Original Research

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms and digit ratios in a college sample

  1. J.C. Stevenson1,*,
  2. P.M. Everson1,
  3. D.C. Williams2,
  4. G. Hipskind3,
  5. M. Grimes1,
  6. E.R. Mahoney4

Article first published online: 7 DEC 2006

DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.20571

Issue

American Journal of Human Biology

American Journal of Human Biology

Volume 19, Issue 1, pages 41–50, January/February 2007

Additional Information

How to Cite

Stevenson, J.C., Everson, P.M., Williams, D.C., Hipskind, G., Grimes, M. and Mahoney, E.R. (2007), Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms and digit ratios in a college sample. Am. J. Hum. Biol., 19: 41–50. doi: 10.1002/ajhb.20571

Author Information

  1. 1

    Department of Anthropology, Western Washington University, Bellingham, Washington 98225

  2. 2

    Department of Biology, Western Washington University, Bellingham, Washington 98225

  3. 3

    Bellingham Neurobehavioral Consulting, Bellingham, Washington 98225

  4. 4

    PeaceHealth Corp., Bellingham, Washington 98225

*Department of Anthropology, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225-9083

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 7 DEC 2006
  2. Article first published online: 7 DEC 2006
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 16 JUL 2006
  4. Manuscript Revised: 5 JUL 2006
  5. Manuscript Received: 12 APR 2006

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Abstract

Diagnosticians recognize three subtypes of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) if there are developmentally inappropriate levels (six or more symptoms) of Hyperactive-Impulsive behavior, or Inattentive behavior, or both (Combined), respectively. ADHD may partly reflect androgen dysfunction, and an arguable proxy for prenatal androgen exposure is the 2D:4D finger ratio set at least as early as week 9 in the fetus; this is lower in men than in women. We examined the relationship between digit ratios and ADHD symptoms representing the three phenotypes: ADHD/Combined as measured by “summarized” (Rasched) scales, i.e., 1) the short version of the Wender Utah Rating Scale (WURS) and a total symptom list derived from the DSM IV, and the subdivided DSM IV into 2) ADHD/Inattentive and 3) ADHD/Hyperactive-Impulsive inventories, in a sample of European-descent college students (135 female, 52 male) not selected for ADHD. All digit ratios were calculated excluding the thumb. There were significant sex differences for the 2D:4D digit ratios of both hands (RH and LH), and between the RH 3D:4D and between the LH 2D:3D ratio. In females, the more masculine the LH 2D:4D ratio, the more the ADHD/Combined symptoms (both WURS and DSM) and the more the ADHD/Inattentive symptoms and ADHD/Hyperactive-Impulsive symptoms. More masculine ratios also correlated between the total WURS and RH 2D:3D, RH 2D:4D, and LH 2D:3D; and between the inattentive DSM symptoms and LH 2D:5D, and between the ADHD/Hyperactive and Impulsive symptoms and RH 3D:4D. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 19:41–50, 2007. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

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