D:4D ratio was not consistently related to spatial cognition or spatial navigation in men or women. Results were discussed within the framework of androgen influences on spatial cognition and the degree to which 2D:4D ratio serves as a marker for early life androgen exposure.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 92%

The Relationship Between Second to Fourth Digit Ratio, Spatial Cognition, and Virtual Navigation

Nowak

Moffat

2010

Arch Sex Behav

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“…As in studies of rotation, clear sex differences are not evident for navigation in prepubertal populations (Leplow et al 2003), suggesting that activational effects of testosterone may play a role. However, the correlation of circulating testosterone with navigation ability is disputed (Driscoll et al 2005;Burkitt et al 2007). …”

Section: Navigationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sex influences on the neurobiology of learning and memory

Andreano¹,

Cahill²

2009

Learn. Mem.

610

400

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In essentially every domain of neuroscience, the generally implicit assumption that few, if any, meaningful differences exist between male and female brain function is being challenged. Here we address how this development is influencing studies of the neurobiology of learning and memory. While it has been commonly held that males show an advantage on spatial tasks, and females on verbal tasks, there is increasing evidence that sex differences are more widespread than previously supposed. Differing performance between the sexes have been observed on a number of common learning tasks in both the human and animal literature, many neither purely spatial nor verbal. We review sex differences reported in various areas to date, while attempting to identify common features of sexually dimorphic tasks, and to place these differences in a neurobiological context. This discussion focuses on studies of four classes of memory tasks for which sex differences have been frequently reported: spatial, verbal, autobiographical, and emotional memory. We conclude that the female verbal advantage extends into numerous tasks, including tests of spatial and autobiographical abilities, but that a small but significant advantage may exist for general episodic memory. We further suggest that for some tasks, stress evokes sex differences, which are not normally observed, and that these differences are mediated largely by interactions between stress and sex hormones.Sex influences on brain function are ubiquitous. Differences between the sexes have been documented at every level of neuroscience, from single neurons in cell culture to systems level processes as measured by neuroimaging. In some cases, consideration of sex may significantly alter, even reverse, conclusions about brain function drawn from the study of one sex alone (Cahill 2006). In some fields, such as the study of drug addiction, the evidence for sex differences is so strong that consideration of sex as a factor is becoming the norm, rather than the exception (Wetherington 2007).The claim that these neurobiological sex differences extend to the behavioral level has typically been more controversial. A recent review of the literature on this topic warns against the ''costs of overinflated claims of gender differences.'' The review holds that overall ''males and females are alike on most-but not all-psychological variables'' (Hyde 2005), but notes exceptions where sex does have an effect, including sexual and aggressive behaviors. Still, given how broadly sex differences are distributed on the neural level, it seems unlikely that their behavioral effects would be restricted solely to these domains.One area of behavior not considered in Hyde's review is the influence of sex on learning and memory. It is becoming increasingly clear, however, that an understanding of the neurobiological and cognitive consequences of sex is relevant across this field. In the review that follows, behavioral evidence indicating differences between men and women from numerous memory tasks will be co...

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“…Although there is no major difference in performance in current standardized intelligence tests between females and males, there are described sex differences in particular subtypes of the tests [1]. These have been reported in certain cognitive tasks for many years, and it appears that testosterone (TST) and other androgens play a crucial role [2].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effect of rapid and depot testosterone and estradiol on spatial performance in water maze

Hodosy¹,

Ostatníková

Riljak

et al. 2012

Open Life Sciences

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The effect of rapid and depot testosterone and estradiol on spatial performance in water maze of receptor types. So, particular brain regions can be targets for the actions of different classes of steroids. For example, estrogen receptors are thinly distributed in the neocortex of the rat, but are prevalent in preoptic and hypothalamic areas and the anterior pituitary. Also some neurons express receptors for more than one steroid.Authors reported testosterone modified spatial abilities resulting from animal research [3] and clinical studies of individuals exposed prenatally to unusual hormone environments. Congenital adrenal hyperplasia results in women with enhanced spatial performance [4], as does a lifelong deficiency in gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) in men [5].Cent. Eur. J. Biol. • 7(4) • 2012 • 596-602 DOI: 10.2478/s11535-012-0046-z IntroductionAlthough there is no major difference in performance in current standardized intelligence tests between females and males, there are described sex differences in particular subtypes of the tests [1]. These have been reported in certain cognitive tasks for many years, and it appears that testosterone (TST) and other androgens play a crucial role [2]. Spatial learning and memory have been one of the major topics of interest since the late seventies. Keywords: Water maze • Spatial performance • Testosterone • Estradiol • Hippocampus • RatsAbstract: Men and women differ in some cognitive functions including spatial abilities. These differences seem to be affected by sex steroids, but the results are controversial. The aim of this work is to describe the effects of rapid or depot testosterone and estradiol on spatial memory in rats. Thirty-two adult male Wistar rats were divided into 6 groups. Five groups were gonadectomized, and one group was left as control. Castrated groups received sterile oil, testosterone isobutyras, testosterone propionate, estradiol dipropionate or estradiol benzoate. We evaluated spatial performance (escape latency, overall improvement, and time in the quadrant after platform removal) of the rats in a spatial water maze. Animals receiving exogenous sex steroids showed higher plasma concentrations of the particular hormones. Experimental groups improved during the acquisition spatial trials in the water maze. No significant differences between the groups during probe trial were found. In overall improvement, the testosterone depot and estradiol depot groups showed less improvement in comparison to the control groups (P<0.05). No differences in respect to administered hormones were found in corresponding receptor gene expression in hippocampus. In conclusion, exogenous testosterone affects spatial memory of adult castrated males.

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Evidence for the influence of testosterone in the performance of spatial navigation in a virtual water maze in women but not in men

Cited by 68 publications

References 33 publications

The Relationship Between Second to Fourth Digit Ratio, Spatial Cognition, and Virtual Navigation

The Relationship Between Second to Fourth Digit Ratio, Spatial Cognition, and Virtual Navigation

Sex influences on the neurobiology of learning and memory

The effect of rapid and depot testosterone and estradiol on spatial performance in water maze

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