HAIR cortisol levels may be able to provide insight into the impact of stress on children with autism, according to a new study from Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA) and UNSW Sydney.
The research explored the connection between chronic stress, co-occurring conditions, sleep and autistic features, and biological samples from the Autism CRC Australian Autism Biobank.
During stressful situations, cortisol is incorporated into the hair from the blood, as well as via sweat and sebum over weeks or months.
"We found that lower hair cortisol concentration was associated with greater autism severity, particularly internalised distress, behavioural difficulties, and co-occurring ADHD," explained Dr Adam Walker from NeuRA's Laboratory of ImmunoPsychiatry.
There were also links discovered between higher hair cortisol concentration and sleep anxiety, night wakings, lower family income and younger children.
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