Endocrine correlates of psychopathic traits in children: a multi-system approach

描述(由申请人提供)：有精神病态特征的儿童代表了一个独特的反社会青年群体，他们从事更严重和更频繁的反社会行为。最近发展的一个理论框架表明，精神变态特征可能是由于调节对惩罚和奖励敏感的两个主要激素系统的不平衡造成的，导致无畏、对惩罚不敏感、追求奖励和攻击性。这项拟议的研究将首次在患有精神病的儿童中测试这一概念框架。由于所涉及的激素系统是高度相互关联和相互对抗的，这项研究将同时评估来自多个系统的激素，包括下丘脑-垂体-肾上腺轴、交感神经系统和性腺系统，以更全面地了解这些系统如何共同作用来产生精神变态特征。这项研究的具体目的是评估儿童精神病与(1)静息激素水平，(2)激素对应激源的反应，以及(3)不同激素系统之间的相互作用之间的关系。最终目的是评估精神变态的特定特征对激素水平的影响。在11岁的参与者样本中(115名男性，115名女性)，皮质醇、睾酮、α-淀粉酶和脱氢表雄酮的荷尔蒙将在休息时和在涉及社会和不可控制的方面的应激源之后的时间点进行评估。儿童精神变态特征将使用反社会过程筛查设备，相关性进行评估。近十年的研究结果表明，儿童的心理变态特征预示着比其他已知预测因素和分类方法更严重、更普遍和更稳定的行为问题(Kotler&McMahon，2005)。成人精神病存在于大约15%-20%的罪犯中，并且是暴力累犯的最强预测因素之一(斯基林等人，2002年)。与其他反社会青年相比，具有精神病态特征的儿童更难接受治疗方法。对荷尔蒙的研究可能会为治疗打开新的大门。如果发现荷尔蒙系统存在异常，有可能通过荷尔蒙调节恢复适当的平衡。这种生物干预可能是提高具有精神病特征的儿童的反应性的关键一步，从而使以前失败的其他形式的治疗可能开始产生效果。通过在相对年轻的年龄组中研究这些特征，我们可能能够及早干预，届时这群潜在的慢性、严重违规者可能更容易受到干预。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Children with psychopathic traits represent a distinct group of antisocial youth who engage in more severe and frequent antisocial behavior. A recently developed theoretical framework suggests that psychopathic traits may result from an imbalance in two overarching hormone systems that regulate sensitivity to punishment and reward, leading to fearlessness, insensitivity to punishment, reward-seeking, and aggression. The proposed study will be the first to test this conceptual framework in children with psychopathy. Because the hormone systems involved are highly interconnected and mutually antagonistic, the study will simultaneously assess hormones from multiple systems, including the hypothalamic-pituitary- adrenal axis, sympathetic nervous system, and gonadal system to gain a more complete understanding of how these systems may work together to produce psychopathic traits. The specific aims of the study are to assess the relationship between childhood psychopathy and (1) resting hormone levels, (2) hormone reactivity to a stressor, and (3) interactions between different hormone systems. A final aim is to assess the effect of specific features of psychopathy on hormone levels. In a sample of 11-year-old participants (115 male, 115 female), the hormones Cortisol, testosterone, alpha-amylase, and DHEA will be assessed at rest and time points following a stressor involving social and uncontrollable aspects. Childhood psychopathic traits will be assessed using the Antisocial Process Screening Device, RELEVANCE. Results from approximately a decade of research suggest that childhood psychopathic traits predict more severe, pervasive, and stable constellations of conduct problems above and beyond other known predictors and classification approaches (Kotler & McMahon, 2005). Adult psychopathy is present in approximately 15-20% of criminal offenders and is one of the strongest predictors of violent recidivism (Skilling et al., 2002). Children with psychopathic traits are more resistant to treatment approaches than other antisocial youth. The study of hormones may open doors to new possibilities for treatment. If abnormalities in hormone systems are found to exist, it may be possible to restore a proper balance via hormone manipulations. Such a biological intervention is potentially a key step in improving the responsivity of children with psychopathic traits so that other forms of treatment that have previously failed may begin to have efficacy. By studying these traits in a relatively young age group, we may be able to intervene early, when this group of potentially chronic, severe offenders may be more amenable to intervention.