Abstract
Children with Autism often show difficulties in adapting to change. Previous studies of cortisol, a neurobiologic stress hormone reflecting hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis activity, in children with autism have demonstrated variable results. This study measured cortisol levels in children with and without Autism: (1) at rest; (2) in a novel environment; and (3) in response to a blood draw stressor. A significantly higher serum cortisol response was found in the group of children with autism. Analysis showed significantly higher peak cortisol levels and prolonged duration and recovery of cortisol elevation following the blood-stick stressor in children with autism. This study suggests increased reactivity of the HPA axis to stress and novel stimuli in children with autism.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Achenbach, T. M. (1991). Manual for the child behavior checklist/4-18. Burlington, VT: University of Vermont, Department of Psychiatry.
Aihara, R., & Hashimoto, T. (1989). Neuroendocrinologic studies on autism. No To Hattatsu, 21, 154–162.
Bourgeron, T. (2010). The possible interplay of synaptic and clock genes in autism spectrum disorders. Cold Spring harbor symposia on quantitative biology, Vol. 72. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.
Brosnan, M., Turner-Cobb, J., Munro-Naan, Z., & Jessop, D. (2009). Absence of a normal cortisol awakening response (CAR) in adolescent males with Asperger syndrome (AS). Psychoneuroendocrinology, 34(7), 1095–1100.
Corbett, B. A., Mendoza, S., Abdullah, M., Wegelin, J. A., & Levine, S. (2006). Cortisol circadian rhythms and response to stress in children with autism. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 31, 59–68.
Corbett, B. A., Schupp, C. W., Levine, S., & Mendoza, S. (2009). Comparing cortisol, stress, and sensory sensitivity in children with autism. Autism Research, 2(1), 39–49.
Corbett, B. A., Schupp, C. W., Simon, D., Ryan, N., & Mendoza, S. (2010). Elevated cortisol during play is associated with age and social engagement in children with autism. Molecular Autism, 1(13).
Curin, J. M., Terzic, J., Petkovic, Z. B., Zekan, L., Terzic, I. M., & Susnjara, I. M. (2003). Lower cortisol and higher ACTH levels in individuals with autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 33, 443–448.
Dettling, A. C., Parker, S. W., Lane, S., Sebanc, A., & Gunnar, M. R. (2000). Quality of care and temperament determine changes in cortisol concentrations over the day for young children in child care. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 25, 819–836.
DiLalla, D. L., & Rogers, S. J. (1994). Domains of the childhood autism rating scale: Revelance for diagnosis and treatment. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 24, 115–128.
Gillespie, C. F., Phifer, J., Bradley, B., & Ressler, K. J. (2009). Risk and resilience: Genetic and environmental influences on development of the stress response. Depression and Anxiety, 26, 984–992.
Gomez, M. T., Malozowski, S., Winterer, J., Vamvakopoulos, N. C., & Chrousos, G. P. (1991). Urinary free cortisol values in normal children and adolescents. The Journal of Pediatrics, 118, 256–258.
Gonzalez-Bono, E., Rohleder, N., Hellhammer, D. H., Salvador, A., & Kirschbaum, C. (2002). Glucose but not protein or fat load amplifies the cortisol response to psychosocial stress. Hormones and Behavior, 41, 328–333.
Gunnar, M. R., & Donzella, B. (2002). Social regulation of the cortisol levels in early human development. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 27, 199–220.
Hahn, W. E., Van Ness, J., & Chaudhar, N. (1992). Overview of the molecular genetics of mouse brain. Molecular Genetic Neuroscience, 332.
Heinrichs, S. C., & Koob, G. F. (2004). Corticotropin-releasing factor in brain: A role in activation, arousal, and affect regulation. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, 311, 427–440.
Hill, S. D., Wagner, E. A., Shedlarski, J. G., & Sears, S. P. (1977). Diurnal cortisol and temperature variation of normal and autistic children. Developmental Psychobiology, 10, 579–583.
Hoshino, Y., Yokoyama, F., Watanabe, M., Murata, S., Kaneko, M., & Kumashiro, H. (1987). The diurnal variation and response to dexamethasone suppression test of saliva cortisol level in autistic children. Japanese Journal of Psychiatry and Neurology, 41, 227–235.
Jansen, L. M. C., Gispen-de Wied, C. C., & van der Gaag, R.-J. (2003). Differentiation between Autism and multiple complex developmental disorder in response to psychosocial stress. Neuropsychopharmacology, 28, 582–590.
Jansen, L. M. C., Gispen-de Wied, C. C., Wiegant, V. M., Westenberg, H. G. M., Lahuis, B., & van Engeland, H. (2006). Autonimic and neuroendocrine responses to a psychosocial stressor in adults with Autistic Spectrum Disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 36, 891–899.
Karten, Y. J., Olariu, A., & Cameron, H. A. (2005). Stress in early life inhibits neurogenesis in adulthood. Trends in Neuroscience, 28, 171–172.
Lam, K. S., Aman, M. G., & Arnold, L. E. (2006). Neurochemical correlates of autistic disorder: A review of the literature. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 27, 254–289.
Lopata, C., Volker, M. A., Putnam, S. K., Thomeer, M. L., & Nida, R. E. (2008). Effect of social familiarity on salivary cortisol and self-reports of social anxiety and stress in children with high functioning Autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 38(10), 1866–1877.
Lord, C., & Risi, S. (2000). A standard measure of social and communication deficits associated with the spectrum of Autism. The Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule- Generic, 30, 205–223.
Maher, K. R., Harper, J. F., Macleay, A., & King, M. G. (1975). Peculiarities in the endocrine response to insulin stress in early infantile Autism. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 161, 180–184.
Naber, F. B., Swinkels, S. H., Buitelaar, J. K., Bakermans-Kranenburg, M. J., van IJzendoorn, M. H., Dietz, C., et al. (2007). Attachment in toddlers with autism and other developmental disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 37(6), 1123–1138.
Nir, I., Meir, D., Zilber, N., Knobler, H., Hadjez, J., & Lerner, Y. (1995). Brief report: Circadian melatonin, thyroid-stimulating hormone, prolactin, and cortisol levels in serum of young adults with autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 25, 641–654.
Rice, C. (2009). Prevalence of autism spectrum disorders—Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network. CDC: MMWR Surveillance Summaries, 58, 1–20. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/ss5810a1.htm.
Richdale, A. L., & Prior, M. R. (1992). Urinary cortisol circadian rhythm in a group of high-functioning children with Autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 22, 433–447.
Schopler, E., Reichler, R., & DeVellis, R. (1980). Toward objective classification of childhood autism: Childhood autism rating scale (CARS). Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 10, 91–103.
Squire, L. R. (1992). Memory and the hippocampus: A synthesis from findings with rats, monkeys, and humans. Psychological Review, 99, 195–231.
Tordjman, S., Anderson, G. M., McBride, P. A., Hertzig, M. E., Snow, M. E., & Hall, L. M. (1997). Plasma beta-endorphin, adrenocorticotropin hormone, and cortisol. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 38, 705–715.
Yamazaki, K., Saito, Y., Okada, F., Fujieda, T., & Yamashita, I. (1975). An application of neuroendocrinological studies in autistic children and Heller’s syndrome. Journal of Autism and Childhood Schizophrenia, 5, 323–332.
Zinke, K., Fries, E., Kliegel, M., Kirschbaum C., & Dettenborn, L. (2010). Children with high-functioning autism show a normal cortisol awakening response (CAR). Psychoneuroendocrinology. Epub April 19 2010.
Acknowledgments
This research project was supported by Award Number UL1RR029882 from the National Center for Research Resources, as well as Award Number P50 DA016511 from the Office of Research on Women’s Health at the National Institutes of Health. Control participants were from grant K23 NIH/NIMH K23MH064111: Neurodevelopmental Biology of Neglected Children (PI: Eve G. Spratt) and additional resources were obtained from grant NIH/NIDA K24DA00435: Midcareer Investigator Award in Patient-Oriented Research (PI: Kathleen T. Brady). The content of this research is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Center for Research Resources or the National Institutes of Health. Many thanks to Quest Diagnostics for performing serum cortisol measurements. Thanks to Drs. Lindsay DeVane and Megan Gunnar, as well as research assistants Loriann Uerebroth, Samantha Friedenberg, Lauren English, and Doreen Condon, for assistance and advice with this project.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Spratt, E.G., Nicholas, J.S., Brady, K.T. et al. Enhanced Cortisol Response to Stress in Children in Autism. J Autism Dev Disord 42, 75–81 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-011-1214-0
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-011-1214-0