Relationships between weekly changes in salivary hormonal responses and load measures during the pre-season phase in professional male basketball players.

The aim of this study was to assess the relationships between weekly changes in external and internal load considered separately and jointly and salivary hormonal responses during the pre-season phase in professional male basketball players. Twenty-one professional male basketball players (mean ± standard deviation, age: 26.2 ± 4.9 years; height: 198.7 ± 6.7 cm; body mass: 93.2 ± 10.0 kg) were assessed during 5 weeks of the pre-season phase. External load was measured using microsensors and reported as PlayerLoad (PL) and PL/ min. Internal load was calculated using the session rating of perceived exertion scale (sRPE-load), summated heart rate zones (SHRZ) and percentage of maximal heart rate (%HRmax). Salivary hormone responses were monitored weekly by measuring testosterone (T), cortisol (C), and their ratio (T:C). The relationships between weekly changes in load measures considered separately and jointly and hormonal responses were assessed using linear mixed model analysis. No significant (p > 0.05) relationships were evident between weekly changes in T, C or T:C with external and internal load measures considered separately (R2-conditional = < 0.001-0.027) or jointly (R2-conditional = 0.028-0.075). Factors other than measured loads might be responsible for weekly changes in hormonal responses and therefore external and internal load measures cannot be used to anticipate weekly hormonal responses during the pre-season phase in professional basketball players.

Effects of Eurycoma longifolia Jack supplementation on eccentric leg press exercise-induced muscle damage in rugby players.

Eurycoma longifolia Jack (ELJ) is a herbal plant that has androgenic and antioxidant effects. We investigated the short-term effect of ELJ supplementation on muscle damage induced by eccentric exercise. Eighteen young (19-25 years), well-trained rugby 7s players were assigned to an ELJ or a placebo (PLA) group (n = 9/group). Each participant took four 100-mg capsules a day for seven days prior to performing a leg press eccentric exercise to failure in a double-blind fashion. Peak force, peak power and jump height in countermovement jump (CMJ), drop jump reactive strength index (RSI), muscle soreness assessed by a 100-mm visual analogue scale, plasma creatine kinase (CK) activity, and salivary hormones were measured at 24 h before and 0.5, 24, 48, 72, and 96 h after the exercise. Changes in the variables over time were compared between the groups by two-factor mixed-design ANOVA. The number of eccentric contractions performed was similar (P = 0.984) between the ELJ (21 ± 5) and PLA groups (21 ± 5). Salivary testosterone and cortisol concentrations did not change (P > 0.05) after the supplementation for both groups. CMJ peak power (-9.4 ± 5.6%) and height (-10.6 ± 4.9%), and RSI (-15.2 ± 16.2%) decreased at 24 h after exercise (P < 0.05), and muscle soreness (peak: 89 ±10 mm) and plasma CK activity (peak: 739 ± 420 IU/L) increased after exercise (P < 0.05) without significant differences between groups. These results showed that 7-day ELJ supplementation prior to the leg press eccentric exercise had no significant effects on hormones, performance and muscle damage markers for the athletes.

Gay men's stress response to a general and a specific social stressor.

Gay men show altered psychobiological stress responses and exhibit a higher prevalence of mental disorders than their heterosexual counterparts. Both of these findings are likely due to gay-specific discrimination. Since it has not yet been determined whether gay-specific stress is more noxious than general stress, we tested whether gay men react more strongly to gay-specific socially stressful stimuli than to general socially stressful stimuli. N = 33 self-identified gay men (mean = 26.12 years of age, SD = 5.89), 63.6% of whom were in a relationship with a man, participated in an experimental within-group study, in which they were exposed to the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) as well as a gay-specific TSST in a randomized order. Salivary cortisol and testosterone were assessed at five time points during the laboratory tests and perceived stress was assessed at four time points. According to psychobiological and perceived stress indices, the participants reacted similarly to a gay-specific and general social stressor. There were no significant differences in the outcomes, either when looking at pre-post-test differences or when comparing the overall stress responses. Given that the response to a gay-specific social stressor was equally pronounced as the one to a general social stressor, programs aiming to decrease minority stress but overlooking general stress are likely to yield only partial improvements in gay men's mental health. Instead, we suggest helping gay men cope with both forms of stress through building social support, assertiveness, and mindfulness skills, as well as decreasing emotional dysregulation.

