Abstract
Introduction and Aim: Prenatal androgens are believed to be one of the probable etiological factors influencing intellectual development of an individual. In-utero testosterone exposure has been thought to affect the digit ratio which is the ratio of lengths of index finger and ring finger (2D:4D). In the present work we intended to study the correlation of 2D:4D with numerical and verbal intelligence believed to be variable among genders. The aim of our study was to find the association of 2D:4D with Verbal Intelligence and Numerical Intelligence in a sample of medical students.
 
 Materials and Methods: This study was conducted in a sample of medical students. 44 female and 44 male students participated in the study. 2D:4D measurements were made using standard procedure after which the participants completed a questionnaire containing 20 questions each to test numerical and verbal intelligence.
 
 Results: In this study, Males were found to have a lower 2D:4D when compared to females. Individuals with lower 2D:4D in their right-hand were seen to have lower verbal intelligence and higher numerical intelligence thus suggesting that males are born with better numerical intelligence and females with greater verbal intelligence.
 
 Conclusion: Digit ratio can be considered as a valuable indicator of individual differences in terms of intelligence, although the exact role of testosterone on brain to cause variation in these cognitive domains is yet to be clearly understood.
Highlights
Introduction and AimPrenatal androgens are believed to be one of the probable etiological factors influencing intellectual development of an individual
Individuals with lower 2nd to 4th digits (2D):4D in their right-hand were seen to have lower verbal intelligence and higher numerical intelligence suggesting that males are born with better numerical intelligence and females with greater verbal intelligence
Right hand was chosen for the study because the right hand was found to show more significant results [12]. 2D:4D was calculated by dividing the length of the index finger by the length of the ring finger
Summary
Prenatal androgens are believed to be one of the probable etiological factors influencing intellectual development of an individual. In-utero testosterone exposure has been thought to affect the digit ratio which is the ratio of lengths of index finger and ring finger (2D:4D). The sex differences occur at a prenatal age of 13-14 weeks post-conception [3] and is highly dependent on prenatal androgen exposure during the fetal development [4]. Both sex steroids, estrogen and androgen have been found to play a dominant role as a deciding factor of morphological sex differences during the early fetal development. The sexual differentiation of the brain has been assumed to depend on these steroid hormones
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
