A momentary assessment study on emotional and biological stress in adult males and females with autism spectrum disorder

Kim Van Der Linden,Emmy Ottenheijm,Thérèse Van Amelsvoort,Machteld Marcelis,Wolfgang Viechtbauer,Claudia Simons

doi:10.1038/s41598-021-93159-y

Kim Van Der Linden, Emmy Ottenheijm + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-93159-y

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Journal: Scientific Reports	Publication Date: Jul 8, 2021
Citations: 9	License type: open-access

Affiliation: Maastricht University

Abstract

Prospective momentary psychological and biological measures of real-time daily life stress experiences have been examined in several psychiatric disorders, but not in adults with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The current electronic self-monitoring study examined associations between momentary daily life stressors and (i) negative affect (NA; emotional stress reactivity) and (ii) cortisol levels (biological stress reactivity) in males and females with ASD (N = 50) and without ASD (N = 51). The Experience Sampling Method, including saliva sampling, was used to measure three types of daily life stress (activity-related, event-related, and social stress), NA, and cortisol. Multilevel regression analyses demonstrated significant interactions between group and stress (i.e., activity-related and event-related stress) in the model of NA, indicating stronger emotional stress reactivity in the ASD than in the control group. In the model of cortisol, none of the group × stress interactions were significant. Male/female sex had no moderating effect on either emotional or biological stress reactivity. In conclusion, adults with ASD showed a stronger emotional stress (but not cortisol) reactivity in response to unpleasant daily life events and activities. The findings highlight the feasibility of electronic self-monitoring in individuals with ASD, which may contribute to the development of more personalized stress-management approaches.

Highlights

Prospective momentary psychological and biological measures of real-time daily life stress experiences have been examined in several psychiatric disorders, but not in adults with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
It is well-known that stress-related disorders are twice as prevalent in females than males[22,23] and it has been shown that the HPA axis is influenced by female sex h ormones[24]
This has led to the idea that the affective pathway to psychosis may be more dominant in females, whereas the developmental pathway to psychosis may be more prominent in males

Summary

Introduction

Prospective momentary psychological and biological measures of real-time daily life stress experiences have been examined in several psychiatric disorders, but not in adults with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The current electronic self-monitoring study examined associations between momentary daily life stressors and (i) negative affect (NA; emotional stress reactivity) and (ii) cortisol levels (biological stress reactivity) in males and females with ASD (N = 50) and without ASD (N = 51). Multiple lines of research have explored the pathways involved in the stress response; the most replicated finding in the literature is that cortisol mediates the association between stress and mood in humans[16,17] or behavior in animals[18,19] This pathway has not yet been explored in adults with ASD, studies using animal models in ASD (i.e., BTRB mice) showed evidence for a mediating effect of stress hormones in the behavioral response to stressors[20,21]. Studying sex differences in momentary stress reactivity is pivotal as it may indicate a sex-dependent underlying vulnerability to develop mood and anxiety symptoms[29,30], knowledge that is vital for the development of tailored-treatment

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