Physiological Response to Social Evaluative Threat in Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder

• DOI: 10.1007/s10803-016-2842-1
• Publication Date: 2016-06-18T15:55:23Z
• Authors: E. Kale Edmiston; Robin M. Jones; Blythe A. Corbett
• Keywords: Male; Adolescent; Autism Spectrum Disorder; Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia; 3. Good health; Electrocardiography; 03 medical and health sciences; 0302 clinical medicine; Heart Rate; Parasympathetic Nervous System; Case-Control Studies; Humans; Female; Arousal; Child; Social Behavior; Stress, Psychological

The Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) was employed to study response to social evaluative threat in male adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD, n = 21) and typical development (n = 13). Participants wore a mobile electrocardiogram to collect heart rate data. There were significant group effects on respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), a measure of parasympathetic nervous system function, with lower values in ASD (F = 4.97). Bivariate correlations also showed a significant relationship between parent reports of social problems and RSA response to the TSST (r = -0.586). These findings suggest that autonomic dysregulation may contribute to social deficits in adolescents with ASD.