Salivary testosterone diurnal variation and psychopathology in adolescent males and females: Individual differences and developmental effects

Abstract

Individual differences in salivary testosterone were examined in 213 adolescents (106 boys, 107 girls; mean age = 13.66 years) in relation to externalizing and internalizing psychopathology. Self- and parent-report measures of behavior problems and psychiatric symptoms were obtained. Latent anxiety–depression, disruptive behavior, and attention problem constructs were developed using multitrait, multimethod procedures. Saliva samples were collected in the morning, midday, and late afternoon on multiple days and were later assayed for testosterone. Latent constructs were derived for testosterone level and diurnal variation across the six sampling occasions. Structural equations modeled relationships between problem behavior and intra- and interindividual differences in testosterone separately by gender. For boys, lower levels of testosterone and testosterone levels that decreased more slowly across the day were related to higher levels of anxiety–depression and attention problems. These associations were not moderated by pubertal development. For girls, steep declines in testosterone production across the day related to higher levels of disruptive behavior problems, but this association was only evident after including pubertal development as a moderator in the model. These findings raise novel questions regarding the nature and magnitude of links between testosterone and problem behavior in youth.

Liquid Chromatography-tandem Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) Assay for Simultaneous Measurement of Salivary Testosterone and Cortisol in Healthy Men for Utilization in the Diagnosis of Late-onset Hypogonadism in Males

“…tern of change is similar to that in serum [27]. Salivary F shows marked diurnal changes, also demonstrated for blood F. Values determined between 6:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. differ markedly (5 to 7-fold).…”

“…the measurement of t, F, and various steroid hormones is utilized in research fields such as sports medicine, clinical psychology, and pediatric clinic [6,16,17,21,27]. However, values markedly differ among investigators.…”

“…However, values markedly differ among investigators. For example, Granger et al reported the female saliva level of t ranged from 2 to 10 pg/ mL [27]; while, Kivlighan et al indicated the level ranged from 100 to 250 pg/mL [28]. The difference was possibly due to limitations of the measurement method and sample management [29][30][31].…”

“…LOH in males can cause a variety of symptoms and the differential diagnosis includes psychological disorders, stress, and mood disturbances [33][34][35][36]. Saliva T diurnal variation vary according to the patients' psychological disorders [27]. Moreover, saliva hormones facilitate accurate evaluation of fine physiological changes, which can be detected by diurnal patterns and age-related declines in the serum hormone, because multiple specimens can be obtained from the same individual at the optimum times for evaluation of hormone status.…”

Androgen dynamics in the context of children's peer relations: an examination of the links between testosterone and peer victimization

“…However, boys' testosterone levels only exceeded those of girls when the interaction between sex and experience with victimization was controlled statistically, highlighting the fact that testosterone-behavior relationships are dynamic and thus require analytic techniques that model their association beyond simple linear effects. Indeed, recent studies are increasingly pointing to the need to consider factors that moderate the testosteronebehavior relationship, in particular the role of sex [see Granger et al, 2003;Updegraff et al, 2006].…”