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Low hair cortisol concentration and emerging attention‐deficit/hyperactivity symptoms in preschool age
Author(s) -
Schloß Susan,
Ruhl Isabelle,
Müller Viola,
Becker Katja,
Skoluda Nadine,
Nater Urs M.,
PauliPott Ursula
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
developmental psychobiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.055
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1098-2302
pISSN - 0012-1630
DOI - 10.1002/dev.21627
Subject(s) - hypoactivity , attention deficit hyperactivity disorder , confounding , psychology , clinical psychology , medicine
Previous research demonstrated hypoactivity of the HPA axis in children with attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or externalizing symptoms. We analyzed the predictive association between the long‐term HPA axis activity and increasing symptoms of ADHD in the preschool period. The sample consisted of n = 125 4‐year‐old children and their families (including n = 64 children with elevated ADHD symptoms). ADHD symptoms were assessed by a structured clinical interview with the mother and by parent‐ and teacher‐report questionnaires. The long‐term HPA axis activity was assessed by the hair cortisol concentration (HCC) (over a 3‐month period). After controlling for potential confounders, low HCC predicted an increase in ADHD symptoms between the age of 4 and 5 years. Exploration of gender effects revealed that cross‐sectional and predictive associations were significant in boys but not in girls. Low HCC might thus be regarded as an early marker of a possibly gender‐related developmental pathway to ADHD.