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Increased cortisol awakening response after completing the summer treatment program in children with ADHD

Rumiko Okabe1, Hisayoshi Okamura2, Chiyomi Egami3

  • 1Department of Pediatrics & Child Health Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Japan.

Brain & Development
|March 29, 2017
PubMed

Insights

The cortisol awakening response (CAR) in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) improved after an intensive summer treatment program (STP). This suggests STP may positively impact the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function in children with ADHD.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Pediatrics
  • Endocrinology

Background:

  • Cortisol awakening response (CAR) is a diurnal rhythm of cortisol secretion.
  • Limited research exists on CAR in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
  • Understanding CAR in ADHD may offer insights into HPA axis regulation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the CAR in children with ADHD and their mothers.
  • To assess changes in CAR before, immediately after, and 4 months post-intensive summer treatment program (STP).
  • To explore correlations between CAR changes and ADHD symptom severity and quality of life.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal study of 37 children (7-12 years) with ADHD and their mothers.
  • Salivary cortisol samples collected twice daily (at awakening and 30 min post-awakening) at pre-STP, post-STP, and follow-up.
  • ADHD symptom scores assessed by parents; Quality of Life (QOL) evaluated using Kid-KINDL® questionnaire.

Main Results:

  • Children with ADHD exhibited a low CAR pre-STP, which normalized to control levels by 4 months post-STP.
  • Maternal CAR showed a trend towards increase after STP.
  • Improvements in CAR correlated with reduced ADHD inattention, and better physical health and school life QOL scores.

Conclusions:

  • The intensive summer treatment program (STP) improved behavior and quality of life in children with ADHD.
  • Findings suggest that STP can enhance hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function, indicated by increased CAR.
  • CAR normalization may serve as a biomarker for treatment efficacy in pediatric ADHD.
Abstract

Keywords:
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorderCortisol awakening responsePsychosocial treatmentQOLSummer treatment program

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