with relationships between androgens, like testosterone, and dominance-related behavior. For instance, men with high testosterone levels are prone to be more competitive and have a higher level of aggression than those with lower testosterone levels.
Thyroid hormones can influence a person's mood due to changes in activity of the thyroid they bring about (The Endocrine, 2005). Although little is known about the mechanism by which thyroid hormones elevate mood, there appears to be a connection between thyroid hormones and the neural functions in the brain which have control over hormone release. Depression is often the first or an early manifestation of thyroid dysfunction (Depression, 2005). Even a very subtle decrease in the amount of thyroid hormone is capable of producing the symptoms of depression. Adrenal function is also closely associated with depression. The psychological effects of an increase of the level of cortisol in the blood mirrors the effects of treatment with oral corticosteroid drugs, causing depression, mania, nervousness, insomnia and schizophrenia. The effects of corticosteroids on mood are related to the shunting of tryptophan away from the synthesis of serotonin.
In a condition called congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) an enzyme defect results in an inability to make cortisol, which in turn causes the adrenal gland to produce high levels of androgens which have a masculinizing effect on females (Davis, 1997). The hormone imbalance begins early in gestation, and girls with this condition have some masculinization of the genitals, such as an enlarged clitoris or fused labia. The condition affects 1 in 15,000 newborns. Infants often die from salt wasting as a result of the condition. Children with CAH have been studied to observe sex-type differences in behavior, and it has been found that exposure of girls to high androgen levels prenatally influences some sex-typed behavior. Girls with CA...