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Published on: April 1, 2018
The moderating role of sensory Overresponsivity in HPA activity: a pilot study with children diagnosed with ADHD
Stacey Reynolds1, Shelly J Lane, Chris Gennings
1Virginia Commonwealth University, USA. reynoldsse3@vcu.edu
Objective:
To determine if sensory overresponsivity (SOR) is a moderating condition impacting the activity of the Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal (HPA) Axis in children with ADHD.
Method:
Participants were children with (n = 24) and without ADHD (n = 24). Children in the ADHD group were divided into SOR (ADHDs) and non-SOR (ADHDt) groups using the Sensory Over-Responsivity Inventory. All children participated in the Sensory Challenge Protocol. Salivary cortisol was used as a measure of HPA activity. Two prechallenge and seven postchallenge samples of saliva were taken. Cortisol patterns between groups were examined using a mixed-effects ANOVA.
Results:
There was a borderline significant difference found between the ADHDt and ADHDs group (p = .056) and a significant difference between ADHDt and the typical group (p = .014).
Conclusion:
Preliminary results support the premise that SOR may be a moderating variable used to create subgroups in diagnostic populations such as ADHD. (J. of Att. Dis. 2010; 13(5) 468-478).
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