Table 2.
Authors | ASD sample | Comparison sample | Methods | Summary of findings | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Basic Regulatory Processes | |||||
*Hamza et al, 2010 | 50 participants with autistic disorder. Age range = 3 to 12 years. | age-, sex-, and pubertal-stage matched TD controls (not matched on IQ) | Plasma cortisol response to ACTH-S |
|
Lower basal cortisol levels in ASD group and those who had more severe autism not accounted for. |
Hoshino et al., 1984 | 19 participants with autistic disorder. Age range=5 to 20 years (M = 11.5 years). | 4 comparison groups (TD adults, adults with schizophrenia, children with intellectual disability, children with attention deficit disorder) | plasma cortisol response to DST |
|
Significant age range spanning pubertal stages |
*Hoshino et al, 1987 | 22 participants with autistic disorder. Mean age = 9 years (range not given). | TD children and TD adults (not matched on IQ) | plasma and salivary cortisol response to DST |
|
|
Jensen et al., 1985 | 13 participants with autistic disorder. Age range = 2 to 17 years. | None | plasma cortisol response to DST |
|
All but 1 participant had IQ of 40 or less. Large age range |
*Marinovic- Curin et al., 2008 | 9 participants with autistic disorder. Mean age = 11.9 years (range not given). | age-matched, TD controls (not matched on IQ) for DST. TD adults for ACTH-S. | salivary cortisol response to DST and ACTH-S |
|
Level of functioning of sample not provided. Comparison sample for ACTH-S was adults. |
Non-Social Environmental Stressors | |||||
*Corbett et al., 2006 | 12 participants with autistic disorder. Age range = 6 to 11 years (M = 8.5 years). | TD children, matched on age and gender (not matched on IQ) | salivary cortisol response to mock MRI |
|
|
*Corbett et al., 2008 | 22 participants with autistic disorder. Age range = 6.5 to 12 years (M = 8.8 years). | TD children, matched on age (not matched on IQ) | salivary cortisol response to mock MRI |
|
Children were excluded if IQ scores were less than 80. Children with ASD were slightly higher functioning than in their 2006 sample |
*Corbett et al., 2009 | 22 participants with autistic disorder. Age range = 6 to 12 years (M = 8.8 years). | TD children, matched on age (not matched on IQ) | salivary cortisol response to mock MRI |
|
Children were excluded if IQ scores were less than 80. |
Jansen et al., 1999 | 12 participants with PDD-NOS. Age range = 6 to 12 years. | 4 comparison groups (children with dysthymia, oppositional defiant disorder/conduct disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or no psychiatric diagnoses) | salivary cortisol response to attention task and physical stressor (bike ride) |
|
Level of functioning of sample not provided. |
*Jansen et al., 2003 | 10 participants with PDD-NOS (all with MCDD) and 10 with autistic disorder. Mean age = 9.4 years (range not given). | TD children, matched on age (no information about IQ in comparison group) | salivary cortisol response to physical stressor (bike ride) |
|
Children with intellectual disability were excluded. |
Spratt et al., 2012 | 20 participants with autistic disorder. Age range = 3 to 10 years (M = 7.0 years) | TD children who were younger on average | salivary cortisol response to blood draw |
|
Children with IQ scores less than 55 were excluded. No other information on level of cognitive functioning. |
Psychosocial Stressors | |||||
Corbett et al., 2010 | 21 participants with autistic disorder. Age range = 8 to 12 years (M = 10.0 years) | TD children, matched on age (not matched on IQ) | salivary cortisol response to playground interaction |
|
Children with IQ scores less than 75 were excluded. |
Corbett et al., 2012 | 27 participants with autistic disorder (n = 22) or PDD-NOS (n = 5) Age range = 8 to 12 years (M = 10.1 years) | TD children matched on age (not matched on IQ) | salivary cortisol response to TSST and playground interaction |
|
Analyses examining responses to both playground and TSST included 14 children with ASD and 8 controls. Children with IQ scores less than 75 were excluded. |
Jansen et al., 2000 | 10 participants with PDD-NOS (all with MCDD), Mean age = 9.8 years. (range not given) | TD children matched on age (no information about IQ in comparison group) | salivary cortisol response to TSST-like task |
|
IQ range of ASD group was 69–110. 6 participants in ASD group were on antipsychotic medications |
*Jansen et al., 2003 | 10 participants with PDD-NOS (all with MCDD), Mean age = 9.9 years. 10 participants with autistic disorder, Mean age =9.4 years. (ranges not given). | TD children, matched on age (no information about IQ in comparison group) | salivary cortisol response to TSST-like task |
|
Children with intellectual disability were excluded. |
Jansen et al., 2006 | 7 participants with autistic disorder and 3 with Asperger syndrome, Mean age = 21.8 years (range not given) | TD adults, matched on age and IQ | salivary cortisol response to TSST-like task |
|
Adults with IQ scores less than 70 were excluded |
Lanni et al., 2012 | 15 participants with autistic disorder Age range = 8 to 12 years (M = 9.9 years) | TD children matched on age (not matched on IQ) | salivary cortisol response to TSST |
|
Children with IQ scores less than 70 were excluded. |
Levine et al., 2012 | 8 participants with PDD-NOS, 9 with Asperger’s disorder, and 2 with autistic disorder (total n = 19) Age range = 8 to 12 years (M = 9.7 years) | TD children matched on age. IQ was higher in comparison group but not significantly so. | salivary cortisol response to TSST |
|
Some children in the control group were siblings of the children with ASD. Children with IQ scores less than 70 were excluded. |
Lopata et al., 2008 | 33 children with ASD. Age range = 6 to 13 years (M = 9.8 years) | No control group (within-subjects design) | salivary cortisol response to familiar vs. unfamiliar peer |
|
Children with IQ scores less than 70 were excluded. |
Naber et al., 2007 | 20 children with autistic disorder and 14 children with PDD-NOS. Mean age = 29.8 months | 12 children with intellectual disability, 16 children with language disorder, 18 TD children. Control groups of similar age | salivary cortisol response to Strange Situation |
|
|
Schupp et al., 2013 | 21 children with autistic disorder and 5 children with PDD-NOS. Age range = 8 to 12 years (M = 10.2 years) | TD children, matched on age and gender (not matched on IQ) | salivary cortisol response to playground interaction |
|
Note. Studies marked with an asterisk appear more than once in Table 1 and/or 2. ACTH-S = ACTH Stimulation Test; DST = Dexamethasone Suppression Test; TD = typically developing; ASD = autism spectrum disorder; PDD-NOS = Pervasive Developmental Disorder – Not Otherwise Specified; MCDD = Multiple Complex Developmental Disorder; TSST = Trier Social Stress Test