It appears that your browser may be outdated and performance may be limited. The My Study builder is best viewed with the latest internet browsers. However, if you’d prefer to use our standard form, you can access it below.

Go to Internet Explorer Quick Quote Form

Dismiss this message

Salivary Bioscience News

Salivary DHEA-Cortisol Ratio Associations with Parental Maltreatment and Juvenile Incarcerated Male Psychopathy

Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and its ratio to cortisol moderate associations between maltreatment and psychopathology in male juvenile offenders

Author: Kimonis ER, et al. (2019), Psychoneuroendocrinology.

ABSTRACT
This study examined whether DHEA and its ratio to cortisol moderated risk for psychopathology among incarcerated youth exposed to childhood maltreatment. Resistance to stress-related psychopathology under adversity was also examined in relation to callous-unemotional (CU) traits, a personality construct characterized by resistance to pathological anxiety and blunted reactivity to threatening stimuli. Participants were 201 ethnically heterogeneous (41.8% White, 35.3% Black, 17.2% Hispanic) adolescent boys (M age = 16.75, SD = 1.15 years) incarcerated in a juvenile detention facility in the South Eastern United States who provided four afternoon saliva samples (later assayed for DHEA and cortisol) and completed self-report questionnaires. Results indicated that childhood maltreatment was associated with greater internalizing problems at lower DHEA concentrations and at higher cortisol-to-DHEA ratios. Conversely, higher DHEA levels and lower cortisol-to-DHEA ratios were associated with greater CU traits, irrespective of maltreatment exposure. CU traits did not attenuate levels of psychopathology in maltreated youth. Findings inform biosocial models of how exposure to parental maltreatment in early life contributes to risk and resilience through mechanisms associated with adaptive environmentally sensitive biological systems and processes.

View Abstract

Keywords: Dehydroepiandrosterone, Cortisol-to-DHEA ratio, Anxiety, Depression, Callous-unemotional traits, Psychopathy.

*Note: Salimetrics provides this information for research use only (RUO). Information is not provided to promote off-label use of medical devices. Please consult the full-text article.

WordPress Cookie Plugin by Real Cookie Banner
Contact: Salimetrics (USA)
View All International Distributors

Test Your DBS samples with Salimetrics!

Experts in Saliva & Dried Blood Spot Testing for Research

The best science for your study

Learn More

OR CALL 800.790.2258

X
Collaboratory