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Measuring Cardiac Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) Activity in Toddlers - Resting and Developmental Challenges
Published on: February 25, 2016
Children with high-functioning autism show a normal cortisol awakening response (CAR)
Katharina Zinke1, Eva Fries, Matthias Kliegel
1Department of Psychology, Technical University Dresden, D-01062 Dresden, Germany. zinke@psychologie.tu-dresden.de
Psychoneuroendocrinology
|April 23, 2010
Summary
Children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder (HFA) show similar cortisol awakening responses (CAR) to typically developing children. This suggests CAR variations in HFA may emerge later in life or in specific autism diagnoses.
Area of Science:
- Neurodevelopmental disorders
- Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) research
- Endocrinology and stress response
Background:
- High-functioning autism spectrum disorder (HFA) is associated with difficulties in adapting to change.
- Previous research linked hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function, specifically the cortisol awakening response (CAR), to these difficulties in adolescents with Asperger's syndrome.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the cortisol awakening response (CAR) in a younger population diagnosed across the entire autism spectrum.
- To compare CAR in children with HFA to that of typically developing children.
Main Methods:
- Compared cortisol awakening response (CAR) in a group of 15 children with HFA.
- Compared CAR in a control group of 25 typically developing children.
- Measured cortisol levels upon awakening and 30 minutes post-awakening.
Main Results:
- The frequency of a cortisol awakening response (CAR) was similar between children with HFA and typically developing children.
- The increase in cortisol levels from awakening to 30 minutes later was also comparable between the two groups.
- No significant differences in CAR were observed in this younger HFA sample.
Conclusions:
- Cortisol awakening response (CAR) variations may not be present in early childhood for individuals with HFA.
- CAR differences in HFA might develop later in adolescence.
- Alternatively, CAR variations may be specific to certain autism spectrum disorder diagnoses, not universally present in HFA.
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