HPA Axis Function in Adolescent Antisocial Females

描述（由申请人提供）：最近的数据表明，少女的青少年反社会行为是一个普遍的问题，正在增加，很难治疗。这种行为也是社会代价高昂的高犯罪率，青少年怀孕，性传播疾病，药物滥用，和不良的成人适应。反社会的母亲也比任何其他类型的父母，包括反社会的父亲，产生反社会的儿子的比例更高。关于女性青少年反社会行为的生物学方面的研究实际上是不存在的。研究应激反应系统的下丘脑-垂体-肾上腺（HPA）轴部分可能特别有用，因为：1）这样的数据可以提供对女性反社会行为的原因的洞察; 2）HPA轴数据可以揭示母亲和儿子之间的反社会行为的代际传递; HPA轴功能的持续减弱可能与成年后反社会行为的持续表现有关。如果是这样的话，HPA轴功能的措施可能是有用的，结合其他变量，以确定哪些青少年处于不良后果的风险，并可能需要更密集的治疗。根据PI和研究小组其他成员先前对反社会女孩皮质醇水平的两项研究结果，似乎HPA轴功能在这一人群中可能会减弱。然而，早晨基础皮质醇水平的差异不足以回答上述关于HPA轴功能在女性反社会中的作用的问题。因此，本研究对90名15-16岁的行为障碍（CD）少女和90名非CD少女（NCD）进行了研究。（45名无任何精神病; 45名有精神病）有两个主要目标：与NCD女孩相比，描述青少年反社会女孩HPA轴的功能，并确定HPA轴异常是否与12岁以上反社会症状的持续存在相关。月期间。我们假设CD女孩的HPA轴功能减弱，持续的反社会行为将与基线和12个月时HPA轴活性降低相关。本文描述的方案将使我们能够确定与NCD女孩相比，这些女孩的HPA轴功能是否实际上减少，这是否是一种持续的异常，以及这些差异是否在预测反社会行为的持续方面具有任何价值。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Recent data suggest that adolescent antisocial behavior in girls is a prevalent problem that is increasing and is difficult to treat. Such behavior is also costly to society with high rates of delinquency, adolescent pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases, substance abuse, and poor adult adjustment. Antisocial mothers also produce antisocial sons at a higher rate than any other type of parent, including antisocial fathers. Research on the biological aspects of female adolescent sociopathy is virtually non-existent. Studying the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis portion of the stress response system may be particularly useful because: 1) such data could provide insight into the cause of female sociopathy; 2) HPA axis data may shed light on the intergenerational transmission of antisocial behavior between mothers and sons; and 3) persistently blunted HPA axis function may be associated with continued manifestation of antisocial behavior in adulthood. If so, measures of HPA axis function may be useful in conjunction with other variables to identify which teens are at risk for poor outcomes and may require more intensive treatment. Based on the results of two prior studies of cortisol levels in antisocial girls done by the PI and other members of the research team, it appears that HPA axis function may be diminished in this population. However, differences in morning basal cortisol levels are insufficient for answering the questions described above about the role of HPA axis function in female sociopathy. Thus, this study of 90 15-16 year old adolescent girls with Conduct Disorder (CD) and 90 girls without CD (NCD) (45 without any psychiatric disorder; 45 with psychiatric illness) has two main aims: to characterize the function of the HPA axis in adolescent antisocial girls compared to NCD girls and to determine if HPA axis abnormalities are associated with persistence of antisocial symptoms over a 12-month period. We hypothesize that HPA axis function is blunted in girls with CD and that continued antisocial behavior will be associated with lower HPA axis activity at baseline and 12 months. The protocol described herein will enable us to determine if HPA axis function is actually diminished in these girls compared to NCD girls, whether this is a persistent abnormality, and if these differences have any value in predicting continuation of antisocial behavior.