A Pre-registered Meta-analysis Based on Three Empirical Studies Reveals No Association Between Prenatal (Amniotic) Cortisol Exposure and Fluctuating Asymmetry in Human Infants
Autor(a) principal: | |
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Data de Publicação: | 2021 |
Outros Autores: | , , , , , , |
Tipo de documento: | Artigo |
Idioma: | eng |
Título da fonte: | Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) |
Texto Completo: | http://hdl.handle.net/10362/110737 |
Resumo: | Developmental instability (DI) reflects an organism’s inability to develop an ideal phenotype when challenged by genetic and environmental insults. DI can be estimated via the proxy measure of fluctuating asymmetry (FA), i.e., the small random deviations from perfect bilateral symmetry observed in the morphology of paired traits. The mechanisms involved in the genesis of FA in human populations are relatively unknown, though animal research indicates that hormonal processes may be involved. As maternal stress during pregnancy is detrimental to various developmental processes, elevated prenatal cortisol may represent a causal factor in the subsequent emergence of an asymmetrical phenotype. The main purpose of this pre-registered meta-analysis based on three empirical studies was to investigate whether mid-trimester amniotic cortisol levels predict subsequent FA in finger lengths of infants from Germany, Portugal, and the UK. No statistically significant relationships were observed, and meta-analytic combination of the effect size estimates yielded a null result. We did, however, detect significant positive correlations between the cortisol present in the amniotic fluid and maternal plasma in the Portuguese cohort, and observed that FA in the German cohort was significantly lower at 70-months than at either 9- or 20-months. Taken together, the current findings run contrary to animal research showing that elevated prenatal corticosterone exposure leads to increased FA. However, this may be because a single cortisol assay obtained via amniocentesis is an inadequate proxy for average gestational exposure, and/or that prenatal cortisol levels at an earlier (i.e., first rather than second trimester) stage of pregnancy is what explains variance in subsequent FA. |
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A Pre-registered Meta-analysis Based on Three Empirical Studies Reveals No Association Between Prenatal (Amniotic) Cortisol Exposure and Fluctuating Asymmetry in Human InfantsAmniocentesisCortisolDevelopmental instabilityFluctuating asymmetryGestational stressMaternal stressMeta-analysisEcology, Evolution, Behavior and SystematicsDevelopmental instability (DI) reflects an organism’s inability to develop an ideal phenotype when challenged by genetic and environmental insults. DI can be estimated via the proxy measure of fluctuating asymmetry (FA), i.e., the small random deviations from perfect bilateral symmetry observed in the morphology of paired traits. The mechanisms involved in the genesis of FA in human populations are relatively unknown, though animal research indicates that hormonal processes may be involved. As maternal stress during pregnancy is detrimental to various developmental processes, elevated prenatal cortisol may represent a causal factor in the subsequent emergence of an asymmetrical phenotype. The main purpose of this pre-registered meta-analysis based on three empirical studies was to investigate whether mid-trimester amniotic cortisol levels predict subsequent FA in finger lengths of infants from Germany, Portugal, and the UK. No statistically significant relationships were observed, and meta-analytic combination of the effect size estimates yielded a null result. We did, however, detect significant positive correlations between the cortisol present in the amniotic fluid and maternal plasma in the Portuguese cohort, and observed that FA in the German cohort was significantly lower at 70-months than at either 9- or 20-months. Taken together, the current findings run contrary to animal research showing that elevated prenatal corticosterone exposure leads to increased FA. However, this may be because a single cortisol assay obtained via amniocentesis is an inadequate proxy for average gestational exposure, and/or that prenatal cortisol levels at an earlier (i.e., first rather than second trimester) stage of pregnancy is what explains variance in subsequent FA.NOVA Medical School|Faculdade de Ciências Médicas (NMS|FCM)RUNBushell, WillHeil, MartinVentura, TeresaGomes, Manuel C.Körner, Lisa M.Lawrenz, JudithSchaal, Nora K.Richards, Gareth2021-01-25T23:35:31Z2021-032021-03-01T00:00:00Zinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/articleapplication/pdfhttp://hdl.handle.net/10362/110737eng0071-3260PURE: 27693515https://doi.org/10.1007/s11692-020-09523-9info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessreponame:Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)instname:Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informaçãoinstacron:RCAAP2024-03-11T04:54:32Zoai:run.unl.pt:10362/110737Portal AgregadorONGhttps://www.rcaap.pt/oai/openaireopendoar:71602024-03-20T03:41:42.362706Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) - Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informaçãofalse |
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv |
A Pre-registered Meta-analysis Based on Three Empirical Studies Reveals No Association Between Prenatal (Amniotic) Cortisol Exposure and Fluctuating Asymmetry in Human Infants |
title |
A Pre-registered Meta-analysis Based on Three Empirical Studies Reveals No Association Between Prenatal (Amniotic) Cortisol Exposure and Fluctuating Asymmetry in Human Infants |
spellingShingle |
