Date of Award
2009
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science
Program
Psychology
Supervisor
Elizabeth Hampson
Abstract
The nature of the relationship, if any, between visual-spatial cognition and androgens in humans remains controversial. Possible associations between spatial ability, testosterone (T), and the length of the CAG polymorphism in the androgen receptor gene were investigated in 106 healthy undergraduate males. Using multiple linear regression, T concentrations and CAG repeat length significantly contributed to the prediction of performance on the Paper Folding Test. Some differences between left- and right-handed participants were observed. A secondary objective was to study the association between salivary T, CAG repeat length, and depressive affect across the entire mood spectrum in the same sample of subjects. CAG repeat length and T levels significantly contributed to the prediction of somatic symptoms of depression, but not to overall depression scores. These findings suggest that taking CAG repeat status into consideration may be informative in studies looking at the associations between androgens and either spatial ability or mood.
Recommended Citation
Sankar, Janani, "INFLUENCE OF TESTOSTERONE AND ANDROGEN RECEPTOR POLYMORPHISM ON VISUAL-SPATIAL COGNITION IN ADULT MEN" (2009). Digitized Theses. 4331.
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/digitizedtheses/4331