THE INFLUENCE OF TESTOSTERONE
ON THE BEHAVIOR
OF THE AUTISTIC CHILD
Daniela
BOBOC1,2, Manole COJOCARU3,4, Natalia ROȘOIU4,5,6
1 Doctoral student, Doctoral School Institute, Ovidius University Constanţa, Romania;
2Maria Montessori School Center for Inclusive Education – Constanţa, Romania; 3Titu Maiorescu University, Faculty of Medicine – Bucharest, Romania; 4Academy of Romanian Scientists Ilfov 3, 050044 Bucharest, Romania; 5 5Ovidius University Constanţa , Faculty of Medicine, Romania; 6Doctoral Supervisor Institute of Doctoral Schools Ovidius University Constanţa, Romania;
ABSTRACT
Background The impact of testosterone on autism
symptoms is still being studied, and the precise mechanisms are not yet fully
understood. Objectives Numerous studies have been conducted to
investigate the relationship between autism and testosterone levels. The biochemical analysis of testosterone
is important to perform for boys, especially for those diagnosed with autism
spectrum disorders who also present a high level of aggression. Materials and methods While the exact
causes of autism are still unknown, researchers have been studying the
relationship between autism and testosterone levels in the body. It is
suggested that testosterone may play a role in the higher prevalence of autism
spectrum disorder to males compared to females. This has led researchers
to investigate whether there is a link between autism and testosterone. Results Some studies have reported higher
levels of testosterone in individuals with autism compared to those without
autism. After analyzing the results obtained in our study, higher
values of testosterone are observed in children diagnosed
with ASD compared to those without ASD who form the control group, but from a
statistical point of view there are no significant differences. Some researchers propose that testosterone may
have an effect on certain behaviors and characteristics commonly observed in
individuals with autism. Studies have shown that children with autism tend to
have higher levels of testosterone in their bodies than children without
autism. It is important to note that not all children with autism have high
levels of testosterone, and not all children with high levels of testosterone
have autism. Conclusions These varying results may be attributed to the heterogeneity of
autism itself, as it encompasses a wide range of symptoms and characteristics.
Early intervention is the key and children with autism can benefit from
therapies such as speech therapy, occupational therapy and behavioral therapy. More researches are
needed to fully understand the relationship between autism and testosterone.
Keywords:
autism spectrum disorder,testosterone, stress
DOI
https://doi.org/10.56082/annalsarscibio.2024.1.120