A Pre-registered Meta-analysis Based on Three Empirical Studies Reveals No Association Between Prenatal (Amniotic) Cortisol Exposure and Fluctuating Asymmetry in Human Infants Bushell, Will Amniocentesis Cortisol Developmental instability Fluctuating asymmetry Gestational stress Maternal stress Meta-analysis Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics |
title_short |
A Pre-registered Meta-analysis Based on Three Empirical Studies Reveals No Association Between Prenatal (Amniotic) Cortisol Exposure and Fluctuating Asymmetry in Human Infants |
title_full |
A Pre-registered Meta-analysis Based on Three Empirical Studies Reveals No Association Between Prenatal (Amniotic) Cortisol Exposure and Fluctuating Asymmetry in Human Infants |
title_fullStr |
A Pre-registered Meta-analysis Based on Three Empirical Studies Reveals No Association Between Prenatal (Amniotic) Cortisol Exposure and Fluctuating Asymmetry in Human Infants |
title_full_unstemmed |
A Pre-registered Meta-analysis Based on Three Empirical Studies Reveals No Association Between Prenatal (Amniotic) Cortisol Exposure and Fluctuating Asymmetry in Human Infants |
title_sort |
A Pre-registered Meta-analysis Based on Three Empirical Studies Reveals No Association Between Prenatal (Amniotic) Cortisol Exposure and Fluctuating Asymmetry in Human Infants |
author |
Bushell, Will |
author_facet |
Bushell, Will Heil, Martin Ventura, Teresa Gomes, Manuel C. Körner, Lisa M. Lawrenz, Judith Schaal, Nora K. Richards, Gareth |
author_role |
author |
author2 |
Heil, Martin Ventura, Teresa Gomes, Manuel C. Körner, Lisa M. Lawrenz, Judith Schaal, Nora K. Richards, Gareth |
author2_role |
author author author author author author author |
dc.contributor.none.fl_str_mv |
NOVA Medical School|Faculdade de Ciências Médicas (NMS|FCM) RUN |
dc.contributor.author.fl_str_mv |
Bushell, Will Heil, Martin Ventura, Teresa Gomes, Manuel C. Körner, Lisa M. Lawrenz, Judith Schaal, Nora K. Richards, Gareth |
dc.subject.por.fl_str_mv |
Amniocentesis Cortisol Developmental instability Fluctuating asymmetry Gestational stress Maternal stress Meta-analysis Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics |
topic |
Amniocentesis Cortisol Developmental instability Fluctuating asymmetry Gestational stress Maternal stress Meta-analysis Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics |
description |
Developmental instability (DI) reflects an organism’s inability to develop an ideal phenotype when challenged by genetic and environmental insults. DI can be estimated via the proxy measure of fluctuating asymmetry (FA), i.e., the small random deviations from perfect bilateral symmetry observed in the morphology of paired traits. The mechanisms involved in the genesis of FA in human populations are relatively unknown, though animal research indicates that hormonal processes may be involved. As maternal stress during pregnancy is detrimental to various developmental processes, elevated prenatal cortisol may represent a causal factor in the subsequent emergence of an asymmetrical phenotype. The main purpose of this pre-registered meta-analysis based on three empirical studies was to investigate whether mid-trimester amniotic cortisol levels predict subsequent FA in finger lengths of infants from Germany, Portugal, and the UK. No statistically significant relationships were observed, and meta-analytic combination of the effect size estimates yielded a null result. We did, however, detect significant positive correlations between the cortisol present in the amniotic fluid and maternal plasma in the Portuguese cohort, and observed that FA in the German cohort was significantly lower at 70-months than at either 9- or 20-months. Taken together, the current findings run contrary to animal research showing that elevated prenatal corticosterone exposure leads to increased FA. However, this may be because a single cortisol assay obtained via amniocentesis is an inadequate proxy for average gestational exposure, and/or that prenatal cortisol levels at an earlier (i.e., first rather than second trimester) stage of pregnancy is what explains variance in subsequent FA. |
publishDate |
2021 |
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv |
2021-01-25T23:35:31Z 2021-03 2021-03-01T00:00:00Z |
dc.type.status.fl_str_mv |
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion |
dc.type.driver.fl_str_mv |
info:eu-repo/semantics/article |
format |
article |
status_str |
publishedVersion |
dc.identifier.uri.fl_str_mv |
http://hdl.handle.net/10362/110737 |
url |
http://hdl.handle.net/10362/110737 |
dc.language.iso.fl_str_mv |
eng |
language |
eng |
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv |
0071-3260 PURE: 27693515 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11692-020-09523-9 |
dc.rights.driver.fl_str_mv |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
eu_rights_str_mv |
openAccess |
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv |
application/pdf |
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv |
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Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informação |
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RCAAP |
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RCAAP |
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Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) |
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Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) |
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Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos) - Agência para a Sociedade do Conhecimento (UMIC) - FCT - Sociedade da Informação |
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