Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41184579›Full record

ArticleJournal of autism and developmental disorders2025

Sleep Mediates the Association Between Emotion Dysregulation and Repetitive Behaviors in Autistic Children.

Elisa Fucà, Sara Passarini, Silvia Guerrera, Francesco Dentale, Floriana Costanzo, Martina Parisi, Laura Casula, Sabine Pirchio, Deny Menghini, Giovanni Valeri and 1 more

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Article in Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Elisa Fucà *Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
Sara Passarini *Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
Silvia GuerreraChild and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy. silvia.guerrera@opbg.net.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3449-5630
Francesco DentaleDepartment of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology and Health Studies, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
Floriana CostanzoChild and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
Martina ParisiChild and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
Laura CasulaChild and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
Sabine PirchioDepartment of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology and Health Studies, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
Deny MenghiniChild and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
Giovanni ValeriChild and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
Stefano VicariChild and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy.

Funding

Ministero della Salute Ministero della Salute
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeEmotion dysregulation (ED) is recognized as a transdiagnostic risk factor for psychopathology, influencing both autistic and non-autistic populations. Among autistic children, ED has been linked to the occurrence of restricted and repetitive behaviors (RRBs), a core feature of autism spectrum disorder. However, the mechanisms underlying this relationship remain poorly understood. Given that sleep problems are common in autistic children and play a critical role in shaping emotional and behavioral functioning, this study investigates whether sleep difficulties mediate the link between ED and RRBs, offering new insights into their interconnected dynamics in ASD.

methodsThe study included 90 autistic children aged 6-12 years (71 males and 19 females). A mediation model was tested, examining ED as the predictor, sleep disturbances as the mediator, and children's RRBs-total RRBs, low-order RRBs, and high-order RRBs-as criteria.

resultsThe results revealed a significant indirect effect of ED on children's RRBs via sleep disturbances. Specifically, we identified the role of sleep as a mediator for the relationship between ED and low-order RRBs.

conclusionOur finding indicates that difficulties in emotion regulation may amplify sleep disturbances, thus triggering or intensifying RRBs, especially those related with repetitive physical movements, such as motor stereotypes and self-harming repetitive actions. The mediation effect of sleep highlights its potential as a target for interventions to reduce both ED and RRBs in autistic children. Improving sleep quality could address emotional and behavioral symptoms simultaneously, underscoring the need for integrated therapeutic approaches that prioritize sleep in comprehensive autism care.

Indexed as

Autism spectrum disorderInsomniaMotor stereotypesRitualistic behaviorSamenessSelf-regulation

Identifiers

PMID41184579

What Socratic holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.