Measurement of salivary testosterone in adolescents and young men with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

BACKGROUND: Many young adults with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) receive long-term glucocorticoids (GC). GC can cause hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism and adolescents may therefore be candidates for pubertal induction. It is unclear whether men with DMD on or off GC have age-appropriate endogenous testosterone production. METHODS: We undertook a quality improvement project to assess the feasibility of measuring salivary testosterone (SalT) levels in men with DMD at home. A Sal-T sampling kit was sent by post to all patients with DMD, aged 17 and older, registered at the John Walton Muscular Centre in Newcastle (n = 75). Submitted Sal-T samples were collected and submitted for analysis. RESULTS: Twenty-eight out of seventy-five patients returned samples (age range: 17-34 years). 6/28 samples were unsuitable for analysis. Overall Sal-T levels (n = 22) were significantly lower than in the healthy population (178 ± 107 v 287 ± 109 pmol/l, p = 0.0001). Sal-T was lower in those on GC compared to those off GC (144 ± 81 versus 218 ± 125 pmol/l, p = 0.05). Three patients were unable to collect a sample due to ventilator dependence. CONCLUSION: Sal T can provide information about androgen status in DMD patients at home, overcoming barriers such as mobility difficulties and challenging venepuncture. However we only obtained samples in a minority of patients suggesting that Sal-T measurement may not be appropriate or acceptable to everyone. There needs to be a more detailed exploration of the barriers to sample submission.

Are Beards Honest Signals of Male Dominance and Testosterone?

The male beard is one of the most visually salient and sexually dimorphic traits and a hypothesized potential marker of other traits, such as dominance, masculinity, social status, and self-confidence. However, as men can easily alter their facial hair, beards may provide unreliable information about the beard owner's characteristics. Here, we examined whether beards are honest signals of biological (testosterone levels) and psychological (self-reported dominance) traits. Young (M = 21.29, SD = 1.54) and healthy men (N = 97) participated in the study. Their beards were measured directly (using digital calipers) and by self-report. Participants provided saliva samples before and after acute exercise (to assess their testosterone and cortisol levels) and reported their dominance on a 5-item scale. The results showed that beard length (directly measured and self-reported) was not related to testosterone levels or dominance; thus, no evidence was found to support the hypothesis that beards are honest (or dishonest) signals of the beard owners' testosterone levels and dominance.

Reliability of salivary cortisol and testosterone to a high-intensity cycling protocol to highlight overtraining.

Athletes physically overload to improve performance. Unbalanced stress/recovery may induce overtraining, which is difficult to diagnosis as no diagnostic marker exists. Hormonal responses to a 55/80 cycle (30-min of alternating blocks of 1-min at 55% and 4-min at 80% maximum work rate) may highlight early-stage overtraining (overreaching), as blunted cortisol and testosterone responses to 55/80 follows intensified training. However, the reliability of hormonal responses to 55/80 when not overreached is unknown. Therefore, reported blunted hormonal responses could be due to inconsistent cortisol and testosterone responses to 55/80. Participants (n = 23) completed three 55/80 bouts, >7 days apart, with no exercise 24 h pre-trials. Pre-exercise urine osmolality and stress questionnaire responses were measured. Pre, post, and 30-min post-exercise saliva samples were collected for cortisol and testosterone assessment. Salivary cortisol and testosterone responses, osmolality and well-being were not different between trials. Salivary cortisol and testosterone elevated from pre- to post-exercise [by 4.2 nmol.L-1 (cortisol) and 307 pmol.L-1 (testosterone)], and 30 min post-exercise [by 160 pmol.L-1 (testosterone) only]. Intraclass correlation coefficients for pre to peak post-exercise cortisol (0.89; good) and testosterone (0.53; moderate) were calculated. This demonstrates that 55/80 induces reliable elevations of salivary cortisol and testosterone when in a healthy state.

