Anabolic steroids not only make teens more aggressive, but may keep them that way into young adulthood. The effect ultimately wears off but there may be other, lasting consequences for the developing brain. These findings, published in February's Behavioral Neuroscience, also showed that aggression rose and fell in synch with neurotransmitter levels in the brain's aggression control region. Behavioral Neuroscience is published by the American Psychological Association (APA).

Neuroscientists are deeply concerned about rising adolescent abuse of anabolic-androgenic steroids (AASs), given the National Institute on Drug Abuse's estimate that nearly half a million eighth- and 10th-grade students abuse AASs each year. Not only do steroids set kids up for heavier use of steroids and other drugs later in life, but long-term users can suffer from mood swings, hallucinations and paranoia; liver damage; high blood pressure; as well as increased risk of heart disease, stroke and some types of cancer. Withdrawal often brings depression, and recent research suggests that some AASs may even be habit-forming.

Overseen by Richard Melloni Jr., PhD, of Northeastern University in Boston, the current study of 76 adolescent hamsters compared how individual hamsters behaved when another hamster was put into their cages. Normally mild-mannered hamsters still defend their turf, learning aggression during puberty by play-fighting, much like humans. Their roughhousing normally includes wrestling and nibbling pretty tame stuff.

However, hamsters injected with commonly used steroids (suspended in oil) became extremely aggressive. Even after the drug was withdrawn, the newly vicious hamsters attacked, bit and chased the intruders. In fact, their aggressiveness measured ten times greater than that of control hamsters injected with oil only. Their full-blown aggression clearly drug-induced -- lasted for nearly two weeks of withdrawal, the equivalent of half
'"/>

Contact: Pam Willenz
public.affairs@apa.org
American Psychological Association
26-Feb-2006

Page: 1 2 3
Related medicine news :

1. Animal study leading to new treatments for hemorrhagic shock and uncontrolled abdominal hemorrhage
2. Animal study identifies promising new target for brain tumor therapy
3. Animal BiP levels determine amount of recovery sleep needed following prolonged wakefulness
4. Animal studies suggest vegetables may reduce hardening of arteries
5. Animal research suggests perimenopause is a critical time for womens health
6. Animal disease reports to be released at July 18 news conference at AVMA convention
7. Animal research suggests new treatment target for epilepsy
8. Animal model demonstrates course of epilepsy
9. Latest IPCC report highlights need for integrated climate/human behavior models
10. Dopamine imbalances cause sleep disorders in animal models of Parkinsons disease and schizophrenia
11. Proteins spur diabetic mice models to grow blood vessels, nerves