Testosterone affects women’s ability to empathise, new study shows

Women feel less empathy towards others when they are given a small dose of testosterone, according to UK and Dutch researchers.
The researcher’s findings are published in the journal PNAS, and back up the theory that the male sex hormone is important to the study of the development of autism. During the study, 16 participants who were given testosterone found it more difficult to judge the moods portrayed by people’s facial expressions in the photographs they were shown. Scientists suggest that exposure to testosterone in the womb may be key.
Autism affects both children’s and adult’s ability to communicate and interact socially. In the past, various genes have been connected to the condition, however, the exact combination of genetic factors and environmental factors is currently unknown.
The latest research, conducted by teams at the Cambridge University and Utrecht University, tests the notion that the condition may be linked to an “extreme male brain”. Scientists suggest that it could be the result of exposure to testosterone in the womb whilst the brain is beginning to develop. Autism rates are much higher in boys than girls.
Professor Jack van Honk, a researcher working on the study said that he was excited at the latest finding as it suggests that levels of testosterone have an effect on the mind. Professor Simon Baron-Cohen, a fellow researcher added that the study contributed to existing knowledge that small hormonal changes can have huge effects on the mind.