Potential Effect of Pharmacotherapy on Sympathetic Arousal in Autism

Abstract Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a serious neurodevelopmental disorder associated with autonomic nervous system (ANS) abnormalities. Moreover, at least 50% of children with ASD suffer from other comorbid diseases such as anxiety, depression, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) associated with receiving psychotropic medication. From this context we aimed to evaluate changes in sympathetic arousal using analysis of electrodermal activity (EDA) as an index of sympathetic cholinergic activity in treated and non-treated autistic children under resting conditions. Methods: We examined 23 children with ASD and 14 healthy age- and gender-matched children at the age of 7–15 years. The ASD patients were divided into ASD non-treated group (n=12) and ASD treated group (n=11). The EDA was continuously monitored during resting phase in a supine position. The EDA amplitude (μS) was computed as an average of 5 min baseline period. Results: We found significantly lower EDA in ASD non-treated subgroup compared to controls indicating subtle abnormalities in the regulation of the sympathetic nervous system. Although no significant differences were found between the ASD treated and non-treated subgroups the ASD treated group showed comparable sympathetic activity relative to controls indicating a potential ameliorated treatment effect on sympathetic arousal in ASD. Conclusions: These findings could help to determine differences in sympathetic arousal in treated and non-treated children with ASD, which is important for assessment of autism-linked cardiovascular risk depending on pharmacotherapy.