Relationships among plasma dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate and cortisol levels, symptoms of dissociation, and objective performance in humans exposed to acute stress.

Context: Recently, a growing body of research has provided evidence that dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) is involved in an organism's response to stress and that it may provide beneficial behavioral and neurotrophic effects.

Objective: To investigate plasma DHEA-S and cortisol levels, psychological symptoms of dissociation, and military performance.

Design: Prospective study.