+ Models PNEC-2349; No. of Pages 10 Please cite this article in press as: Feilhauer, J., et al., Salivary cortisol and psychopathy dimensions in detained antisocial adolescents. Psychoneuroendocrinology (2013), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2013.01.005 Salivary cortisol and psychopathy dimensions in detained antisocial adolescents Johanna Feilhauer a, * , Maaike Cima d,e , Andries Korebrits b,c , Nancy A. Nicolson a a Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands b Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands c St. Joseph Foundation, Cadier en Keer, The Netherlands d Tilburg University, Tilburg, The Netherlands e Forensic Psychiatric Center ‘‘de Rooyse Wissel’’, Venray, The Netherlands Received 10 April 2012; received in revised form 13 January 2013; accepted 14 January 2013 Psychoneuroendocrinology (2013) xxx, xxx—xxx KEYWORDS Psychopathy dimensions; HPA axis; Cortisol; Conduct disorder; CU traits; Narcissism; Impulsivity; Aggression Summary Previous research revealed hypothalamic—pituitary—adrenal (HPA) axis abnormali- ties in relation to antisocial and aggressive behavior. Some evidence suggests that low cortisol levels may serve as a biological marker for a severe antisocial subgroup with pronounced callous— unemotional (CU) traits. Children displaying the combination of severe antisocial behavior and CU traits appear to be particularly at risk of developing adult psychopathy. Given the lack of studies on the relationship between cortisol levels and CU traits in antisocial adolescents, the current study investigates whether cortisol levels are uniquely associated with CU traits as compared to other psychopathy dimensions (i.e., narcissism and impulsivity). Detained antisocial adolescents (n = 63) and a community comparison group (n = 62) completed diaries and collected three saliva samples daily on two days, with compliance monitored electronically. Psychopathy dimensions were assessed through self-report questionnaires. Externalizing symptoms were assessed by structured clinical interview. Multilevel regression analyses indicated no differences in cortisol levels or diurnal slopes between the two groups. Overall, cortisol levels were not significantly related to psychopathy dimensions. However, greater impulsivity was associated with lower cortisol levels in the community sample, but not in the antisocial group. Conclusion: Results cast doubt on the notion of low cortisol levels as a biological marker for CU traits. Low basal cortisol levels appear to be more closely related to a general deficit in behavioral regulation. Implications for future research are discussed. # 2013 Published by Elsevier Ltd. * Corresponding author at: Department of Clinical Psychological Science, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands. Tel.: +31 43 3881600; fax: +31 43 3884155. E-mail address: J.Feilhauer@maastrichtuniversity.nl (J. Feilhauer). Available online at www.sciencedirect.com j our na l h omepa g e: www.e lse vie r.c om/l oca te/ psyne ue n 0306-4530/$ — see front matter # 2013 Published by Elsevier Ltd. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2013.01.005