Sex steroids and personality traits in the middle luteal phase of healthy normally menstruating young professional women
Συσχέτιση των επιπέδων των ανδρογόνων και των άλλων στεροειδών του φύλου και ψυχομετρικών παραμέτρων προσωπικότητας σε γυναίκες με φυσιολογικό κύκλο
Αυγουστινάκη, Παυλίνα
Avgoustinaki, Pavlina
The aim of the present study was to determine the association, if any,between the circulating levels of gonadal and adrenal sex steroids in the midluteal phase (21st day of a normal menstrual cycle, MC) of young professionalwomen and psychometric parameters as assessed by the official Greektranslation of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI).RESULTS: Our results are as follows:(a) The metabolic product of activated adrenal and gonadal androgens,3alpha-diolG, was modestly but significantly associated with the socialintroversion scale (10-SI) (Spearman =0.36, p<0.05), independentlyaccounting for 13% of its variation across participants (R2=0.13, F(1.45)=6.58,p<0.01).(b) Total testosterone was significantly associated with the paranoiascale (6-Pa) (Spearman =0.27, p<0.05). Multiple regression analysesindicated that 10% of the variability in paranoia scores could be independentlyexplained by total testosterone levels (R2=0.10, F(1.57)=6.23, p<0.01). Wewere unable to find any association between the circulating androgens andscores on the masculinity-femininity scale (Mf). We were also unable todocument any association between the weak adrenal androgens DHEA andDHEA-S and depression in contrast to several published reports.(c) Our data suggest a marginally significant association betweenprogesterone and scores on the 7-Pt (obsessive / compulsive /psychasthenia) scale (Spearman =0.27, p<0.05). However, only 7% of the7-Pt variance was explained by progesterone (R2=0.071, F(1.50)=3.81,p<0.05).CONCLUSIONS: We have found that total testosterone wasassociated with the paranoia score, the metabolic product of activatedandrogens, 3alpha-diolG, to social introversion and, finally, progesterone toobsessive-compulsive behavior.
