Motor Skills, Heart Rate Variability, and Arterial Stiffness in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Area of Science:

• Neurodevelopmental Disorders
• Pediatric Health
• Autism Spectrum Disorder Research

Background:

• Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) prevalence is increasing, with varied symptom severity.
• Potential adverse consequences include delayed motor development and autonomic dysregulation.
• Understanding these impacts is crucial for intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

• Investigate motor skills, heart rate variability (HRV), and arterial stiffness in children with ASD.
• Compare these measures between children with ASD and typically developing peers.

Main Methods:

• Recruited school-aged children with mild ASD (n=17) and typically developing peers (n=15).
• Assessed motor skills using the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency-Second Edition.
• Measured HRV via short-term recording and arterial stiffness using computerized oscillometry.

Main Results:

• Children with ASD showed significant deficits in manual coordination, strength, agility, and total motor composite.
• Reduced time- and frequency-domain HRV measures were observed in children with ASD.
• No statistically significant differences in arterial stiffness were found between the groups.

Conclusions:

• Children with ASD exhibit motor skill deficits.
• Autonomic dysregulation, evidenced by reduced HRV, is present in children with ASD.
• Arterial stiffness is not significantly different between children with ASD and typically developing peers in this cohort.