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Autonomic and Neuroendocrine Responses to a Psychosocial Stressor in Adults with Autistic Spectrum Disorder

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Abstract

Objective of the study was to replicate in adults our previous findings of decreased heart rate and normal endocrine responses to stress in autistic children and to elucidate the discrepancy between autonomic and endocrine stress responses by including epinephrine, norepinephrine, oxytocin and vasopressin measurements. Ten autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) adults were compared to 14 healthy controls in their response to a psychosocial stressor (public speaking). ASD patients showed decreased heart rate, but normal cortisol responses, consistent with our prior findings in children. No differences in norepinephrine, epinephrine, oxytocin or vasopressin responses to stress were found. However, in contrast to previous findings in low functioning autistic children, ASD adults showed increased basal oxytocin levels, which may be related to developmental factors.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by a fellowship from the Hersenstichting Nederland (Dutch Brain Foundation, grant number H00.13). The authors wish to thank Henk Spierenburg for his assistance in the oxytocin and vasopressin assays, and André Klompmakers for his assistance in the catecholamine assays.

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  1. Lucres M. C. Jansen

    Present address: Department of Child- and Adolescent Psychiatry, VU University Medical Center, p/a De Bascule, PO Box 303, 1115 ZG, Duivendrecht, The Netherlands

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Child- and Adolescent Psychiatry, Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, University Medical Center, Utrecht, The Netherlands

    Lucres M. C. Jansen, Christine C. Gispen-de Wied, Victor M. Wiegant, Herman G. M. Westenberg, Bertine E. Lahuis & Herman van Engeland

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  1. Lucres M. C. Jansen
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  2. Christine C. Gispen-de Wied
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Correspondence to Lucres M. C. Jansen.

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Jansen, L.M.C., Gispen-de Wied, C.C., Wiegant, V.M. et al. Autonomic and Neuroendocrine Responses to a Psychosocial Stressor in Adults with Autistic Spectrum Disorder. J Autism Dev Disord 36, 891–899 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-006-0124-z

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