Positive Affect Moderates the Relationship Between Salivary Testosterone and a Health Behavior Composite in University Females.

BACKGROUND: Testosterone is released in both men and women and plays an important role in social functioning and motivation. Greater testosterone in women has been associated with negative physical health outcomes, while lower testosterone has been associated with psychological disorders. The following cross-sectional study examined the contribution of salivary testosterone, positive and negative affect, and demographic variables in predicting a composite health behavior score (cigarette use, hours of sleep, fruit/vegetable intake, following an exercise routine). METHOD: The sample (mean age 21.17, SD = 6.13) consisted of 87 female university students asked to complete a demographic and lifestyle behavior questionnaire, the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, and provide a saliva sample. Participants self-identified as Latina (37.9%), European American (32.2%), Asian American (5.7%), African American (4.6%), or Mixed/other (19.5%). Hierarchical regression analyses were used to examine whether positive and negative affect served as a moderator between salivary testosterone and a health behavior composite. RESULTS: Results indicated that positive affect moderated the relationship between salivary testosterone and the composite health behavior score (t = - 2.42, p = .018, Adj. R2 = .21, F (5, 81) = 5.07, p < .001) such that the healthiest behaviors were observed in participants with high positive affect and low salivary testosterone. Findings remained after adjusting for oral contraceptive use, income level, relationship status, and ethnicity. CONCLUSIONS: These results provide a preliminary foundation for future research examining the interplay of neuroendocrine function, psychological factors (i.e., positive affect), and behavior. Further empirical studies can focus on expanding this research in larger, representative samples.

Immune-endocrine responses and physical performance of master athletes during the sports season.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of a training season (approximately 7 months) on physiological and salivary immune-endocrine markers in master athletes. Nine male master athletes were evaluated at the beginning of the season (M1) and a week after the main official competition at the end of the sports season (M2). The controlled variables included Maximal oxygen consumption, anthropometric, physiological, and salivary immune-endocrine markers. Master athletes presented a reduced percentage of fat mass and increased lean body mass at the end of the season. VO2max values were similar at M1 and M2, while the maximal heart rate and lactate were lower at M2. No differences were observed in Immunoglobulin A and cortisol levels between moments, whereas testosterone levels and the testosterone/cortisol ratio were significantly lower at the end of the season. The results suggest that maintaining regular training throughout life has positive effects on body composition and improves physiological fitness. However, care should be taken to avoid fatigue as indicated by lower testosterone levels at the end of the season.

Hair and Salivary Testosterone, Hair Cortisol, and Externalizing Behaviors in Adolescents.

Although testosterone is associated with aggression in the popular imagination, previous research on the links between testosterone and human aggression has been inconsistent. This inconsistency might be because testosterone's effects on aggression depend on other moderators. In a large adolescent sample ( N = 984, of whom 460 provided hair samples), we examined associations between aggression and salivary testosterone, hair testosterone, and hair cortisol. Callous-unemotional traits, parental monitoring, and peer environment were examined as potential moderators of hormone-behavior associations. Salivary testosterone was not associated with aggression. Hair testosterone significantly predicted increased aggression, particularly at low levels of hair cortisol (i.e., Testosterone × Cortisol interaction). This study is the first to examine the relationship between hair hormones and externalizing behaviors and adds to the growing literature that indicates that androgenic effects on human behavior are contingent on aspects of the broader endocrine environment-in particular, levels of cortisol.

Salivary testosterone may not serve as a screening test in the diagnosis of biochemical hyperandrogenism.

