TY - JOUR
T1 - Salivary testosterone and cortisol levels in borderline personality disorder before and after a 12-week group dialectical behavior therapy intervention
AU - Dyson, Tori
AU - Thomas, Susan J.
AU - Townsend, Michelle L.
AU - Finch, Adam
AU - South, Alexandra
AU - Barkus, Emma
AU - Walter, Emma
AU - Mendonca, Carley
AU - Grenyer, Brin F. S.
AU - Pickard, Judy A.
N1 - Funding information: This study was funded by a competitive grant provided by the New South Wales Health Translational Research Grant Scheme. NSW Ministry of Health, www.health.nsw.gov.au. Research design, data collection and analysis, and manuscript development were conducted independently of the funding body.
PY - 2023/7/17
Y1 - 2023/7/17
N2 - 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.
AB - 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.
KW - salivary testosterone
KW - hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis
KW - salivary cortisol
KW - borderline personality disorder
KW - hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85166436432&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1195187
DO - 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1195187
M3 - Article
SN - 1664-1078
VL - 14
JO - Frontiers in Psychology
JF - Frontiers in Psychology
M1 - 1195187
ER -