SYDNEY, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Measuring hair cortisol may help reveal the impact of stress on autistic children, offering a biological tool to complement behavioral assessments, Australian research has found.
The study used biological samples from more than 580 autistic children, as well as their non-autistic siblings, and unrelated non-autistic children, aged 2 to 17, said a statement from Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA) on Monday.
Researchers from NeuRA and the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Australia found that lower hair cortisol concentration was associated with greater autism severity, particularly internalized distress, behavioral difficulties, and co-occurring ADHD.
"There were also links between higher hair cortisol concentration and sleep anxiety, night wakings, lower family income and younger children," said Adam Walker, research fellow from NeuRA's Laboratory of ImmunoPsychiatry.
UNSW Professor Valsamma Eapen said hair cortisol provides a reliable, non-invasive 3-6-month window into chronic stress in autistic children, avoiding issues with hard-to-collect acute tests like blood or saliva. ■
