Differentiation between Autism and Multiple Complex Developmental Disorder in Response to Psychosocial Stress
Open accessAbstract
Multiple Complex Developmental Disorder (MCDD) represents a distinct group within the autistic spectrum based on symptomatology. Unlike autistic children, part of MCDD children develop schizophrenia in adult life. Despite the differences, patients of both disorders are mainly characterized by abnormal reactions to their social environment. At the biological level, we showed in a previous study that MCDD children have a reduced cortisol response to psychosocial stress. Given the fact that autistic children clinically show more social impairments, it was hypothesized that they may have even further decreased cortisol responses to psychosocial stress than MCDD patients. Therefore, 10 autistic children were compared to 10 MCDD children and 12 healthy control children in their response to a psychosocial stressor, consisting of a public speaking task. In order to test whether any impairments in the biological stress response are specific for psychosocial stress, the autistic children were compared with 11 MCDD children and 15 control children in their response to a physical stressor, consisting of 10 min of bicycle exercise. Heart rate and salivary cortisol levels were used as indicators of response to the stress tests. Autistic children showed a relatively elevated cortisol response to psychosocial stress, in contrast to MCDD children who showed a reduced cortisol response. No differences in heart rate or cortisol responses to the physical stress test were found. The specific difference between autistic and MCDD children in their cortisol response to psychosocial stress indicates that the disturbed reactions to the social environment observed in these disorders may have different biological backgrounds.
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The blunted heart rate response was previously suggested to be a manifestation of response saturation due to basal hyperarousal.
“and was previously suggested to be a manifestation of response saturation due to basal hyperarousal.”
From Functional autonomic nervous system profile in children with autism spectrum disorder (2014) · cites this paper as [15]
The Discussion (page unavailable) reports a decreased heart-rate response to psychosocial stress in autistic children. It suggests difficulty anticipating the social situation as a possible explanation, but does not suggest that basal hyperarousal caused response saturation. Searches for that mechanism and for a baseline heart-rate ceiling effect found no supporting passage. (LLM, conf=0.84)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe blunted heart rate response pattern has been reported consistently in three studies examining autonomic nervous system reactivity to psychosocial challenges.
“This pattern has been reported consistently in three studies examining ANS reactivity to psychosocial challenges [15-17]”
From Functional autonomic nervous system profile in children with autism spectrum disorder (2014) · cites this paper as [15]
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References 33 · Cited by 118
Research works printed but not linked: 3
- Fombonne E (1998). Epidemiological surveys of autism. In: Volkmar FR (ed). Autism and Pervasive Developmental Dis- orders. Cambridge University Press: Cambridge. pp 32-63.
- Van der Gaag RJ, Buitelaar JK, Van den Ban E, Bezemer M, Njio L, Van Engeland H (1995). A controlled multivariate chart review of multiple complex develop- mental disorder. J Am Acad Child Psychiatry 34: 1096-1106.
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- Authors
- Jansen, L. M., Gispen-de Wied, C. C., van der Gaag, R.-J., & van Engeland, H.
- Affiliations
- University Medical Center Utrecht (NL)
- Corresponding author
- Jansen, Lucres MC
- ORCID
- Jansen, Lucres MC
- Venue
- Neuropsychopharmacology
- Published
- 2002-08-06
- Volume
- 28
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 582-590
- ISSN
- 0893-133X (ISSN-L)
- 1740-634X
- OpenAlex
- W1993356268
- Cited by
- 118
- References
- 33
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 9 · 2013: 10 · 2012: 8
- FWCI
- 0.95
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- Neuropsychopharmacology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Pure Amsterdam UMC (publishedVersion, other-oa)
- Amsterdam UMC (VU Amsterdam) - Institutional Repository (publishedVersion, other-oa)
- Radboud Repository (Radboud University) (submittedVersion)
- Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
- Keywords
- autism spectrum disorder, psychosocial stress, cortisol response, stress response, heart rate, social dysfunction, physiological stress response, schizophrenia risk
- MeSH terms
- Analysis of Variance, Anxiety, Autistic Disorder, Child, Developmental Disabilities, Diagnosis, Differential, Female, Heart Rate, Humans, Hydrocortisone, Male, Saliva, Stress, Psychological
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