2D:4D digit ratio and brain volumes in alcohol use disorder

Research output: Contribution to journal › Research article › Contributed › peer-review

Contributors

  • ReCoDe Consortium - (Author)
  • Sina Vetter - , Central Institute of Mental Health (CIMH) (Author)

Abstract

Background: Prenatal androgen exposure organizes the development of the brain with permanent effects on brain structure and function. The second-to-fourth digit length ratio (2D:4D) has been associated with mental illnesses, including addictive disorders, with some studies reporting sex-dependent associations. Preliminary evidence suggests that in healthy male adolescents lower 2D:4D (indicating higher prenatal androgenization) is related to lower volumes of the right anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) which has previously been linked to a higher risk of alcohol use disorder (AUD). We aimed at transferring this association into an older cohort with AUD. Further, we explored relationships between 2D:4D and brain volumes on a whole brain level. Methods: We investigated 253 men and 155 women with AUD (mean age 37.31 ± 12.54 years) and associated mean of the right and left hand 2D:4D (M2D:4D = primary predictor) with brain volumes from 3 T MRI using FreeSurfer. Results: We found that lower M2D:4D was associated with smaller right ACC volume in men using a pre-specified directional one-tailed test. Secondary subsegment analyses indicated this association may primarily be observed in the right caudal ACC. Exploratory analyses suggested sex- and hemisphere-stratified associations with other brain volumes, unaffected by age moderation and largely robust after adjustment for education and AUD criteria count across models examined. Discussion: In line with previous findings, the results indicate that in men with AUD, lower 2D:4D ratios are associated with smaller right ACC volumes. The findings contribute to understanding brain variability in AUD.

Details

Original languageEnglish
JournalEuropean archives of psychiatry and clinical neuroscience
Publication statusE-pub ahead of print - 4 Sept 2026
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

ORCID /0000-0002-8845-8803/work/229890256
ORCID /0000-0002-2198-6521/work/229890460
ORCID /0000-0001-5232-5729/work/229893319
ORCID /0000-0002-2989-9561/work/229893435
ORCID /0000-0002-6833-5638/work/229893496
ORCID /0000-0001-8870-0041/work/229893574
ORCID /0000-0001-8761-984X/work/229893603
ORCID /0000-0001-5398-5569/work/229893662
ORCID /0000-0003-3820-655X/work/229893797

Keywords

Keywords

  • 2D:4D, Alcohol use disorder, Brain volumes, Cortical volumes, Digit ratio, Neuroimaging, Prenatal androgen exposure, Sexual dimorphism