Male hormones linked to autism
The finding may help solve the enduring mystery of why autism is much more common in boys than girls. Image: sdominick/iStockphoto New University of Otago research into two sex hormones released by the testes of male fetuses and boys may help solve the enduring mystery of why autism is much more common in boys than girls.Department of Anatomy researchers have discovered that variations within normal- range levels of anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH, also known as Müllerian inhibiting substance) and inhibin B (InhB) are linked with the severity of symptoms in boys with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD).Autism spectrum disorders are developmental disorders featuring repetitive or stereotyped behaviours as well as impairments to social interaction, communication and language.The new Otago study, which challenges current thinking that ASD simply reflects a testosterone-fuelled extreme of male biology, was carried out by Dr Michael Pankhurst and Professor Ian McLennan and is newly published in the international journal Translational...