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CINCINNATI, Ohio, USA:A pilot study conducted by researchers in the U.S. has provided evidence of a link between salivary hormone levels and aggression in children.With these insights, the researchers hope to develop a new tool to help anticipate violent behavior in clinical settings and schools.

In the study, researchers from the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center collected salivary samples from 17 boys aged 7 to 9 who had been admitted to the hospital for psychiatric care.

They tested the samples for salivary concentrations of testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone and cortisol, and assessed the boys' aggressive and violent behavior shortly after admission.

In the study, the severity and frequency of aggression correlated with the level of these hormones.
These findings may have particular implications for psychiatric clinics and hospitals, as aggression is a common management problem for child psychiatry units, said Dr. Drew Brazman, a child and adolescent forensic psychiatrist at the center.

"We believe salivary hormone testing has the potential to help doctors monitor which treatments are working best for their patients. As mental health professionals are far more likely to be assaulted on the job than the average worker, it could offer a quick way to anticipate violent behavior in child psychiatric units," Brazman said. "Eventually, we hope this testing might also provide a tool to help improve safety in schools."