Salivary cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone in relation to puberty and gender.

This study investigates basal levels of cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), and their relation to gender and pubertal development, in healthy children and adolescents. Salivary cortisol and DHEA levels were examined in 129 normally developing subjects aged eight to 16 years. Subjects provided morning (08:00 h) and evening (20:00 h) saliva samples over four consecutive days. Pubertal stage was assessed using Tanner stage sketches, and subjects were grouped according to their general status of pubertal development (pre-early puberty: Tanner stageII). Results showed that morning salivary cortisol in mid-postpubertal girls was greater than in mid-postpubertal boys, but not pre-early pubertal girls and boys. Mean levels of salivary DHEA were greater in mid-postpubertal boys and girls than in pre-early pubertal boys and girls. Changes in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function that occur during puberty may have implications for immediate and long-term adolescent health.

Development of a short leyton obsessional inventory for children and adolescents.

OBJECTIVE: To develop a short, cost-effective screening measure for adolescent obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). METHOD: The 20-item Leyton Obsessional Inventory-Child Version and the Mood and Feelings Questionnaire were completed by five groups of adolescents: those with a predominant diagnosis of OCD (n = 9), major depressive disorder with comorbid OCD ( n = 14), major depressive disorder without comorbid OCD ( n = 65), a community sample including subjects at high risk for psychopathology ( n = 253), and well controls ( n= 50). Leyton Obsessional Inventory scores for the community sample ( n= 253) were factor analyzed, whereas the remaining groups' scores served as validation. RESULTS: Factor analysis yielded a robust 11-item solution with three distinct components accounting for 47.6% of total variance. Internal reliability was high for the short scale total (Cronbach alpha =.86) and three subscales: Compulsions (alpha =.73), Obsessions/Incompleteness (alpha =.79), and Cleanliness (alpha =.75). Logistic regression found the Compulsions subscale discriminated OCD cases from community controls and discriminated major depressive disorder with and without comorbid OCD. The Obsessions subscale discriminated OCD cases from community, well control, and depressed nonobsessional groups. CONCLUSIONS: The Short Leyton Obsessional Inventory-Child Version is a psychometrically sound, quick, economical screen that discriminates OCD cases from noncases irrespective of comorbid major depressive disorder.