AIM: The diagnosis of biochemical hyperandrogenism is still challenging because a set of appropriate, recommended diagnostic tests has not been established. In our study, we aimed to answer the question of whether salivary testosterone is a reliable test to establish the diagnosis of biochemical hyperandrogenism as compared to serum total testosterone (TT) measured either by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) or immunoassay and to assess which set of biochemical tests would be the most appropriate for the identification of biochemical hyperandrogenism. METHODS: A total of 39 women, aged 18-45 years, with clinical or biochemical hyperandrogenism and 41 healthy individuals, aged 19-45 years, were enrolled in the study. Salivary testosterone was measured using the Salimetrics test. Serum TT was measured either using the LC-MS/MS method or immunoassay, and dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEA-S) and androstenedione were measured using LC-MS/MS. RESULTS: In 15 of 17 (88%) patients with elevated serum TT measured by LC-MS/MS and in 14 of 16 (87%) measured with immunoassay, salivary testosterone showed normal levels. In 11 of 39 women (28%) with normal serum testosterone levels, DHEA-S was elevated. All patients with elevated androstenedione presented with an elevated concentration of either serum testosterone or DHEA-S. CONCLUSION: Salivary testosterone measurement may lead to the underdiagnosis of biochemical hyperandrogenism. Both serum testosterone and DHEA-S should be measured in the endocrine work-up toward biochemical hyperandrogenism.

The relationship of salivary testosterone and male sexual dysfunction in opioid-associated androgen deficiency (OPIAD).

BACKGROUND: Opioids are an effective treatment for chronic non-malignant pain (CNP). Long-term use risks and side effects such as opioid-induced androgen deficiency (OPIAD) exist. This could be measured by saliva testosterone (Sal-T). OBJECTIVES: To evaluate OPIAD in long-term opioid use in CNP patients. METHODS: A cross-sectional study included CNP male outpatients under opioid treatment. Total-Testosterone (Total-T), Free-Testosterone (Free-T), Bio-Testosterone (Bio-T) and Sal-T were measured. Correlations were calculated by Spearman's rho (SPSS 20). RESULTS: From 2012 to 2014, 134 from 249 (54%) consecutive male outpatients reported erectile dysfunction (ED), 37% of them related to opioids and 19% evidenced OPIAD. A total of 120 subjects (94 cases and 26 matched-controls) were included. A significantly lower luteinizing hormone, Total-T and Free-T were found, as well as, a significant correlation between Sal-T and Total-T (r = 0.234, p = 0.039), Bio-T (r = 0.241, p = 0.039), IIEF (r = 0.363, p = 0.003) and HAD-anxiety (r = -0.414, p = 0.012) in OPIAD patients. Sal-T levels were significantly lower in patients with severe-moderate ED versus mild ED (p = 0.045) and in patients with severe ED versus moderate-mild ED (p = 0.036). CONCLUSIONS: These data demonstrate the high prevalence of ED in long-term use of opioids, part of this is associated to OPIAD, which can be tested by Sal-T as a non-invasive approach.

Physiological and performance changes in national and international judo athletes during block periodization training.

Block periodization (BP) has been proposed as an alternative approach for application in the context of high-level sports. Despite its growing acceptance, there is no empirical evidence of BP adoption in high-level judo athletes. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the maximal strength, muscle power, judo-specific performances, and hormonal concentration changes of state/national level (NG) and international level (IG) judo athletes subjected to BP. Twenty-one elite judo athletes (international level = 10; 21.7±1.9 years, 167.2±7.6 cm, 67.6±9.4 kg, 15.7±1.9 years of practice; national level = 11; 21.9±3.0 years, 167.5±9.1 cm, 71.8±16.5, 15.9±3.0 years of practice) were subjected to 13-week BP training (5-week accumulation phase [ACP], 5-week transmutation phase [TP], and 3-week realization phase [RP]). The judo-specific performance (SJFT) increased as there was observed a decrease in the SJFT index (final heart rate [HR] (bpm) + HR1 min after the test divided by the number of throws) for both NG (effect size [ES] = 0.83) and IG (ES = 0.53) from ACP to TP (p < 0.05). The row exercise maximal strength decreased (p < 0.05; ES = 1.35) after the ACP but returned to the baseline level after the TP, for the whole group (ES = 1.39). The athletes did seem to cope appropriately with the demands of BP, as besides increases in SJFT performance no significant changes were observed for cortisol and testosterone concentrations. This is the first study to demonstrate that judo athletes from different competitive levels subjected to BP improved SJFT, likely due to an appropriate balance between training loads and recovery. Thus, the BP approach may be a useful alternative periodization strategy for high-level judo athletes.

