Urinary catecholamines, stress, and psychopathy: a study of arrested men awaiting trial.
The urinary excretion of adrenaline (A) and noradrenaline (NA) in a group of 24 arrested men was measured in three experimental sessions: 2 weeks, 1 week, and immediately before trial. The first session was assumed to represent a moderate laboratory stress due to the novelty of the situation and the last session a real life stress, associated with anticipation of appearing in court. Both are superimposed on the sustained real life stress of being in jail. There was no significant increase in A or NA in the last, presumedly the most stressful session. However, when personality measures were taken into account, there were significant and consistent differences in the pattern of A and NA excretion over the sessions between subgroups of subjects. Subjects high in psychopathy did not react with an increase in either A or NA in the last, presumedly the most stressful session. They also had conspicuously lower NA excretion, as compared to subjects low in psychopathy and relative to their own A excretion. Subjects low in psychopathy showed a reversed pattern.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000987:Antisocial Personality Disorder / Q000652:urine*; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000652:urine*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000652:urine*; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011329:Prisoners; D011581:Psychological Tests; D013315:Stress, Psychological
D009638:Norepinephrine; D004837:Epinephrine