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<http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/144454.php>

Autism Linked With Stress Hormone Levels

Main Category: Autism

Also Included In: Endocrinology; Anxiety / Stress; Psychology / Psychiatry

Article Date: 01 Apr 2009 - 4:00 PDT

[ snip ]

Some of the symptoms of the autistic condition Asperger Syndrome, such

as a need for routine and resistance to change, could be linked to

levels of the stress hormone cortisol, suggests new research led by the

University of Bath.

Normally, people have a surge of this hormone shortly after waking, with

levels gradually decreasing throughout the day. It is thought this surge

makes the brain alert, preparing the body for the day and helping the

person to be aware of changes happening around them.

However, a study led by Dr Mark Brosnan and Dr -Cobb from

the Department of Psychology at the University of Bath, and Dr

Jessop from the University of Bristol, has found that children with

Asperger Syndrome (AS) do not experience this surge.

The researchers believe these findings may help to explain why

individuals with this condition have difficulties with minor changes to

their routine or changes in their environment.

The study has been published in the peer-reviewed journal

Psychoneuroendocrinology.

Dr Brosnan explained: " Cortisol is one of a family of stress hormones

that acts like a 'red alert' that is triggered by stressful situations

allowing a person to react quickly to changes around them.

" In most people, there is a two-fold increase in levels of this hormone

within 30 minutes of waking up, with levels gradually declining during

the day as part of the internal body clock.

" Our study found that the children with AS didn't have this peak

although levels of the hormone still decreased during the day as normal.

" Although these are early days, we think this difference in stress

hormone levels could be really significant in explaining why children

with AS are less able to react and cope with unexpected change. "

Dr -Cobb, Senior Lecturer in Psychology at Bath and

co-author on the study, said: " These findings are important as they give

us a clearer understanding about how some of the symptoms we see in AS

are linked to how an individual adapts to change at a chemical level. "

Dr Jessop analysed samples from the children for levels of hormone

at the Henry Wellcome Laboratories for Integrative Neuroscience and

Endocrinology at the University of Bristol.

He added: " This study suggests that children with AS may not adjust

normally to the challenge of a new environment on waking.

" This may affect the way they subsequently engage with the world around

them. "

The researchers hope that by understanding the symptoms of AS as a

stress response rather than a behavioural problem it could help carers

and teachers develop strategies for avoiding situations that might cause

distress in children with the condition.

The next step in the research will be to look at whether children with

other types of autism also lack a peak of cortisol after waking.

M Brosnan, J -Cobb, Z Munro-Naan & D Jessop (2009) " Absence of a

normal Cortisol Awakening Response (CAR) in adolescent males with

Asperger Syndrome (AS) " is published online in Psychoneuroendocrinology

by Elsevier. doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2009.02.011

Bath University

http://www.bath.ac.uk

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- Bill, dx AS

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WD " Bill " Loughman - Berkeley, California USA

http://home.earthlink.net/~wdloughman/wdl.htm