Abstract
Salivary levels of biomarkers for the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA; cortisol) and sympatho-adreno-medullary system (SAM; α-amylase) were measured in 51 adults (57% male) with neurodevelopmental disorders associated with intellectual disability (i. e., mental retardation) and chronic self-injurious behavior (SIB) and compared with matched controls without SIB. Cortisol levels differed significantly (p<0.01) between the SIB and control group (SIB>control). Within-group analyses showed significant differences (p<0.05) in levels of salivary α-amylase between individuals with SIB and those with SIB meeting criteria for stereotyped movement disorder (SMD; SIB+SMD>SIB). Salivary α-amylase was significantly correlated with frequency of stereotypy among the SIB group (r=0.36, p<0.05). These preliminary findings warrant further exploration into the role of the SAM system in the pathophysiology of SIB and related repetitive behaviors among individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders associated with intellectual disability.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 144-151 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Journal of neurodevelopmental disorders |
| Volume | 3 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jun 2011 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:The preparation of this report was supported, in part, by NICHD Grant No. 44763 and 47201 to the University of Minnesota. We are grateful to Jamie Clary for assistance with saliva collection. Our sincere thanks go to a committed group of parents and staff for their support.
Keywords
- HPA axis
- Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA)
- Salivary
- Self-injury
- Stereotypy
- Sympatho-adreno-medullary system (SAM)