Measurement of cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone, and testosterone in the hair of children: Preliminary results and promising indications (original) (raw)

2018, Developmental Psychobiology

Hormone analysis is a valuable tool for understanding the interaction between physiology, development, stress, behavior, and psychopathology. The main methods of hormone measurement sampling have been via analysis of saliva and blood samples. These biospecimens provide a momentary assessment of hormone levels, influenced by a range of endogenous and exogenous factors, including circadian rhythms, exercise, diet, metabolism, and stressors within the wider and immediate environment (Hansen, Garde, & Persson, 2008; Matchock, Dorn, & Susman, 2007). These sources of short-term variation are reduced with a relatively new method of measurement-hormone levels in hair from the scalp. Research suggests that hair provides a retrospective marker of free steroid hormone levels, with concentrations reflecting systemic levels integrated over months (Stalder et al., 2017). The principal analyte assayed in hair to date has been cortisol (Staufenbiel, Penninx, Spijker, Elzinga, & van Rossum, 2013). Recently, research has begun to assess other stress-responsive hormones, such as the androgens dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and testosterone, which also serve a developmental role. A number of studies have been conducted, with a range of age groups, including adults (