Organizational effects of early gonadal secretions on sexual differentiation in spatial memory.

Williams, Christina L.; Barnett, Allison M.; Meck, Warren H.

doi:10.1037//0735-7044.104.1.84

Cited by 131 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 52 publications

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“…As mentioned in the Introduction, E2-dependent pathways might be responsible for some TST effects on cognition (Williams et al. 1990 ; Williams and Meck 1993 ; Wu et al. 2009 ), including spatial navigation such as route learning (Choi and Silverman 2002 ), but androgen-dependent pathways also appear to play critical roles in certain activational aspects of spatial cognition (reviews: Frick 2015 ; Frick et al.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effects of estrogen on spatial navigation and memory

Joue,

Navarro-Schröder,

Achtzehn

et al. 2024

Psychopharmacology

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Rationale Animal studies suggest that the so-called “female” hormone estrogen enhances spatial navigation and memory. This contradicts the observation that males generally out-perform females in spatial navigation and tasks involving spatial memory. A closer look at the vast number of studies actually reveals that performance differences are not so clear. Objectives To help clarify the unclear performance differences between men and women and the role of estrogen, we attempted to isolate organizational from activational effects of estrogen on spatial navigation and memory. Methods In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study, we tested the effects of orally administered estradiol valerate (E2V) in healthy, young women in their low-hormone menstrual cycle phase, compared to healthy, young men. Participants performed several first-person, environmentally rich, 3-D computer games inspired by spatial navigation and memory paradigms in animal research. Results We found navigation behavior suggesting that sex effects dominated any E2 effects with men performing better with allocentric strategies and women with egocentric strategies. Increased E2 levels did not lead to general improvements in spatial ability in either sex but to behavioral changes reflecting navigation flexibility. Conclusion Estrogen-driven differences in spatial cognition might be better characterized on a spectrum of navigation flexibility rather than by categorical performance measures or skills.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Another study which exposed female rats to EB in the first ten days postnatal similarly found spatial navigation accuracy during adulthood to be comparable to control male rats while neonatally castrated males performed more similarly to control females (r.SD in a radial arm maze, RAM: Williams et al. 1990 ).…”

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confidence: 96%

Effects of estrogen on spatial navigation and memory

Joue,

Navarro-Schröder,

Achtzehn

et al. 2024

Psychopharmacology

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Effects of neonatal gonadal steroids on adult CA3 pyramidal neuron dendritic morphology and spatial memory in rats

2003

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The hippocampus is implicated in spatial cognition, which is sexually dimorphic and developmentally sensitive to gonadal steroids. Previously we have shown a sex difference in CA3 pyramidal cell layer volume and neuronal soma size that was reversible with neonatal castration in males or prenatal treatment of females with either testosterone propionate (TP) or a nonaromatizable androgen, dihydrotestosterone propionate, but not estradiol benzoate, all of which correlated with adult water maze navigation. The present study further investigates developmental androgen sensitivity of CA3 pyramidal neurons by measuring dendritic morphology and its relation to adult spatial ability. Female rats were injected with TP on postnatal day (P) 3 and P5 or ovariectomized (OVX) on P2, and male rats were castrated on P2, with or without testosterone replacement (Cas+T). Sham surgery controls were also included. Animals were tested on a water maze in adulthood, sacrificed, and CA3 pyramidal neurons were Golgi-stained and reconstructed in three dimensions using a computer-interfaced morphometry system. High-androgen groups (control males, Cas+T, TP females) performed better in spatial navigation and exhibited CA3 neurons with longer dendrites, a larger number of dendritic branches, and volumes of influence compared to low-androgen groups (control females, castrated males, OVX). Collectively, these findings indicate that the critical time period for organizational effects of androgens on the CA3 pyramidal neurons includes both prenatal and postnatal life, during which time androgens regulate developmental events such as somal growth and neuronal differentiation, all of which significantly contribute to establishing the sex difference in adult spatial navigation.

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Testosterone and competitive ability in male house mice, Mus musculus: laboratory and field studies

Zielinski

Vandenbergh

1993

Animal Behaviour

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Abstract. Testosterone enhances aggression and can facilitate dominance in mammals, but most studies have been conducted on laboratory strains of mice and in simple environments. Unlike previous studies, laboratory and field tests were conducted using wild house mice, Mus musculus, to determine whether males with high, but physiological, testosterone levels (High T) would achieve dominance compared with males with low testosterone levels (Low T). All males were castrated and androgen was replaced with a single injection of testosterone enanthate, a long-acting androgen. At 8 days post-treatment the mean testosterone concentration in High T males was 5 . 1 ng/ml, whereas the level in Low T males was 1 . 3 ng/ml. Contests in the laboratory revealed that High T males achieved dominance over Low T males in the presence of females. In the field, equal numbers of High and Low T males, and a corresponding number of females, were released on three highway islands at densities equivalent to the highest density reported on similar sites. Periodic retrapping produced a capture history for males in each group and differences in survival were analysed using the program SURVIV. High T males had a higher probability of survival than Low T males on one island, but on the other two islands the higher capture rates of High T males were not statistically greater than those for Low T males. Of those that survived to the first trapping episode, the High T males had greater subsequent longevity than Low T males. On all three islands High T males were caught more frequently at feeding stations that were established to enhance food competition. There were no differences among the home range sizes of High T males, Low T males and females. However, on two of the islands the ranges of High T males overlapped more of the ranges of resident females than those of Low T males. The findings from this study, using testosterone-treated subjects, suggest that natural variation in basal testosterone also may affect competitive ability in wild house mice.

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Organizational effects of early gonadal secretions on sexual differentiation in spatial memory.

Cited by 131 publications

References 52 publications

Effects of estrogen on spatial navigation and memory

Effects of estrogen on spatial navigation and memory

Effects of neonatal gonadal steroids on adult CA3 pyramidal neuron dendritic morphology and spatial memory in rats

Testosterone and competitive ability in male house mice, Mus musculus: laboratory and field studies

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