Salivary hormones and anxiety in winners and losers of an international judo competition.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the responses of salivary hormones and salivary secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA) and anxiety in winners and losers during an international judo competition. Twenty-three trained, male, national-level judo athletes provided three saliva samples during a competition day: morning, in anticipation of competition after an overnight fast, mid-competition, and post-competition within 15 min post-fight for determination of salivary cortisol, salivary testosterone, salivary testosterone/cortisol ratio, SIgA absolute concentrations, SIgA secretion rate and saliva flow rate. The competitive state anxiety inventory questionnaire was completed by the athletes (n = 12) after the first saliva collection for determination of somatic anxiety, cognitive anxiety and self-confidence. Winners were considered 1-3 ranking place (n = 12) and losers (n = 11) below third place in each weight category. Winners presented higher anticipatory salivary cortisol concentrations (p = 0.03) and a lower mid-competition salivary testosterone/cortisol ratio (p = 0.003) compared with losers with no differences for salivary testosterone. Winners tended to have higher SIgA secretion rates (p = 0.07) and higher saliva flow rates (p = 0.009) at mid-competition. Higher levels of cognitive anxiety (p = 0.02) were observed in the winners, without differences according to the outcome in somatic anxiety and self-confidence. The results suggest that winners experienced higher levels of physiological arousal and better psychological preparedness in the morning, and as the competition progressed, the winners were able to control their stress response better.

Association of Maternal and Infant Salivary Testosterone and Cortisol and Infant Gender With Mother-Infant Interaction in Very-Low-Birthweight Infants.

Male very-low-birthweight (VLBW) infants are more prone than females to health and developmental problems and less positive mother-infant interactions. Because gender differences in brain development and social relationships suggest hormonal influences on quality of mother-infant interaction, the authors explored the associations of maternal and infant salivary testosterone and cortisol levels with mother-infant interactions in the sample as a whole and by gender, after controlling for covariates. Data were collected prospectively from 62 mothers and their VLBW infants through infant record review, maternal interview, biochemical measurement of both mothers and infants, and observation of mother-infant interactions at 40 weeks postmenstrual age and at three and six months corrected age. Infants' positive interactions increased and mothers' decreased from three to six months. In generalized estimating equation (GEE) analyses, after controlling for covariates, higher maternal testosterone and infant cortisol were associated with more positive and more frequent maternal interactive behaviors. In GEE analyses by infant gender, after controlling for covariates, effects of maternal and infant hormone levels became more significant, especially on infants' interactive behaviors. Based on these preliminary findings, among VLBW infants, males with high testosterone are expected to have less positive mother-infant interactions than males with low testosterone or female infants.

Hormones, behavior, and social network analysis: exploring associations between cortisol, testosterone, and network structure.

We used a new interdisciplinary paradigm of social network analysis (SNA) to investigate associations between hormones and social network structures. We examine these biobehavioral processes and test hypotheses about how hormones are associated with social network structures using exponential random graph modeling (ERGM) in a cohort of first-year students (n=74; 93% female; M age=27 years) from a highly competitive, accelerated nursing program. Participants completed friendship nominations and as a group simultaneously donated saliva (later assayed for cortisol and testosterone). ERGM analyses revealed that salivary cortisol levels were inversely associated with the number of outgoing ties (i.e., network activity). By contrast, testosterone was not related to friendship network structure. Integration of SNA and salivary bioscience creates a novel approach to understanding hormone-behavior relationships within the context of human social ecologies.

