TY - JOUR PY - 2005// TI - Salivary cortisol and aggression in a population-based longitudinal study of adolescent males JO - Journal of neural transmission A1 - van Bokhoven, I. A1 - Van Goozen, S. H. M. A1 - Van Engeland, H. A1 - Schaal, B. A1 - Arseneault, L. A1 - Séguin, J. R. A1 - Nagin, D. S. A1 - Vitaro, F. A1 - Tremblay, R. E. SP - 1083 EP - 1096 VL - 112 IS - 8 N2 - Chronic antisocial behaviour in youth has been associated with cortisol, a measure of stress reactivity. However, some studies have found low cortisol levels, while others have found elevated cortisol levels. The present study compared variously defined aggressive subgroups for differences in salivary cortisol. A population-based sample of boys was followed longitudinally from childhood to adolescence. Assessments of different forms of antisocial behaviour were obtained from various informants at several points in time, and cortisol was collected at age 13. Higher cortisol levels were found in boys with conduct disorder (CD) than in boys without CD. In addition, boys with an aggressive form of CD had higher cortisol levels than boys who showed a covert form of CD. Furthermore, reactive aggression was strongly correlated with elevated cortisol. Adolescent boys with chronic reactive aggression and those who scored high on aggressive CD symptoms seem to have a more active hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal system.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 0300-9564 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00702-004-0253-5 ID - ref1 ER -