女孩行为障碍与应急激素有关
http://www.100md.com
2001年3月23日
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Teenage girls who have behavioral problems--such as acting aggressive and skipping school--have lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol than their peers, a new study has found.
The study, published in the March issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, is the first to look at levels of cortisol in girls with conduct disorder, a set of behavioral problems including destructive and aggressive behavior, acting out, and lying and stealing.
However, lead author Dr. Kathleen Pajer of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in Pennsylvania told Reuters Health the study does not show whether low levels of cortisol are a cause or a result of conduct disorder, and it also does not point toward treatment strategies for the condition.
Cortisol is a stress hormone released by the adrenal glands as part of the ``fight or flight'' response, Pajer explained. Past studies have shown that violent males have lower cortisol levels than nonviolent males, leading the researchers to investigate the hormone as a factor in conduct disorder in girls.
Conduct disorder is common among adolescent girls, affecting as many as 1 in 10 girls aged 15 to 17, Pajer and her colleagues note. The disorder carries risks for the girls themselves and for society.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, ``most children or adolescents with conduct disorder are probably reacting to events and situations in their lives. More research is needed to determine if biology is a factor in conduct disorder.''
Pajer's team compared 47 teenage girls with conduct disorder to a group of 37 teens without the disorder. The girls with conduct disorder had significantly lower cortisol levels in their blood than the other girls did, the report indicates.
To find out whether low cortisol levels cause conduct disorder or vice versa, ``you would need to do a prospective study examining cortisol levels in infancy and then follow the kids,'' Pajer told Reuters Health.
``Low cortisol is not only associated with conduct disorder, but is found in some people who have been traumatized and in patients with some autoimmune disorders,'' she added.
SOURCE: Archives of General Psychiatry 2001;58:297-302., http://www.100md.com
The study, published in the March issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, is the first to look at levels of cortisol in girls with conduct disorder, a set of behavioral problems including destructive and aggressive behavior, acting out, and lying and stealing.
However, lead author Dr. Kathleen Pajer of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine in Pennsylvania told Reuters Health the study does not show whether low levels of cortisol are a cause or a result of conduct disorder, and it also does not point toward treatment strategies for the condition.
Cortisol is a stress hormone released by the adrenal glands as part of the ``fight or flight'' response, Pajer explained. Past studies have shown that violent males have lower cortisol levels than nonviolent males, leading the researchers to investigate the hormone as a factor in conduct disorder in girls.
Conduct disorder is common among adolescent girls, affecting as many as 1 in 10 girls aged 15 to 17, Pajer and her colleagues note. The disorder carries risks for the girls themselves and for society.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, ``most children or adolescents with conduct disorder are probably reacting to events and situations in their lives. More research is needed to determine if biology is a factor in conduct disorder.''
Pajer's team compared 47 teenage girls with conduct disorder to a group of 37 teens without the disorder. The girls with conduct disorder had significantly lower cortisol levels in their blood than the other girls did, the report indicates.
To find out whether low cortisol levels cause conduct disorder or vice versa, ``you would need to do a prospective study examining cortisol levels in infancy and then follow the kids,'' Pajer told Reuters Health.
``Low cortisol is not only associated with conduct disorder, but is found in some people who have been traumatized and in patients with some autoimmune disorders,'' she added.
SOURCE: Archives of General Psychiatry 2001;58:297-302., http://www.100md.com