Age-related differences in the association between stereotypic behaviour and salivary cortisol in young males with an Autism Spectrum Disorder

Title
Age-related differences in the association between stereotypic behaviour and salivary cortisol in young males with an Autism Spectrum Disorder
Publication Date
2015
Author(s)
Bitsika, Vicki
Sharpley, Christopher
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7922-4848
Email: csharpl3@une.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:csharpl3
Agnew, Linda
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2803-0995
Email: lagnew2@une.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:lagnew2
Andronicos, Nicholas
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5881-2296
Email: nandroni@une.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:nandroni
Type of document
Journal Article
Language
en
Entity Type
Publication
Publisher
Elsevier Inc
Place of publication
United States of America
DOI
10.1016/j.physbeh.2015.10.010
UNE publication id
une:18468
Abstract
To identify if age influenced the relationship between one of the central symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and physiological stress, the association between stereotypic behaviour (SB) and stress-related cortisol concentrations was examined in a sample of 150 young males with an ASD. Parent-rated SB was significantly correlated with cortisol concentrations for boys aged 6 years to 12 years but not for adolescents aged 13 years to 18 years. This age-related difference in this association was not a function of cortisol concentrations but was related to differences in SB across these two age groups. IQ did not have a significant effect on this relationship, suggesting that age-related learning may have been a possible pathway for reduced SB during adolescence. The aspect of SB that was most powerfully related to cortisol was general repetitive behaviour rather than movements of specific body parts. Explanations of these findings are raised for further investigation.
Link
Citation
Physiology & Behavior, 152(Part A), p. 238-243
ISSN
1873-507X
0031-9384
Start page
238
End page
243

Files:

NameSizeformatDescriptionLink