Dissertation Seminar: Andrea Glenn

Andrea Glenn
Friday, February 25 at 10:00 am
B35, Solomon Labs

Title: Cortisol, Testosterone, and Alpha-Amylase in Psychopathy

A recently developed theory suggests that imbalances in hormone systems
may contribute to psychopathy (van Honk & Schutter, 2006). Researchers
have begun to emphasize the interconnectedness of hormone systems, and
recommend examining multiple systems simultaneously in order to examine
potential interactions. Very few studies have examined the role of
hormones in psychopathy and results have been mixed, possibly due to the
examination of only one hormone at a time. In a sample of 178 adults
from the community demonstrating a wide
range of psychopathy scores, I examine the relationship between
psychopathy and two hormones and one enzyme that have been theoretically
linked to psychopathy – cortisol, testosterone, and alpha-amylase. In
Section 1, I focus on cortisol and testosterone – the end products of
two hormonal axes that work together to maintain an appropriate balance
between withdrawing in the presence of fearful or threatening stimuli,
and approaching in the presence of reward – the
hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the
hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis. Psychopathy is associated
with an apparent imbalance in these processes, as it is characterized by
reduced fearfulness, insensitivity to punishment, reward-seeking, and
aggression (Hare, 2003). Psychopathy was not associated with cortisol or
testosterone meausres individually, but was associated with the ratio
between testosterone and cortisol reactivity to a social stressor. In
Section 2, I focus on cortisol and alpha- amylase – indicators of the
two primary components of the stress response system – the HPA axis and
the sympathetic nervous system. Researchers have hypothesized that
deficits in this system contribute to the fearlessness and insensitivity
to punishment observed in psychopathy, but the relative contribution of
the two components, or how they may interact, has not been explored.
Psychopathy was not associated with cortisol or alpha-amylase measures
individually. However, an interaction was observed indicating that at
high levels of alpha-amylase, cortisol was negatively associated with
psychopathy. Overall, these results support the hypothesis that
psychopathy is associated with an altered balance between highly
interconnected hormone systems, and emphasize the importance of
examining multiple systems simultaneously.