Early psychosocial adversity and cortisol levels in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
Abstract
Previous studies suggest a different regulation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA-axis) with lower diurnal cortisol levels, especially in the morning, in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) compared with controls. Since exposure to foetal and childhood psychosocial adversity has been associated with both ADHD and HPA-axis functioning, such exposures may explain these low cortisol levels in ADHD via early programming of the HPA-axis. Thus, our main aim was to retrospectively study foetal and early childhood exposures to psychosocial adversity in children with ADHD and to relate these exposures to cortisol levels. Saliva samples were collected during a regular weekday in children, 6-17 years old, with clinically confirmed ADHD (n = 197) and non-affected comparisons (n = 221) for radioimmunoassay analysis of cortisol. Parental rating scales were used for categorising subtypes of ADHD and degree of exposure to adversity. Children with ADHD had more reports of at least one rated foetal adversity (p = 0.041) and childhood adversity (p < 0.001) than comparisons. The association between low morning cortisol levels and ADHD-symptoms remained when analyses were adjusted for adversities, age, sex, sampling time and symptoms of oppositional defiant disorder. No relation was found between exposures to foetal/childhood adversity and cortisol levels except for a positive relation between childhood adversity and cortisol morning increase in children wi…
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In ADHD, low levels of cortisol have been observed in children.
“In ADHD, low levels of cortisol, an important hormone in the hypothalamus–pituitary–adrenal (HpA) axis, have been observed in children [102–105].”
From Molecular Characterisation of the Mechanism of Action of Stimulant Drugs Lisdexamfetamine and Methylphenidate on ADHD Neurobiology: A Review (2022) · cites this paper as [105]
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- Authors
- Isaksson, J., Nilsson, K. W., & Lindblad, F.
- Affiliations
- Uppsala University (SE)
- Corresponding author
- Isaksson, Johan
- Venue
- European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
- Published
- 2013-02-09
- Volume
- 22
- Issue
- 7
- Pages
- 425-432
- ISSN
- 1018-8827 (ISSN-L)
- 1435-165X
- OpenAlex
- W2070495212
- Cited by
- 29
- References
- 6
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 5 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 5 · 2013: 2
- FWCI
- 2.12
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child Abuse and Trauma
- Keywords
- attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, psychosocial adversity, cortisol, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, childhood adversity, diurnal cortisol rhythm, early life programming, children
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity, Child, Female, Humans, Hydrocortisone, Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System, Life Change Events, Male, Pituitary-Adrenal System, Saliva, Stress, Psychological
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