Salivary testosterone changes during oral glucose tolerance tests in overweight and obese men - Postprandial or circadian variation?

BACKGROUND: Serum total testosterone (T) decreases postprandially. Postprandial salivary testosterone (SalT) responses, however, have not been studied. We report on the effect of glucose ingestion on fasting SalT concentrations. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of oral glucose ingestion on fasting SalT. METHODS: Salivary and blood samples were collected between 09.00 and 09.30 and 2 hours after a 75g oral glucose load in 32 men with mean (standard deviation) age of 52 (5.7) years and body mass index of 32.6 (5.56) kg/m2. Free T and bioavailable testosterone (BAT) were calculated using the Vermeulen equation. RESULTS: Two hours following oral glucose, there was a decrease in fasting mean (standard deviation) SalT [178.2 (56.6) versus 146.0 (42.2) pmol/L; P = .0003], serum cortisol [332 (105.0) versus 239 (75.3) nmol/L; P = <0.0001], prolactin [193 (75.0) versus 127 (55.9) mIU/L; P = <0.0001] and TSH [1.60 (0.801) versus 1.16 (0.584) mIU/L; P = <0.0001]. Plasma glucose increased [6.2 (0.72) versus 8.1 (3.71) mmol/L; P = .0029]. Serum total T, SHBG, albumin, Free T, BAT, gonadotrophins and FT4 remained unchanged. CONCLUSIONS: SalT decreased postprandially. A concomitant decrease in serum cortisol, prolactin and TSH reflecting diurnal variation offers an alternative explanation for the decrease in SalT independent of food consumption. Further studies are required to determine whether morning temporal changes in SalT are related to food consumption or circadian rhythm or both.

Association of salivary testosterone levels during the post-awakening period with age and symptoms suggestive of late-onset hypogonadism in men.

BACKGROUND: The lack of association between serum testosterone levels and symptoms suggestive of hypogonadism is a significant barrier in the determination of late-onset hypogonadism (LOH) in men. This study explored whether testosterone levels increase after morning awakening, likewise the cortisol awakening response (CAR) in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, and whether testosterone levels during the post-awakening period are associated with age and symptoms suggestive of late-onset hypogonadism (LOH) in men. METHODS: Testosterone and cortisol levels were determined in saliva samples collected immediately upon awakening and 30 and 60 min after awakening, and scores of the Aging Males' Symptoms (AMS) questionnaire were obtained from 225 healthy adult men. RESULTS: A typical CAR (an increase in cortisol level ≥ 2.5 nmol/L above individual baseline) was observed in 155 participants (the subgroup exhibiting typical CAR). In the subgroup exhibiting CAR, testosterone levels sharply increased during the post-awakening period, showing a significant negative correlation with age, total AMS score, and the scores of 11 items on the somatic, psychological, and sexual AMS subscales. Of these items, three sexual items (AMS items #15-17) were correlated with age. Meanwhile, there was no notable increase in testosterone levels and no significant correlation of testosterone levels with age and AMS score in the subgroup exhibiting no typical CAR (n = 70). CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonad (HPG) axis responds to morning awakening, and determining testosterone levels during the post-awakening period in men with typical CAR may be useful for assessing HPG axis function and LOH.

The present study found that the HPG axis in healthy adult men responds to the morning awakening, characterized by increased salivary testosterone levels after the awakening period.The levels of salivary testosterone during the first hour after awakening are negatively associated with age and the severity of symptoms suggestive of LOH in adult men with typical CAR.

Early life adversity is associated with attenuated testosterone reactivity to acute stress among adolescents.

