title: Salivary oxytocin in adolescents with conduct problems and callous-unemotional traits.
abstract: Callous-unemotional (CU) traits correlate with the severity and prognosis of conduct disorder in youth. The neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) has been linked to prosocial behaviors, including empathy and collaboration with others. This study discusses a possible role for OT in the biology of delinquent behavior. We hypothesized that in delinquent youth OT secretion will correlate with the severity of conduct problems and specifically with the level of CU traits. The study group included 67 male adolescents (mean age 16.2 years) undergoing residential treatment, previously assessed by an open clinical interview and history for the psychiatric diagnosis. Staff based Inventory of Callous-Unemotional traits for psychopathy and Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire were administered, and patients' medical and social personal files were systematically coded for previous history of antisocial acts using the Brown-Goodwin Questionnaire. Salivary OT was assayed by ELISA. Salivary OT levels were inversely correlated with conduct problems severity on Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (r = -0.27; p ≤ 0.01). Recorded history of antisocial acts did not correlate with current OT levels. Odds ratio (OR) for significant CU traits among subjects with conduct problems was increased in low-OT (OR = 14, p ≤ 0.05) but not in high-OT subjects (OR = 6, p ≥ 0.05). Children with conduct problems and low levels of salivary OT are at risk for significant CU traits. These results suggest a possible role for salivary OT as a biomarker for CU traits and conduct problems severity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Shalvata Mental Health Center, 45100, Hod Hasharon, Israel. tomering@gmail.com.|Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, 69978, Tel Aviv, Israel. tomering@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Tomer
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Levy
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Shalvata Mental Health Center, 45100, Hod Hasharon, Israel.|Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, 69978, Tel Aviv, Israel.
authors.forename: Yuval
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bloch
authors.affiliation: Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, 69978, Tel Aviv, Israel.|The Jesse Z and Sara Lea Shafer Institute of Endocrinology and Diabetes National Center for Childhood Diabetes; Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel, 49202, Petach Tikva, Israel.|Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel, 49202, Petach Tikva, Israel.
authors.forename: Meytal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bar-Maisels
authors.affiliation: Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, 69978, Tel Aviv, Israel.|The Jesse Z and Sara Lea Shafer Institute of Endocrinology and Diabetes National Center for Childhood Diabetes; Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel, 49202, Petach Tikva, Israel.|Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel, 49202, Petach Tikva, Israel.|Laboratory of Molecular Endocrinology and Diabetes, Felsenstein Medical Research Center, 49100, Petach Tikva, Israel.|Feinberg Child Study Center, Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel, 49202, Petach Tikva, Israel.
authors.forename: Galia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gat-Yablonski
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology and The Gonda Brain Sciences Center, Bar-Ilan University, 52900, Ramat-Gan, Israel.
authors.forename: Amir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Djalovski
authors.affiliation: Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences, Lehman College, The City University of New York, New York, NY, 10468, USA.
authors.forename: Katy
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Borodkin
authors.affiliation: Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, 69978, Tel Aviv, Israel.|Feinberg Child Study Center, Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel, 49202, Petach Tikva, Israel.
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Apter
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000987:Antisocial Personality Disorder / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D019955:Conduct Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010120:Oxytocics / Q000737:chemistry*; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D010120:Oxytocics; D010121:Oxytocin
keywords: Callous-Unemotional traits, adolescents; Conduct Disorder; Oxytocin; Psychopathy