RESEARCH

Current Hormones Project

Simon Baron-Cohen, Liliana Ruta, Kevin Taylor, Sabine Bahn, Mike Lombardo, Bonnie Auyeung

The ARC has conducted a unique study into the role of foetal testosterone in autism spectrum conditions. This has prompted the investigation into whether current hormone levels might also be atypical in autism and Asperger Syndrome. This new study has tested the sex steroids (e.g., free testosterone, oestrogen, androstendione, sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), dihydrotestosterone (DHT), luteinizing hormone (LH), oestradial, progesterone) in blood serum samples from men and women with and without Asperger Syndrome.

Analysis involved ELIZAs as well as mass spectrometry.  This study was in part stimulated by the survey of tesosterone-related medical conditions we completed, which found that polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and some androgen-related tumours were more common in women with Asperger Syndrome, and their mothers. A recent finding is elevated levels of the testosterone precursor androstenedione in adults with AS. 

Dr Liliana Ruta is also leading a collaboration with Catania Hospital in Sicily into pubertal development in autism.