Abstract

Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and Developmental coordination disorder (DCD) are neurodevelopmental disorders that have a worldwide prevalence between 1 % and 5 % in school-aged children. In addition to the primary symptoms of each disorder, cardiac alterations appear to be superior to those seen in typically developing children. Therefore, the aim of this study was to summarize evidence regarding cardiac outcomes of children and adolescents with ASD and DCD compared to typically developing controls. Method: This is a systematic review study, registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42021268196. Studies were searched on PubMed, Scopus, PEDro database, Web of Science, and PsycohINFO. We included original case-control and cross-sectional articles conducted with children aged between 6–12 years and/or adolescents between 13–18 years with a diagnosis of ASD and/or DCD, evaluating cardiac outcomes, such as Heart Rate Variability (HRV) and Heart Rate (HR). The risk of bias was evaluated through the Newcastle – Ottawa Scale (NOS). Results: Out of the 2118 studies retrieved in the initial databases searches, ten were included in this systematic review and classified as having moderate to high methodological quality. Children and adolescents with ASD and DCD showed significantly alterations on their cardiac outcomes, particularly in the modulation of the cardiac autonomic control, assessed through HRV compared to those typically developing. Conclusion: This systematic review uncovered that children/adolescents with ASD and DCD have cardiac alterations, characterized by higher sympathetic and lower parasympathetic modulation during resting and in response to distress. HRV assessment in this population is important for early detection of cardiac dysfunctions. More studies are recommended to expansion of the literature in this field. © 2025 Elsevier Ltd