Hair Cortisol Levels: A New Lens for Understanding Chronic Stress in Autistic Children

New research suggests that hair cortisol levels may offer a complementary method to behavioral assessments for understanding the impact of chronic stress on autistic children.

This is particularly relevant for children who may have difficulty communicating their feelings.

Dr. Adam Walker from Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA) noted that while stress interactions are typically discussed directly, this can be challenging for some autistic children. The study, therefore, aimed to determine if hair cortisol concentration could serve as a biomarker to better understand the relationship between stress, sleep, and other factors within this population.

The Study: Scope and Methodology

The research utilized samples from over 580 autistic children, alongside their non-autistic siblings and unrelated non-autistic children. Participants ranged in age from two to 17 years.

Hair cortisol concentration is a non-invasive biomarker that provides retrospective data on chronic stress. It incorporates cortisol from blood, sweat, and sebum, offering insights into stress levels over weeks or months.

Key Findings: Cortisol Levels and Their Associations

The study revealed distinct associations related to hair cortisol concentrations:

• Lower hair cortisol concentration was linked to greater autism severity, specifically internalized distress, behavioral difficulties, and co-occurring ADHD.
• Higher hair cortisol concentration showed connections to sleep anxiety, frequent night wakings, lower family income, and younger age.

Researchers suggest that integrating this biological information with behavioral insights could lead to a more personalized understanding of a child's experience and guide tailored support.

Implications for Personalized Support and Intervention

Scientia Professor Valsamma Eapen highlighted that hair cortisol provides a reliable 3-6 month window of chronic stress. This method circumvents the challenges often associated with collecting acute stress measures in autistic children.

Crucially, this approach can also help identify hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis dysfunction. Such identification can enable targeted therapeutic interventions aimed at improving functionality, sleep, and behavioral outcomes for affected children.

Research Origins and Publication

This research was a collaborative effort conducted by NeuRA and UNSW Sydney. It received support from the Autism CRC Australian Autism Biobank and was published in the journal Psychoneuroendocrinology.