Observational Study Recording Stress Biomarkers in Autism Spectrum Disorders

← ClinicalTrials.gov Studies

Recording Stress Biomarkers in Autism Spectrum Disorders

Observational NCT07535801 Kind: OBSERVATIONAL Apr 17, 2026

Abstract

The goal of this observational study is to learn how stress affects children and young people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Many individuals with autism experience strong stress reactions that may lead to challenging behaviours such as agitation, withdrawal, aggression, or self-injury. These behaviours can be difficult to predict, especially in people who have limited communication abilities.

Researchers want to better understand how the body reacts to stress in real-life situations. The study focuses on two main biological systems involved in the stress response:

the autonomic nervous system, which produces fast reactions such as changes in heart rate and sweating, and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, which produces slower hormonal responses such as cortisol.

The main questions the study aims to answer are:

• Do physiological stress signals differ between individuals with ASD and those without ASD?
• Are there differences in physiological stress responses between individuals with ASD and non-ASD participants?
• Can physiological markers help identify stress earlier in people with autism?

Researchers will compare children and young people with autism to a control group of participants without autism to see whether their stress responses differ.

Participants will take part in monitoring during their normal daily activities. This allows researchers to observe stress responses in natural environments such as school, home, or specialized care institutions....

Conditions: Autism Spectrum Disorder With Intellectual Deficiency

View original document →