Lecture 15 from a college level neuropharmacology course taught in the spring 2012 semester by Brian J. Piper, Ph.D. (psy391@gmail.com) at Willamette University.

1. Drugs & Behavior:
Steroids
Brian J. Piper, Ph.D.

2. Goals
• Neuroendocrinology
• “Side effects”
• Behavioral Effects
• Neural Effects
• Epidemiology

3. Terminology
• Steroid: created from cholesterol
• Anabolism: metabolic process, building
• Catabolic: metabolic process, breaks down
• Estrogens: female hormones
• Androgens: male hormones
Aromatase
Testosterone --------------------> Estradiol

4. GnRH: Gonadotrophin Releasing Hormone
FSH: Follicle Stimulating Hormone
LH: Leutinizing Hormone

5. http://www.vanderbilt.edu/AnS/psychology/health_psychology/anabolic_steroids.html

6. Steroids and Animal
5.2 Aggression
• Rats received different steroids
(5 mg/kg) beginning at puberty
(PD 40) for nine weeks.
• Resident-intruder aggression
tests were conducted with and
without a physical provocation.
• Adolescent steroid treatment
caused a persistent increase in
aggressive behavior.
Farell et al. (2004) Hormones & Behavior, 46, 193-203.

7. Aggression in Humans?
• Adult men were randomly assigned to receive escalating
doses of testosterone or placebo.
• Testosterone increased self-rated mania and the Point
Subtraction Aggression test.

8. Brain Changes Vehicle Steroid
Dopamine (D1)
Receptor Binding
Male rats received
15 mg/kg of nandrolone for 14
days.
Brains were sectioned and the
density of dopamine receptors
were determined.
Steroid treatment had opposite
effects on D1 and D2 levels.
Dopamine (D2)
Receptor Binding
Kindlundh et al. European J Neuroscience, 13, 291-296.

9. Famous Users

10. Famous Users
Arnold Schwarzenegger Alex Rodriguez Ben Johnson Hulk Hogan
1970s 2001-2003 1988 1994

11. Epidemiology:
Monitoring the Future
%
Using
in
Past
Year

12. Sex Difference in Past Year Use
%
Using

13. When does use start among 8th
graders?
Percent
Who
Used
By
Grade
Indicated
Year

14. 1.1
Epidemiology: College Plans

15. Epidemiology:
Region and
Urban vs. Rural