Understanding how testosterone responds to stress or challenge may be integral to uncovering biological pathways to potentially harmful behaviors like aggression. Yet, studies investigating patterns of testosterone reactivity under stress within adolescent populations are limited. Among those conducted, even fewer have investigated environmental factors which may shape such patterns. Exposure to early life adversity (ELA) has been shown to influence other biological markers of stress reactivity, though how it may be associated with alterations in testosterone reactivity remains underexplored. The current study addresses these gaps by examining salivary testosterone concentrations across the administration of a Trier Social Stress Test for Children in a sample of 87 adolescents (46.4% female, Mage = 13.91 years, SDage = 1.57). The current study tested two central hypotheses: (1) that testosterone would rise in response to a standardized laboratory stressor, and (2) that greater ELA would be associated with higher baseline (or, pre-stress) testosterone scores and a dampened testosterone response to stress. Adolescents in the current sample showed a robust increase in testosterone following administration of the TSST-C, supporting the limited previous findings which indicate testosterone does mount an acute stress response in adolescents. Contrary to hypotheses, ELA was not associated with significant elevations in baseline testosterone scores. However, ELA was associated with dampened testosterone reactivity, even after controlling for important demographic and biological factors. Methodological implications, including considerations for researchers aiming to capture an acute testosterone response, as well as how our understanding of ELA's role in adolescent biological functioning is extended by our findings regarding testosterone, are discussed.

Salivary testosterone and cortisol levels in borderline personality disorder before and after a 12-week group dialectical behavior therapy intervention.

Background: Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a chronic, debilitating, and difficult to treat condition. BPD has recently been linked to steroid hormone dysregulation and medical conditions characterized by disturbed androgen metabolism. This study aimed to investigate cortisol and testosterone levels in BPD, and changes in hormones following psychological treatment. Methods: Participants with BPD (n = 33) completed a 12-week Dialectical Behavior Therapy group program. Pre and post salivary testosterone and cortisol were analyzed. Baseline hormones in the BPD group were compared to age-and-sex matched controls (n = 33). Non-parametric tests were utilized to investigate group differences, pre-post treatment hormone and symptom changes, and associations between symptoms and hormone levels. Results: Participants with BPD had significantly higher testosterone levels than controls. Mean testosterone levels in females with BPD were double that of female controls. Testosterone and cortisol levels were related, and some BPD symptoms were associated with with hormone levels. BPD symptoms reduced significantly with treatment, however pre to post hormone levels did not change. Conclusions: This study supports an association between BPD symptoms and neuroendocrine dysfunction at baseline, however we found no reduction in hormone dysfunction post treatment. Further research into relationships between stress signaling and neuroendocrine disturbances in BPD may inform aetiological and treatment models. Trial registration: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12618000477224. Registered on 3 April 2018.

Associations between salivary testosterone levels and cognitive function among 70-year-old Japanese elderly: A cross-sectional analysis of the SONIC study.

AIM: This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the associations between salivary testosterone concentrations and cognitive function in 70-year-old Japanese elderly people without dementia and stroke. METHODS: Participants were 197 Japanese community-dwelling people aged 69-71 years. Their salivary samples were collected, and their cognitive function was assessed using the Japanese version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-J). Participants were also administered a 10-item recall and a 24-item recognition test. The data for 179 (106 men and 73 women) individuals were analyzed, excluding individuals with a past history of stroke and dementia. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed after adjusting for lifestyle factors and analyzing data separately for men and women. RESULTS: MoCA-J scores showed that men with low testosterone concentrations had a significantly greater risk of low cognitive performance than those with high testosterone concentrations (adjusted odds ratio: 4.72, 95% confidence interval: 1.06-21.00), while no significant association was found in women. The 10-item recall test scores showed that higher testosterone concentrations were significantly associated with greater recall in the second trial in women (standardized beta = 0.24, P = 0.040), whereas no significant association was found in men. Salivary testosterone concentrations were positively associated with better cognitive performance in older men and women. CONCLUSIONS: The associations between salivary testosterone concentrations and cognitive function were shown by different tasks for men and women. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2022; 22: 1040-1046.