In order to keep the population homogenous, only healthy premenopausal female samples were included, as this is what most of the studies used. While we are aware that including ROI analyses might over-inflate the results of our ALE analysis (Eickhoff et al. 2012), we included all appropriate ROI findings in this preliminary analysis to increase the number of studies. The study selection process is detailed in a Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and meta-Analyses (PRISMA) supplementary figure F. Published in a peer-reviewed journal g) Studies reporting whole brain (WB) or region of interest (ROI) coordinates. C) Studies which contain a direct measure of testosterone via sampling either saliva or blood d) Original articles published in English. Based on the findings of this initial literature search, it was decided that only studies using MRI methods (fMRI and VBM analyses) would be used in this review. This is in line with other ALE studies conducted by authors in our group (Brooks et al. 2012; Hattingh et al. 2013). Around 2 percent of men have clinically low levels of testosterone, according to estimates from the American Urological Association. Men with low testosterone can have a low sex drive or erectile dysfunction, and they may experience hair loss, reduced muscle mass, exhaustion, irritability, or depression. A testosterone deficiency leads to both sexual and physical changes. Other life changes can also lead hormone levels to fluctuate. High levels of testosterone, particularly in men, have been correlated with a greater likelihood of getting divorced or engaging in extramarital affairs, though a causal link has not been established. The emotional Stroop task contains both S-S and S-R conflicts, with the affective word ("FEARFUL" or "HAPPY") on an emotional (happy or fearful) face, and participants are required to report the expression on the face (Etkin et al., 2006, 2010; Egner, 2008; Liu et al., 2010; Chechko et al., 2012; Soutschek and Schubert, 2013). Top–down modulation of emotional processing has been investigated as the cognitive control of emotion (Ochsner and Gross, 2005). High testosterone was reported to down-regulate the interaction between cognitive and emotional systems and therefore diminishes the impact of cognitive control (Schutter and Van Honk, 2004). Thirty-four 10- to 11-year-old children were enrolled and instructed to complete questionnaires on emotional intelligence as well as empirical tasks of emotional flanker and Stroop with event-related potential (ERP) recordings. When testosterone levels drop, men may notice they feel "off" emotionally, even without clear feelings of sadness. While scientific research suggests a potential link between testosterone and emotional intelligence, understanding the precise nature of this relationship requires further investigation. These anecdotal experiences highlight the potential influence of testosterone on emotional intelligence but should be interpreted with caution due to the subjective nature of personal experiences. Personal experiences can provide valuable insights into the impact of testosterone on emotional intelligence. In this article, we will explore the relationship between testosterone and emotional intelligence, delving into scientific research, personal experiences, step-by-step analysis, and examples. In this article, we will explore the fascinating ways in which testosterone shapes emotional intelligence and delve into the implications this has for individuals and society as a whole. While testosterone plays a significant role in shaping our emotional landscape, its effects are not uniform or predictable. In the attempt to find the biological correlate for intellectual ability, our research group correlated salivary testosterone levels with general intelligence in preadolescent academically gifted participants and general population controls (Ostatnikova et al. 2000). One dominant neurochemical is testosterone mostly known as sex and aggression hormone that has a profound influence on brain structures and functions. Over the past decades research has revealed a number of sex differences in the human brain with remarkable functional behavioral and cognitive consequences (Collaer and Hines 1995, Hedges and Nowell 1995, Gur et al. 1999). Early postmortem studies investigating neurological differentiation in transgender individuals focused primarily on sexually dimorphic regions of the brain, including the hypothalamus and amygdala. Although the orbitofrontal cortex did not survive our ALE analyses, it has been linked with both the amygdala and brainstem in a threat heightening and inhibiting network as a response to social threat (Terburg and van Honk 2013). In the ALE findings of the exogenous testosterone studies, in addition to the amygdaloid-parahippocampal region, the right caudate was significantly activated. Additionally, testosterone’s associations with the parahippocampal/amygdala region appear to be specific to sub-regions, as opposed to global activation or deactivation per se. We conducted an ALE meta-analysis to examine fMRI results related to both exogenous and endogenous levels of testosterone in healthy populations. However, in girls a different pattern emerged in that testosterone is linked to reduced brain volume in many of these regions.
