[Blood testosterone levels in nonpsychotic psychopath-like behavior disorders among adolescents with accelerated or...

The authors examined 128 male adolescents admitted to a psychiatric hospital for the psychopathlike syndrome free of psychotic manifestations which was associated with the abnormal rate of sexual development. A correlation was established between the maturation rate, plasma testosterone levels and clinical features of behavioural abnormalities. Retarded puberty was related to decreased testosterone concentrations throughout the pubertal period. In cases of accelerated development the testosterone content was increased at the age of 14-15 years, i.e. in the period of the most intensive maturation; later on, in the process of reaching puberty, the hormone level approaches the age specific rate. The clinical picture of behavioural disorders in the presence of retarded or accelerated development depends on whether the symptoms caused by abnormal rates of maturation were combined with the symptoms of cerebral insufficiency. Adolescents with accelerated development unattended by cerebral insufficiency manifestations were characterized by marked aggression and an increase in desires. Depending on the degree of activity, asthenic nature, leadership capacities and the level of intellect, they are divided into two clinical variants: epileptoid and conformational-epileptoid types of accentuations. Cerebral insufficiency was reflected in the form of lowered intellect, explosiveness and impaired desires in the clinical picture of both accelerated and retarded pubertal development.