Testosterone, intelligence and behavior disorders in young boys

Levels of testosterone were compared with behavioral measures among 45 boys aged 5-11 yr, 25 from a psychiatric group with disruptive behavior disorde rs and 20 from a normal control group. The boys provided saliva samples for testosterone assay and were evaluated on cognitive ability, academic achie vement and behavioral symptoms. Testosterone levels were higher in the psyc hiatric than the normal group. but only among older boys, aged 9-11. In the overall sample; testosterone was associated with withdrawal and aggression (especially among older boys) and low social involvement in activities (es pecially among younger boys). After controlling for intelligence, testoster one accounted for 16% of the variance in aggression and 36% of the variance in social withdrawal. Testosterone was not directly related to cognitive a bility, but boys with less cognitive ability appeared more adversely affect ed by high testosterone levels. Findings suggest testosterone may be a usef ul biological marker for children at risk for disruptive behavior disorders . Whether girls would show similar relations, and whether testosterone leve ls in young children predict later development and behavior, remains to be determined, (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.