Influence of Treatment for Disruptive Behavior Disorders on Adrenal and Gonadal Hormones in Youth (original) (raw)
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Biological Psychology, 2009
Hormone differences by psychopathology group and gender may have implications for understanding disruptive behavior disorders (DBD) and complexities of treatment outcomes. Current theoretical models emphasize contextual differences as moderators of hormone-behavior relations. This report examined: a) hormone differences in youth with and without DBD, and b) contextual factors as moderators of behavior problems and hormones. 180 children and adolescents were enrolled (141 boys, mean 9.0 ± 1.7 years). DBD participants met criteria for conduct disorder (CD) and/or oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) (n = 111); 69 were recruited as healthy comparisons (HC). Saliva was collected for testosterone, cortisol, dehydroepiandrosterone and androstenedione. DBD youth had significantly higher androstenedione than the HC group. There was a group by gender interaction for basal cortisol mean with DBD boys and HC girls having lower cortisol. Moderating effects of contextual variables (e.g., family functioning, delinquent peers) were noted for cortisol and adrenal androgens. Findings argue for considering hormones as an influence on DBD beyond simple direct one-to one associations.
Journal of Child and Family Studies, 2011
Variations in adrenal and gonadal hormone profiles have been linked to increased rates of oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) and conduct disorder (CD). These relationships suggest that certain hormone profiles may be related to how well children respond to psychological treatments for ODD and CD. The current study assessed whether pre-treatment profiles of adrenal and gonadal hormones predicted response to psychological treatment of ODD and CD. One hundred five children, 6-11 years old, participating in a randomized, clinical trial provided samples for cortisol, testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone, and androstenedione. Diagnostic interviews of ODD and CD were administered up to three years post-treatment to track treatment response. Group-based trajectory modeling identified two trajectories of treatment response: 1) a Highresponse trajectory where children demonstrated lower rates of an ODD or CD diagnosis throughout follow-up, and 2) a Low-response trajectory where children demonstrated higher rates of an ODD or CD diagnosis throughout follow-up. Hierarchical logistic regression predicting treatment response demonstrated that children with higher pre-treatment concentrations of testosterone were four times more likely to be in the Low-response trajectory. No other significant relationship existed between pre-treatment hormone profiles and treatment response. These results suggest that higher concentrations of testosterone are related to how well children diagnosed with ODD or CD respond to psychological treatment over the course of three years.
A study of cortisol level as a biological marker in disruptive aggressive behaviour in adolescence
Benha Medical Journal, 2023
Background: Adolescence is usually associated with the teenage years, but its physical, psychological or cultural expressions may begin earlier and end later. Aggression is a behavior whose primary or sole purpose or function is to injure physically or psychologically. Aim and objectives: To demonstrate that high cortisol level in relation with the comorbidity of substance abuse and the duration of abuse in the conduct group. Patients and methods: This study was conducted on 50 aggressive patients with disruptive aggressive behaviors, attending the adolescent outpatient clinic at Alabbassia Mental hospital, who in turn divided into two groups one of conduct disorder and the other of Oppositional Defiant disorder and 25 resembling the control group during the period from March 2019 to February 2020. Results: Patients with conduct disorder showed statistically significant difference between the cortisol level and the comorbidity of substance abuse and the duration of abuse (by years) (P<0.05). While in the ODD group, there was statistically significant difference between the cortisol level and the gender and the age of the adolescent (P<0.05). Conclusion: Cortisol level is higher in the disruptive aggressive adolescents than that of the control group participating in the current study, moreover it was higher in those with conduct than ODD groups. It was demonstrated that high cortisol level in relation with the comorbidity of substance abuse and the duration of abuse in the conduct group.
European Psychiatry, 2009
Aims:Since adulthood antisocial, aggressive and delinquent behaviors often have their onset early in life, investigating the association between biological factors and disruptive behaviors in children and adolescents are important and are emphasized on in the recent years. Baseline cortisol level seems to be a valuable biological marker of individuals with Disruptive Behavior Disorder (DBD). This study examined the effect of parent training on salivary cortisol levels of children with DBD.Methods:Saliva samples were assayed to determine cortisol levels in nineteen clinic-referred children with DBD (aged 8 through 13 years) before and after an eight-session parent training program. Children's disruptive behaviors were assessed by Child Behavior Check List before and after the intervention.Results:Children's salivary cortisol increased significantly after parent training sessions. Children with DBD who had lower basal cortisol levels had more severe disruptive behaviors and a ...
Psychiatry Research, 2011
There is a body of literature demonstrating an association between altered hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis reactivity and aggressive behavior. Aggressive and disruptive behavior also is highly prevalent in children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Findings on HPA-axis reactivity in ADHD, however, are rather inconsistent. Specific temperamental risk factors previously were associated with a specific subtype of severe disruptive behavior. These traits might also be characterized by a distinct neurobiological profile across ADHD and disruptive behavior disorders. In this study we focus on psychopathic traits, notably callous unemotional (CU) traits. The main objective of the present study was to investigate whether two groups of ADHD patients with high or low CU traits differed in cortisol reactivity. Subjects were 36 boys with ADHD and disruptive behavior symptoms aged 8 to 14 years. Salivary cortisol probes were taken before and repeatedly after an experimental standardized stress test. Patients scoring high on CU traits showed a blunted HPA axis reactivity to the experimentally induced stress. Results underscore the need to consider specific personality traits in investigating neurobiological correlates in ADHD with disruptive behavior problems.
The Diurnal Cortisol Cycle in Delinquent Male Adolescents and Normal Controls
Neuropsychopharmacology, 2007
Patterns of low hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) activity have been observed in antisocial groups. As conflicting results have been reported in children and adolescents, the aim of this study was to further investigate HPA activity in antisocial behavior by studying the relationship between the diurnal cortisol cycle, as well as the cortisol awakening response (CAR), and antisocial behavior in male adolescents. The diurnal cortisol cycle and the CAR during the first hour after awakening were compared between 12-to 14-year-old boys who attended a delinquency diversion program (DP), with and without a disruptive behavior disorder (DBD) (respectively DP + ; n ¼ 24 and DPÀ; n ¼ 65), and matched normal controls (NC; n ¼ 32). The DP + group, but not the DPÀ group, showed a significantly slower decrease of cortisol during the diurnal cycle than the NC group. Furthermore, the DP + group had significantly lower cortisol levels in the first hour after awakening as compared with the NC group. The results indicate altered HPA activity in delinquent boys with a DBD. Etiological mechanisms, directions for future research, and clinical implications are discussed.
Biological Psychology, 2013
Although several studies have associated antisocial behavior with decreased cortisol awakening responses (CAR), studies in adolescent samples yielded inconsistent results. In adolescence however, the CAR develops and antisocial behavior is heterogeneous in type and persistence. Therefore this longitudinal study compared persistent aggressive and rule-breaking adolescents to low aggressive and rule-breaking adolescents on the development of the CAR from ages 15 to 17 (N = 390). Persistently high aggressive adolescents showed decreased cortisol levels at awakening consistently over the years ( 2 (1) = 6.655, p = .01) as compared to low aggressive adolescents. No differences between adolescents showing persistent high rule-breaking and low rule-breaking were found. This longitudinal study is the first to show that persistent aggression, but not rule-breaking behavior, is related to neurobiological alterations. Moreover, despite development of the CAR over adolescence, the decrease in cortisol is consistent over time in persistent high aggressive adolescents, which is an important prerequisite for the prediction of persistent aggression.