VU University Medical Center, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, PO Box 303, 1115 ZG Duivendrecht, The Netherlands.
Biol Psychol. 2013 Apr;93(1):132-7. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2013.01.002. Epub 2013 Jan 21.
Although several studies have associated antisocial behavior with decreased cortisol awakening responses (CAR), studies in adolescent samples yielded inconsistent results. In adolescence however, the CAR develops and antisocial behavior is heterogeneous in type and persistence. Therefore this longitudinal study compared persistent aggressive and rule-breaking adolescents to low aggressive and rule-breaking adolescents on the development of the CAR from ages 15 to 17 (N=390). Persistently high aggressive adolescents showed decreased cortisol levels at awakening consistently over the years (Δχ(2)(1)=6.655, p=.01) as compared to low aggressive adolescents. No differences between adolescents showing persistent high rule-breaking and low rule-breaking were found. This longitudinal study is the first to show that persistent aggression, but not rule-breaking behavior, is related to neurobiological alterations. Moreover, despite development of the CAR over adolescence, the decrease in cortisol is consistent over time in persistent high aggressive adolescents, which is an important prerequisite for the prediction of persistent aggression.
尽管有几项研究表明反社会行为与皮质醇觉醒反应（CAR）降低有关，但青少年样本的研究结果却不一致。然而，在青少年时期，CAR 会发展，反社会行为在类型和持续性上也存在异质性。因此，这项纵向研究比较了持续表现出攻击性和违反规则行为的青少年与低攻击性和低违反规则行为的青少年在 15 至 17 岁期间 CAR 的发展情况（N=390）。与低攻击性青少年相比，持续表现出高攻击性的青少年在多年来的觉醒时皮质醇水平持续下降（Δχ(2)(1)=6.655，p=.01）。没有发现表现出持续高违规行为和低违规行为的青少年之间存在差异。这项纵向研究首次表明，持续的攻击性，而不是违规行为，与神经生物学改变有关。此外，尽管 CAR 在青少年时期发展，但持续表现出高攻击性的青少年的皮质醇水平下降在时间上是一致的，这是预测持续性攻击的重要前提。
