Psychosocial stress increases testosterone in patients with borderline personality disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and healthy participants.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The gonadal hormone testosterone not only regulates sexual behavior but is also involved in social behavior and cognition in both sexes. Changes in testosterone secretion in response to stress have been reported. In addition, stress associated mental disorders such as borderline personality disorder (BPD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are characterized by alterations in basal testosterone metabolism. However, testosterone changes to stress have not been investigated in mental disorders such as BPD and PTSD so far.

Methods

In the study described, we investigated testosterone reactivity to an acute psychosocial stressor, the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). Our sample consisted of young adult women with BPD (n = 28), PTSD (n = 22) or both disorders (n = 2

SUBMITTER: Deuter CE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7849084 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature