Diurnal cortisol profiles in autistic adolescents and young adults: Associations with social difficulties and internalizing mental health symptoms

IF 5.3 2区 医学 Q1 BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES Autism Research Pub Date : 2024-07-08 DOI:10.1002/aur.3184
Laura Ilen, Farnaz Delavari, Clémence Feller, Olivia Zanoletti, Carmen Sandi, Maude Schneider
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Abstract

Several autism-related characteristics, such as social difficulties, may contribute to high perceived stress and increased exposure to stressful life events in some autistic individuals. Repeated exposure to stress might lead to the dysfunction of the hypothalamic–pituitary-adrenocortical-axis and be a vulnerability factor for developing mental health difficulties. Previous studies show contradictory findings on salivary cortisol in autism. In the current study, we investigated diurnal cortisol profiles in autistic adolescents and young adults, as well as their associations with social difficulties, stress exposure, and mental health symptoms. Autistic (n = 48, Mage = 17.6) and nonautistic (n = 51, Mage = 18.4) participants collected salivary cortisol at home six times a day for 2 days. Social difficulties, exposure to stressful life events/bullying, and mental health symptoms were assessed with questionnaires and clinical interviews. Similar diurnal cortisol slopes (DCS) and cortisol awakening responses were observed between the groups, but autistic participants showed higher total cortisol output (AUCG, area under the curve with respect to ground) during the day (b = 19.09, p = 0.009). In the autistic group, more severe social difficulties were associated with flatter DCS (b = 0.01, p = 0.007). Finally, cortisol alterations were associated with self-reported mental health symptoms, especially in autistic females in analyses uncorrected for multiple comparisons. In conclusion, our results do not indicate autism-related group-level alterations in most diurnal cortisol measures, but autistic youth showed higher total cortisol (AUCG) compared with nonautistic peers. More detailed investigation of interindividual variability in cortisol profiles within autistic people might give us important insights into vulnerability to developing stress-related mental health difficulties.

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自闭症青少年的昼皮质醇特征:与社交困难和内化心理健康症状的关系。
一些与自闭症相关的特征(如社交障碍)可能会导致一些自闭症患者感受到较大的压力,并增加其面临生活压力事件的机会。反复暴露于压力下可能会导致下丘脑-垂体-肾上腺皮质轴功能失调,成为发展成心理健康问题的易感因素。以往的研究显示,自闭症患者唾液皮质醇的调查结果相互矛盾。在本研究中,我们调查了自闭症青少年和年轻人的昼皮质醇谱,以及它们与社交困难、压力暴露和心理健康症状的关联。自闭症患者(n = 48,Mage = 17.6)和非自闭症患者(n = 51,Mage = 18.4)连续两天在家中收集唾液皮质醇,每天六次。通过问卷调查和临床访谈评估了社交困难、生活压力事件/欺凌的暴露程度以及心理健康症状。两组之间的皮质醇昼夜斜率(DCS)和皮质醇唤醒反应相似,但自闭症患者白天的皮质醇总输出量(AUCG,相对于地面的曲线下面积)较高(b = 19.09,p = 0.009)。在自闭症群体中,更严重的社交障碍与更平坦的 DCS 相关(b = 0.01,p = 0.007)。最后,皮质醇的变化与自我报告的心理健康症状有关,尤其是在未经多重比较校正的分析中,自闭症女性的症状更为明显。总之,我们的研究结果表明,在大多数皮质醇昼夜测量指标中,自闭症并不表现出与自闭症相关的群体水平变化,但与非自闭症同龄人相比,自闭症青少年的皮质醇总量(AUCG)较高。对自闭症患者皮质醇特征的个体间变异性进行更详细的调查,可能会让我们对易患与压力相关的心理健康问题有更重要的认识。
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来源期刊
Autism Research
Autism Research 医学-行为科学
CiteScore
8.00
自引率
8.50%
发文量
187
审稿时长
>12 weeks
期刊介绍: AUTISM RESEARCH will cover the developmental disorders known as Pervasive Developmental Disorders (or autism spectrum disorders – ASDs). The Journal focuses on basic genetic, neurobiological and psychological mechanisms and how these influence developmental processes in ASDs.
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