Differentiation between autism and multiple complex developmental disorder in response to psychosocial stress
Differentiation between autism and multiple complex developmental disorder in response to psychosocial stress
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DOI：
10.1038/sj.npp.1300046
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发表时间：
2003-03-01
影响因子：
7.6
通讯作者：
van Engeland, H
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Jansen, LMC;Gispen-de Wied, CC;van Engeland, H
根据症状学，多发性复杂发育障碍 (MCDD) 代表自闭症谱系中的一个独特群体。与自闭症儿童不同，部分 MCDD 儿童在成年后会患上精神分裂症。尽管存在差异，但这两种疾病的患者的主要特征都是对社会环境的异常反应。在生物学层面上，我们在之前的一项研究中表明，MCDD 儿童对心理社会压力的皮质醇反应降低。鉴于自闭症儿童在临床上表现出更多的社交障碍，据推测，与 MCDD 患者相比，他们对社会心理压力的皮质醇反应可能进一步降低。因此，我们将 10 名自闭症儿童与 10 名 MCDD 儿童和 12 名健康对照儿童对社会心理压力源（包括公开演讲任务）的反应进行了比较。为了测试生物压力反应中的任何损害是否是心理社会压力所特有的，我们将自闭症儿童与 11 MCDD 儿童和 15 名对照儿童对身体压力源（包括 10 分钟的自行车运动）的反应进行了比较。心率和唾液皮质醇水平被用作压力测试反应的指标。自闭症儿童对心理社会压力的皮质醇反应相对较高，而 MCDD 儿童的皮质醇反应较低。没有发现心率或皮质醇对身体压力测试的反应存在差异。自闭症儿童和 MCDD 儿童皮质醇对社会心理压力反应的具体差异表明，在这些疾病中观察到的对社会环境的干扰反应可能具有不同的生物学背景。
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 I I 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.