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LONDON: Low level of stress hormone
may trigger antisocial behaviour in male adolescents, a new study in Britain
shows.
The stress hormone, called cortisol, usually increases when
people undergo a stressful experience, such as public speaking, sitting for an
exam, or having surgery.
It enhances memory formation and is thought
to make people behave more cautiously and to help them regulate their emotions,
particularly their temper and violent impulses.
The University of
Cambridge team led by Graeme Fairchild and Ian Goodyer collected samples of
saliva over several days from a group of young men recruited for the study.
The samples were collected from them in a non-stressful environment
to measure levels of the hormone under resting conditions.
The young
men then took part in a stressful experiment that was designed to induce
frustration.
Samples of saliva were taken immediately before, during
and after the experiment to track how cortisol changed during stress.
While the average adolescents showed large increases in the amount
of cortisol during the frustrating situation, cortisol levels actually went down
in those with severe antisocial behaviour, reported science portal Science
Daily.
The results of the study suggest that antisocial behaviour
may be more biologically-based than previously considered, just as some
individuals are more vulnerable to depression or anxiety due to their biological
make-up.
This entry was posted
on Wednesday, October 29th, 2008 at 10:58 am and is filed under News.
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