Personality characteristics and platelet MAO activity in women with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH).

Personality traits and platelet monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity were studied in 22 women, 17-34 years old, with prenatal virilization due to congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) (21-hydroxylase deficiency) and 22 healthy controls. The CAH group differed significantly on two of the eight scales of the Karolinska Scales of Personality (KSP), which have earlier shown significant gender differences. Both differences were in the masculine direction, with a high, male level, score for Detachment and a lower score for Indirect Aggression. The Detachment scale reflects distance in social relations, and has earlier been shown to be strongly gender differentiating. There was no significant difference in platelet MAO activity between the CAH group and the controls. Although an influence of psychosocial factors cannot be excluded, the results suggest a possible association between prenatal androgen exposure and the high Detachment score for the CAH group. Gender differences in empathy, affiliation motivation, intimacy and maternal behavior may be relevant parallels.