Increased adrenal androgen functioning in children with oppositional defiant disorder: a comparison with psychiatric and normal controls.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the relationship between adrenal androgens and aggression in children with oppositional and antisocial behavior and to compare their levels with those of psychiatric and normal controls.


METHODS
Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) was measured in 24 children with oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), 42 psychiatric controls (including 20 children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder [ADHD]), and 30 normal controls. The children's parents filled out the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL).


RESULTS
Children with ODD had higher DHEAS levels than either the psychiatric control or normal control groups; DHEAS levels of the latter groups did not differ. Moreover, it was possible to classify children as having either ODD or ADHD on the basis of their DHEAS levels, whereas this was not the case on the basis of the CBCL data.


CONCLUSIONS
The results indicate that adrenal androgen functioning is specifically elevated in children with ODD. It is speculated that the mechanism could be a shift in balance of ACTH-beta-endorphin functioning in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis due to early stress or genetic factors.
van Goozen
S H
SH
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Utrecht University Medical Centre, The Netherlands. S.H.M.vangoozen@psych.azu.nl
van den Ban
E
E
Matthys
W
W
Cohen-Kettenis
P T
PT
Thijssen
J H
JH
van Engeland
H
H
D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000378:metabolism*; D000374:Aggression; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000728:Androgens / Q000378:metabolism*; D019958:Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D019955:Conduct Disorder / Q000150:complications; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
D000728:Androgens; D019314:Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate