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Molina NC, Zhou AM, Kaliush PR, Maylott SE, Pappal AE, Wright KR, Neff D, Butner JE, Raby KL, Conradt E, Crowell SE. A bioecological longitudinal study of depressive symptoms from pregnancy to 36 months postpartum. J Affect Disord 2024; 365:56-64. [PMID: 39142585 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.08.059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2024] [Revised: 08/06/2024] [Accepted: 08/11/2024] [Indexed: 08/16/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Depressive symptoms during the perinatal period have broad and enduring health implications for birthing parents and their offspring. Rising prevalence rates of perinatal depression highlight the need for research examining factors influencing depressive symptoms during pregnancy, and trajectories during the early postnatal period. Grounded in bioecological systems theory, this longitudinal multimethod study examined whether prenatal bioecological factors predict depressive symptoms from pregnancy to 36 months postpartum. METHODS Participants were 162 pregnant individuals, oversampled for high emotion dysregulation, who completed a life stress interview and physiological assessment during the 3rd trimester and a self-report measure of depression at five time-points (3rd trimester, within 48 h of birth, 7, 18, and 36 months postpartum). Multilevel models were used to test study aims. RESULTS Participants exhibited the highest levels of depressive symptoms at 3rd trimester, and substantial variability in depressive symptom trajectories over time. Lower resting respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), an index of parasympathetic nervous system functioning, in the 3rd trimester was associated with higher concurrent depressive symptoms. Higher levels of stress related to partner relationships, finances, and health were concurrently associated with more depressive symptoms during pregnancy and decreases in depressive symptoms over time. Specifically, depressive symptoms decreased only for individuals who reported high levels of stress during pregnancy. LIMITATIONS Although grounded in bioecological systems theory, this study did not assess the macrosystem. CONCLUSIONS Results of this study underscore the importance of multilevel predictors of perinatal health and highlights potential targets for preventing depression and promoting well-being during the perinatal transition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolette C Molina
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, United States of America.
| | - Anna M Zhou
- Department of Psychology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States of America
| | - Parisa R Kaliush
- University of North Carolina (UNC), School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, United States of America
| | - Sarah E Maylott
- University of North Carolina (UNC), School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, United States of America
| | - Ashley E Pappal
- Department of Psychology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States of America
| | - Kira R Wright
- Department of Psychology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States of America
| | - Dylan Neff
- University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, United States of America
| | - Jonathan E Butner
- Department of Psychology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States of America
| | - K Lee Raby
- Department of Psychology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States of America
| | - Elisabeth Conradt
- Department of Psychology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, United States of America; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Sheila E Crowell
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, United States of America
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Savard MA, Merlo R, Samithamby A, Paas A, Coffey EBJ. Approaches to studying emotion using physiological responses to spoken narratives: A scoping review. Psychophysiology 2024; 61:e14642. [PMID: 38961524 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2023] [Revised: 06/07/2024] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024]
Abstract
Narratives are effective tools for evoking emotions, and physiological measurements provide a means of objectively assessing emotional reactions - making them a potentially powerful pair of tools for studying emotional processes. However, extent research combining emotional narratives and physiological measurement varies widely in design and application, making it challenging to identify previous work, consolidate findings, and design effective experiments. Our scoping review explores the use of auditory emotional narratives and physiological measures in research, examining paradigms, study populations, and represented emotions. Following the PRISMA-ScR Checklist, we searched five databases for peer-reviewed experimental studies that used spoken narratives to induce emotion and reported autonomic physiological measures. Among 3466 titles screened and 653 articles reviewed, 110 studies were included. Our exploration revealed a variety of applications and experimental paradigms; emotional narratives paired with physiological measures have been used to study diverse topics and populations, including neurotypical and clinical groups. Although incomparable designs and sometimes contradictory results precluded general recommendations as regards which physiological measures to use when designing new studies, as a whole, the body of work suggests that these tools can be valuable to study emotions. Our review offers an overview of research employing narratives and physiological measures for emotion study, and highlights weaknesses in reporting practices and gaps in our knowledge concerning the robustness and specificity of physiological measures as indices of emotion. We discuss study design considerations and transparent reporting, to facilitate future using emotional narratives and physiological measures in studying emotions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie-Anick Savard
- Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- International Laboratory for Brain, Music and Sound Research (BRAMS), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Centre for Research on Brain, Language and Music (CRBLM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Raphaëlle Merlo
- International Laboratory for Brain, Music and Sound Research (BRAMS), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Centre for Research on Brain, Language and Music (CRBLM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- École de Psychologie, Université Laval, Québec, Quebec, Canada
| | - Abiraam Samithamby
- Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- International Laboratory for Brain, Music and Sound Research (BRAMS), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Centre for Research on Brain, Language and Music (CRBLM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Anita Paas
- Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- International Laboratory for Brain, Music and Sound Research (BRAMS), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Centre for Research on Brain, Language and Music (CRBLM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Emily B J Coffey
- Department of Psychology, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- International Laboratory for Brain, Music and Sound Research (BRAMS), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Centre for Research on Brain, Language and Music (CRBLM), Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI), McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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Risbud RD, Guyer AE, Robins RW, Hastings PD. Development of Comorbid Alcohol Use and Depressive Symptoms During Late Adolescence: Examining the Roles of Emotion Regulation and Gender Differences. Res Child Adolesc Psychopathol 2024:10.1007/s10802-024-01251-4. [PMID: 39340743 DOI: 10.1007/s10802-024-01251-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/16/2024] [Indexed: 09/30/2024]
Abstract
Depression and alcohol use are highly comorbid, and often emerge during adolescence. Depressive symptoms may precede alcohol use, via the self-medication pathway, or alcohol use may precede depressive symptoms, via the alcohol induced disruption pathway. Yet little is known about other risks for developing comorbidity via either path. The present study hypothesized that poor cognitive and physiological emotion regulation (ER) are risk factors implicated in the development of comorbid depression and alcohol use during late adolescence. Participants were 229 (113 girls) Mexican-origin youth who reported on depressive symptoms and alcohol use at ages 17 (Time 1) and 19 years (Time 2). At age 17, cognitive reappraisal (CR), an adaptive ER strategy, and baseline respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), a physiological index of ER capacity, were assessed. CR, RSA and gender were examined as predictors and moderators of the developing comorbidity of alcohol use and depression in cross-lagged panel models. Lower use of CR was concurrently associated with more depressive symptoms at age 17 and predicted greater depression at age 19. Age 17 alcohol use predicted age 19 depressive symptoms for boys. Lower RSA at age 17 also predicted more depressive symptoms at age 19 for boys. Neither CR nor RSA moderated the predicted relations between depression and alcohol use. Findings supported the alcohol induced disruption model of comorbidity for boys, and showed that poor cognitive and physiological ER increased risk for exacerbating depressive symptoms in late adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- R D Risbud
- Department of Psychology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA.
- Center for Mind & Brain, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA.
| | - A E Guyer
- Center for Mind & Brain, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
- Department of Human Ecology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - R W Robins
- Department of Psychology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - P D Hastings
- Department of Psychology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
- Center for Mind & Brain, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, USA
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4
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Kehm K, Schloß S, Mann C, Becker K, König U, Pott W, Chavanon ML, Pauli-Pott U. Autonomic regulation and comorbid symptoms in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2024:10.1007/s00702-024-02832-9. [PMID: 39259331 DOI: 10.1007/s00702-024-02832-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 09/01/2024] [Indexed: 09/13/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Vagally-mediated heart rate variability (vmHRV) is regarded as transdiagnostic marker of emotion regulation and cognitive control capacity. We analysed vmHRV of children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Based on previous research, we expected to find comorbid symptom dimensions (i.e. internalizing symptoms, conduct problems (CP), and callous unemotional (CU) traits) to relate to vmHRV measures. METHODS The sample comprised 100 (70 boys) medication naïve children with ADHD. Children were 6 to 11 years old. High frequency HRV (HF-HRV) was measured at rest and during a delay of gratification task. Additionally, sympathetic reactivity was assessed via skin conductance responses (SCR). Comorbid symptoms were assessed by parent-report questionnaires and clinical interviews. RESULTS The multiple correlation between CU traits and the HF-HRV scores proved statistically significant. Higher CU traits were associated with higher HRV resting-state and response scores. CP were positively associated with the SCR score. CONCLUSION In children with ADHD, increased CU traits might point to a comparatively less impaired self-regulation capacity in the reward-related context. The result corresponds to findings from previous studies. In the future, CU traits should be considered in analyses of autonomic regulation in ADHD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kira Kehm
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University of Marburg, Schützenstrasse 45, D-35039, Marburg, Germany
| | - Susan Schloß
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University of Marburg, Schützenstrasse 45, D-35039, Marburg, Germany
| | - Christopher Mann
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University of Marburg, Schützenstrasse 45, D-35039, Marburg, Germany
| | - Katja Becker
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University of Marburg, Schützenstrasse 45, D-35039, Marburg, Germany
- Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), University of Marburg and Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
| | - Udo König
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University of Marburg, Schützenstrasse 45, D-35039, Marburg, Germany
| | - Wilfried Pott
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University of Marburg, Schützenstrasse 45, D-35039, Marburg, Germany
| | | | - Ursula Pauli-Pott
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University of Marburg, Schützenstrasse 45, D-35039, Marburg, Germany.
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Huijzer-Engbrenghof M, van Rijn-van Gelderen L, Spencer H, Wesarg-Menzel C, Creasey N, Lalihatu ES, Overbeek G. A longitudinal study on the relation between parenting and Toddler's disruptive behavior: what is the role of Toddler's negative emotionality and physiological stress reactivity? Front Psychol 2024; 15:1444447. [PMID: 39315044 PMCID: PMC11418277 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1444447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2024] [Accepted: 07/24/2024] [Indexed: 09/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Harsh and unsupportive parenting is a risk factor for the development of disruptive behavior in children. However, little is known about how children's temperament and stress reactivity influence this relation. In a three-wave longitudinal study, we examined whether the associations between parenting practices (supportive parenting, positive discipline, and harsh discipline) and child disruptive behavior were mediated by child temperament (negative emotionality) and stress reactivity (heart rate reactivity). In 72 families (Mage child = 14.6 months), living in the Netherlands, parents reported on their parenting practices and their children's disruptive behavior and negative emotionality. Children's heart rate reactivity was assessed through a series of stress-inducing tasks. Results from regression-based mediation analyses with bootstrapping showed that negative emotionality and stress reactivity did not mediate the relation between parenting and disruptive behavior. The results overall demonstrate that in a group of children this age, a reinforcing dynamic between parenting, child stress and disruptive behavior is not yet firmly established.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marijke Huijzer-Engbrenghof
- Preventive Youth Care, Research Institute of Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Loes van Rijn-van Gelderen
- Preventive Youth Care, Research Institute of Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Hannah Spencer
- Institute of Education and Child Studies, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Christiane Wesarg-Menzel
- Institute for Psychosocial Medicine, Psychotherapy and Psychooncology, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich-Schiller University, Jena, Germany
| | - Nicole Creasey
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands
- Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College, London, United Kingdom
- The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | | | - Geertjan Overbeek
- Preventive Youth Care, Research Institute of Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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Garneau J, Savard J, Dang-Vu TT, Gouin JP. Predicting response to stepped-care cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia using pre-treatment heart rate variability in cancer patients. Sleep Med 2024; 121:160-170. [PMID: 38991424 DOI: 10.1016/j.sleep.2024.06.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2024] [Revised: 06/04/2024] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/13/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study examined whether high frequency heart-rate variability (HF-HRV) and HF-HRV reactivity to worry moderate response to cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) within both a standard and stepped-care framework among cancer patients with comorbid insomnia. Biomarkers such as HF-HRV may predict response to CBT-I, a finding which could potentially inform patient allocation to different treatment intensities within a stepped-care framework. METHODS 177 participants (86.3 % female; Mage = 55.3, SD = 10.4) were randomized to receive either stepped-care or standard CBT-I. 145 participants had their HRV assessed at pre-treatment during a rest and worry period. Insomnia symptoms were assessed using the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) and daily sleep diary across five timepoints from pre-treatment to a 12-month post-treatment follow-up. RESULTS Resting HF-HRV was significantly associated with pre-treatment sleep efficiency and sleep onset latency but not ISI score. However, resting HF-HRV did not predict overall changes in insomnia across treatment and follow-up. Similarly, resting HF-HRV did not differentially predict changes in sleep diary parameters across standard or stepped-care groups. HRV reactivity was not related to any of the assessed outcome measures in both cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses. CONCLUSION Although resting HF-HRV was related to initial daily sleep parameters, HF-HRV measures did not significantly predict longitudinal responses to CBT-I. These findings suggest that HF-HRV does not predict treatment responsiveness to CBT-I interventions of different intensity in cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Garneau
- Department of Psychology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St. W, Montréal, H4B 1R6, Canada; Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal (CRIUGM), CIUSSS Centre-Sud-de-l'île-de-Montréal, 4565 Queen Mary Rd, Montréal, H3W 1W5, Canada.
| | - Josée Savard
- School of Psychology, Université Laval, 2325 Rue des Bibliothèques, Québec, G1V 0A6, Canada; CHU de Québec-Université Laval Research Center, 2705 Bd Laurier, Québec, G1V 4G2, Canada; Université Laval Cancer Research Center, 9 Rue McMahon, Québec, G1R 3S3, Canada.
| | - Thien Thanh Dang-Vu
- Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal (CRIUGM), CIUSSS Centre-Sud-de-l'île-de-Montréal, 4565 Queen Mary Rd, Montréal, H3W 1W5, Canada; Department of Health, Kinesiology and Applied Physiology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St. W, Montréal, H4B 1R6, Canada.
| | - Jean-Philippe Gouin
- Department of Psychology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St. W, Montréal, H4B 1R6, Canada; Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire de Gériatrie de Montréal (CRIUGM), CIUSSS Centre-Sud-de-l'île-de-Montréal, 4565 Queen Mary Rd, Montréal, H3W 1W5, Canada.
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Chong LS, Yeo AJ, Lin B. Childhood Family Stress and Women's Health: Parasympathetic Activity as a Risk and Resiliency Factor. Appl Psychophysiol Biofeedback 2024:10.1007/s10484-024-09661-2. [PMID: 39179946 DOI: 10.1007/s10484-024-09661-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/14/2024] [Indexed: 08/26/2024]
Abstract
Childhood family stress (CFS) exacerbates risk for physical health problems across the lifespan. Health risks associated with CFS are particularly relevant for women who tend to endorse more CFS than men. Importantly, some evidence suggests that individuals may vary in their susceptibility to CFS. Parasympathetic activity, which helps to regulate automatic bodily activity (e.g., breathing, digestion), has been proposed to represent a marker of plasticity to environmental exposure. However, no research to date has tested whether parasympathetic activity may modulate the impact of early adversity on health. We examined whether parasympathetic activity would moderate the link between CFS and health complaints in a sample of 68 undergraduate women (Mean age = 19.44). Participants self-reported CFS and health complaints. Parasympathetic activity was indexed using high-frequency heart rate variability (HF-HRV) and was evaluated by measuring changes in HF-HRV in response to and following a laboratory-based stress induction. Multiple regression analyses indicated that CFS was significantly associated with more health complaints. Further, HF-HRV in response to stress and during recovery relative to baseline significantly moderated relationship between CFS and health complaints. Specifically, more CFS was significantly associated with more health complaints among women who showed mean or greater decreases in HF-HRV in response to stress. Additionally, lower levels of CFS were associated with fewer health complaints among women who showed mean or greater HF-HRV during recovery relative to baseline. Findings highlight the importance of parasympathetic activity in modulating stress-health links.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Shen Chong
- Department of Psychology, San Jose State University, San Jose, CA, 95192, USA.
| | - Anna J Yeo
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, 02903, USA
- The Mirriam Hospital, Providence, RI, 02906, USA
| | - Betty Lin
- Department of Psychology, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY, 12222, USA
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Li L, Lunkenheimer E. Dynamic self-regulation and coregulation of respiratory sinus arrhythmia in mother-child and father-child interactions: Moderating effects of proximal and distal stressors. Child Dev 2024. [PMID: 39149822 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.14153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/17/2024]
Abstract
This study examined how proximal and distal familial stressors influenced the real-time, dynamic individual and dyadic regulation of respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) in mother-preschooler and father-preschooler interactions in at-risk families (N = 94, Mage = 3.03 years, 47% males, 77% White, 20% Latinx, data collected 2013-2017). Proximal stressors were operationalized as changing task demands (baseline, challenge, recovery) across a dyadic puzzle task. Distal stressors were measured as parent-reported stressful life events. Multilevel models revealed that greater proximal and distal stressors were related to weaker dynamic self-regulation of RSA in mothers, fathers, and children, and more discordant mother-child and father-child coregulation of RSA. Findings affirm that stress is transmitted across levels and persons to compromise real-time regulatory functioning in early, developmentally formative caregiver-child interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Longfeng Li
- Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Erika Lunkenheimer
- Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
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Maylott SE, Reese SE, Zhou AM, Kaliush PR, Terrell S, Saenz C, Brown L, Crowell SE, Lester B, Smid MC, Shakib JH, Garland EL, Conradt E. Maternal psychophysiology profiles: associations with prenatal opioid use, maternal emotion dysregulation, and newborn neurobehavior. Pediatr Res 2024:10.1038/s41390-024-03399-7. [PMID: 39097654 DOI: 10.1038/s41390-024-03399-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2024] [Accepted: 07/01/2024] [Indexed: 08/05/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Opioid use among pregnant women has more than quadrupled over the past 20 years; however, comorbid risk factors such as emotion dysregulation confound the developmental consequences of prenatal opioid use. Maternal respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) may help to disentangle the comorbid risk factors of prenatal emotion dysregulation and substance use and isolate their consequences on newborn neurobehavior. METHODS We examined maternal RSA in response to a mild, infant-related stress task in pregnant people (N = 192; 30 on medications for opioid use disorder) recruited from hospitals and a specialty prenatal clinic for substance use disorder. RESULTS Three latent profiles emerged based on maternal RSA reactivity. Mothers with RSA increasing (Profile 3; more nervous system dysregulation) had higher levels of emotion dysregulation than mothers with RSA decreasing (Profile 1; well-regulated nervous system responses) but were not more likely to use opioids. Additionally, RSA profiles were associated with newborn neurobehavior, including attention, regulation, handling, and arousal. CONCLUSIONS Given the variability in opioid use across RSA profiles and profile associations with newborn neurodevelopment, future studies should examine protective factors in pregnant individuals using opioids who show more flexible RSA responses. IMPACT Our study examined maternal psychophysiology and newborn outcomes in a unique population with high levels of emotion dysregulation and opioid use. Three profiles of maternal respiratory sinus arrythmia (RSA) reactivity were identified during pregnancy: decreasing, blunted, and increasing. The RSA increasing and blunted profiles were associated with higher emotion dysregulation than the decreasing profile. Most pregnant people on medications for opioid use disorder (65%) were grouped into the blunted profile, suggesting they might be more at risk for dysregulated RSA reactivity. Differences in RSA profiles were associated with newborn outcomes, with increasing and blunted RSA predicting more newborn neurobehavioral dysregulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah E Maylott
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
| | - Sarah E Reese
- University of Montana, School of Social Work, Missoula, MT, USA
| | - Anna M Zhou
- Department of Psychology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Parisa R Kaliush
- Department of Psychology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Sarah Terrell
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Celine Saenz
- Department of Psychology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Lydia Brown
- Department of Psychology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | | | - Barry Lester
- Departments of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, Center for the Study of Children at Risk, Alpert Medical School of Brown University and Women and Infants Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Marcela C Smid
- Department of Psychology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Julie H Shakib
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Eric L Garland
- University of Utah, College of Social Work, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Elisabeth Conradt
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
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10
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Weiss SJ, Keeton VF, Leung C, Niemann S. Infant emotion regulation in the context of stress: Effects of heart rate variability and temperament. Stress Health 2024; 40:e3373. [PMID: 38268180 DOI: 10.1002/smi.3373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
Stressful events are inherently emotional. As a result, the ability to regulate emotions is critical in responding effectively to stressors. Differential abilities in the management of stress appear very early in life, compelling a need to better understand factors that may shape the capacity for emotion regulation (ER). Variations in both biologic and behavioural characteristics are thought to influence individual differences in ER development. We sought to determine the differential contributions of temperament and heart rate variability (HRV; an indicator of autonomic nervous system function) to infant resting state emotionality and emotional reactivity in response to a stressor at 6 months of age. Participants included 108 mother-infant dyads. Mothers completed a measure of infant temperament at 6 months postnatal. Mother and infant also participated in a standardized stressor (the Repeated Still Face Paradigm) at that time. Electrocardiographic data were acquired from the infant during a baseline resting state and throughout the stressor. Fast Fourier Transformation was used to analyse the high frequency (HF) domain of HRV, a measure of parasympathetic nervous system activity. Infant ER was measured via standardized coding of emotional distress behaviours from video-records at baseline and throughout the stressor. Severity of mothers' depressive symptoms was included as a covariate in analyses. Results of linear regression indicate that neither temperament nor HRV were associated significantly with an infant's emotional resting state, although a small effect size was found for the relationship between infant negative affectivity and greater emotional distress (β = 0.23, p = 0.08) prior to the stressor. Higher HF-HRV (suggesting parasympathetic dominance) was related to greater emotional distress in response to the stressor (β = 0.34, p = 0.009). This greater emotional reactivity may reflect a more robust capacity to mount an emotional response to the stressor when infants encounter it from a bedrock of parasympathetic activation. Findings may inform eventual markers for assessment of ER in infancy and areas for intervention to enhance infant management of emotions, especially during stressful events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra J Weiss
- Department of Community Health Systems, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Victoria F Keeton
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Cherry Leung
- Department of Community Health Systems, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Sandra Niemann
- Department of Community Health Systems, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
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Goren O, Paz A, Bar-Kalifa E, Gilboa-Schectman E, Wolff M, Atzil-Slonim D. Clients' and therapists' parasympathetic interpersonal and intrapersonal regulation dynamics during psychotherapy for depression. Psychother Res 2024:1-15. [PMID: 39024498 DOI: 10.1080/10503307.2024.2378038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/02/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The literature on affective regulation in psychotherapy has traditionally relied on explicit client self-report measures. However, both clients' and therapists' affect fluctuate moment-to-moment during a session, highlighting the need for more implicit and continuous indices to better understand these dynamics. This study examined parasympathetic interpersonal and intrapersonal regulation dynamics between therapists and clients with Major Depressive Disorder during Supportive-Expressive Therapy. METHOD Data were collected from 52 dyads across five preselected sessions, using the Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia (RSA) index. We employed a longitudinal Actor-Partner Interdependence Model, with clients self-reporting their functioning level before and after each session, as the moderator. RESULTS Therapists' RSA at one time point negatively associated with clients' RSA at the next, and vice-versa, indicating interpersonal regulation. Clients' RSA at one time point was positively associated with their RSA at the next, indicating intrapersonal regulation. However, only interpersonal regulation was significantly moderated by clients' pre-to-post session functioning. Specifically, sessions where clients led positive dyadic RSA associations showed greater improvement in clients' functioning than those led by therapists. CONCLUSION Physiological interpersonal regulation, measured by RSA, may be a catalyst for change in depression treatment. Therapists who are responsive to clients' arousal levels may help clients improve their functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omer Goren
- Department of Psychology, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Adar Paz
- Department of Psychology, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Eran Bar-Kalifa
- Department of Psychology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | | | - Maya Wolff
- Department of Psychology, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
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12
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Mastromatteo LY, Lionetti F, Pluess M, Scrimin S. Moderate cardiac vagal tone predicts more cooperation in highly sensitive individuals. Psychophysiology 2024:e14638. [PMID: 38951737 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Revised: 05/27/2024] [Accepted: 06/15/2024] [Indexed: 07/03/2024]
Abstract
Cooperation, as a mutual collaboration, is a defining feature of human social life. Individual characteristics can influence cooperation. Recent studies have shown a quadratic relationship between cardiac vagal tone (CVT), an index of self-regulation, and prosocial behaviors. Individual differences in cooperation might also vary as a function of people's environmental sensitivity (ES), i.e., may be influenced by individual differences in the perception and processing of inner and external stimuli. We tested the direct and interactive effect of CVT and ES on cooperative behaviors in two independent samples. We measured heart rate and engagement in cooperative acts in 80 young adults (M = 23.61; SD = 1.60) who were also asked to self-report on ES. We found an inverted-U relationship between CVT and cooperative behaviors. ES, on the other hand, did not predict differences in cooperative behaviors but moderated the relationships between CVT and cooperation, although the magnitude of this result was small. Specifically, only among individuals with higher ES cooperative behaviors change as a function of CVT. Highly sensitive individuals with lower or higher CVT, were less cooperative than low sensitive ones. Subsequently, we replicated the same study design in a second sample of 88 undergraduate students (M = 23.69; SD = 4.91). Once again, we found evidence supporting the presence of an inverted-U relationship between CVT and cooperative behaviors, and we also found that ES moderated the relationships between the quadratic CVT term and cooperation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Francesca Lionetti
- Department of Neurosciences, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, University G. D'Annunzio, Chieti-Pescara, Italy
| | - Michael Pluess
- School of Psychology, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK
| | - Sara Scrimin
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
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13
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Tarsha MS, Narvaez D. Humanity's evolved nest and its relation to cardiac vagal regulation in the first years of life. Early Hum Dev 2024; 193:106033. [PMID: 38744000 DOI: 10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2024.106033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2024] [Revised: 05/01/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Evolved Developmental Niche (EDN) is a millions-year-old developmental system that matches the maturational schedule of the offspring, optimizing health. Every animal has a developmental niche. AIMS Humanity has fallen away from providing its EDN. Does it matter? STUDY DESIGN Several components of humanity's EDN were reviewed (breastfeeding, positive touch, allomothers, responsive care, free play) in relation to cardiac vagal nerve regulation, a signal of healthy development. Focal subjects were young children. OUTCOME MEASURES A review of research on the selected EDN components in relation to vagal nerve function was performed. Data were available for all but the allomother component, which is typically not measured by western researchers, although allomothers provide EDN components alongside parents. RESULTS Apart from the lack of research on allomother effects, all these EDN components have been shown to influence cardiac vagal regulation in young children. CONCLUSIONS Converging evidence suggests that providing the EDN in early life may not only support aspects of a child's primal health system, but bolster capacities for social health and wellness, the cornerstone of a positive life trajectory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary S Tarsha
- Department of Psychology and the Kroc Institute for International Peace Research, University of Notre Dame, United States of America
| | - Darcia Narvaez
- Department of Psychology and the Kroc Institute for International Peace Research, University of Notre Dame, United States of America.
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14
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Galin S, Keren H. The Predictive Potential of Heart Rate Variability for Depression. Neuroscience 2024; 546:88-103. [PMID: 38513761 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2024.03.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Revised: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
Heart rate variability (HRV),a measure of the fluctuations in the intervals between consecutive heartbeats, is an indicator of changes in the autonomic nervous system. A chronic reduction in HRV has been repeatedly linked to clinical depression. However, the chronological and mechanistic aspects of this relationship, between the neural, physiological, and psychopathological levels, remain unclear. In this review we present evidence by which changes in HRV might precede the onset of depression. We describe several pathways that can facilitate this relationship. First, we examine a theoretical model of the impact of autonomic imbalance on HRV and its role in contributing to mood dysregulation and depression. We then highlight brain regions that are regulating both HRV and emotion, suggesting these neural regions, and the Insula in particular, as potential mediators of this relationship. We also present additional possible mediating mechanisms involving the immune system and inflammation processes. Lastly, we support this model by showing evidence that modification of HRV with biofeedback leads to an improvement in some symptoms of depression. The possibility that changes in HRV precede the onset of depression is critical to put to the test, not only because it could provide insights into the mechanisms of the illness but also because it may offer a predictive anddiagnosticphysiological marker for depression. Importantly, it could also help to develop new effective clinical interventions for treating depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shir Galin
- Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, Bar Ilan University, Safed, Israel; Gonda Interdisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Hanna Keren
- Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, Bar Ilan University, Safed, Israel; Gonda Interdisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel.
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15
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Tabachnick AR, Eiden RD, Labella MH, Dozier M. Effects of prenatal opioid exposure on infant sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system activity. Psychophysiology 2024; 61:e14470. [PMID: 37888142 PMCID: PMC10939941 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
Prenatal opioid exposure has been associated with developmental problems, including autonomic nervous system dysregulation. However, little is known about the effects of prenatal opioid exposure on the autonomic nervous system beyond the first days of life, particularly across both the parasympathetic and sympathetic branches, and when accounting for exposure to other substances. The present study examined the effects of prenatal exposure to opioid agonist therapy (OAT, e.g., methadone) and other opioids on infant autonomic nervous system activity at rest and in response to a social stressor (the Still-Face Paradigm) at six months among 86 infants varying in prenatal opioid and other substance exposure. Results indicated that OAT and other opioids have unique effects on the developing autonomic nervous system that may further depend on subtype (i.e., methadone versus buprenorphine) and timing in gestation. Results are discussed in the context of theoretical models of the developing stress response system.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rina Das Eiden
- Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, State College, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Madelyn H Labella
- Department of Psychological Sciences, William & Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia, USA
| | - Mary Dozier
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
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16
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Peoples SG, Davis EL, Brooker RJ. Variation in coupling across neural and cardiac systems of regulation is linked to markers of anxiety risk in preschool. Dev Psychopathol 2024:1-13. [PMID: 38487916 PMCID: PMC11401962 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579424000609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
Abstract
Both cortical and parasympathetic systems are believed to regulate emotional arousal in the service of healthy development. Systemic coordination, or coupling, between putative regulatory functions begins in early childhood. Yet the degree of coupling between cortical and parasympathetic systems in young children remains unclear, particularly in relation to the development of typical or atypical emotion function. We tested whether cortical (ERN) and parasympathetic (respiratory sinus arrhythmia [RSA]) markers of regulation were coupled during cognitive challenge in preschoolers (N = 121). We found no main effect of RSA predicting ERN. We then tested children's typical and atypical emotion behavior (context-appropriate/context-inappropriate fear, anxiety symptoms, neuroendocrine reactivity) as moderators of early coupling in an effort to link patterns of coupling to adaptive emotional development. Negative coupling (i.e., smaller ERN, more RSA suppression or larger ERN, less RSA suppression) at age 3 was associated with greater atypical and less typical emotion behaviors, indicative of greater risk. Negative age 3 coupling was also visible for children who had greater Generalized Anxiety Disorder symptoms and blunted cortisol reactivity at age 5. Results suggest that negative coupling may reflect a maladaptive pattern across regulatory systems that is identifiable during the preschool years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah G Peoples
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Elizabeth L Davis
- Department of Psychology, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Rebecca J Brooker
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
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17
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Ucuz I, Uzun Cicek A, Komurcu Celik M, Akan M, Kesriklioglu E, Gungor S, Ozel Ozcan O. Emotional Dysregulation and Temperament-Character Traits in Adolescents With Functional Neurological Symptom Disorder (Conversion Disorder). J Nerv Ment Dis 2024; 212:152-158. [PMID: 38090971 DOI: 10.1097/nmd.0000000000001746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to evaluate emotion dysregulation and temperament-character traits in adolescents with functional neurological symptom disorder (FNSD). Forty adolescents with FNSD and 40 healthy adolescents were evaluated by a semiconstructed diagnosis interview, Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI), Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), Regulation of Emotions Questionnaire (REQ), and Children's Somatization Inventory-24 (CSI-24). The external and internal dysfunctional emotion regulation scores of REQ, all subscales of DERS, except the awareness subscale, and CSI-24 scores were significantly higher in FNSD patients compared with healthy controls. There were significant differences between the groups in terms of harm avoidance and reward dependence subscale scores of TCI. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the external dysfunctional emotion regulation strategy, somatization, and reward dependence are significant predictors of FNSD. Our results provide evidence that adolescents with FNSD experience emotional dysregulation and that the differential value of some temperament-character traits in the diagnosis of FNSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilknur Ucuz
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Inonu University, Malatya, Turkey
| | - Ayla Uzun Cicek
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Cumhuriyet University, Sivas, Turkey
| | - Merve Komurcu Celik
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Bilkent City Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Mustafa Akan
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Turgut Ozal University, Malatya, Turkey
| | - Esma Kesriklioglu
- Department of Econometrics, Ataturk University, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Erzurum, Turkey
| | - Serdal Gungor
- Department of Child Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Inonu University, Malatya, Turkey
| | - Ozlem Ozel Ozcan
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Inonu University, Malatya, Turkey
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18
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Conradt E, Carter S, Crowell SE. What's next for the field of multigenerational mental health? The need for deep behavioral phenotyping via a prenatal mental health registry. Dev Psychopathol 2024:1-9. [PMID: 38347753 PMCID: PMC11323204 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579424000099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
From its inception, development and psychopathology theorists have sought to uncover the earliest forms of risk for mental health challenges in children, to prevent the development of more severe, intractable manifestations of psychopathology. Large familial risk registries have advanced our understanding of early, potentially modifiable factors that could prevent or mitigate the expression of challenging symptoms of neurodevelopmental conditions, and similar registries have been proposed to advance understanding of ADHD and related phenotypes. Data from single-site studies, largely focused on perinatal exposure to maternal mood disorders, reveal that a robust predictor of child psychopathology is parental psychopathology. However, early developmental trajectories of psychopathology risk may be better captured using transdiagnostic approaches in pregnancy, capturing the full range of mental health symptoms. We describe here the need for a parental mental health registry that begins prenatally that includes deep behavioral phenotyping across a range of transdiagnostic indicators of mental health risk to prevent psychopathology in children. This registry has the potential to uncover pathways to psychopathology risk in childhood and support the discovery of novel mechanisms to be targeted for prevention and intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabeth Conradt
- Duke University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Durham, NC
| | - Sierra Carter
- Georgia State University, Department of Psychology, Atlanta, GA
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19
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Lynch SF, Perlstein S, Ordway C, Jones C, Lembcke H, Waller R, Wagner NJ. Parasympathetic Nervous System Functioning Moderates the Associations between Callous-Unemotional Traits and Emotion Understanding Difficulties in Late Childhood. CHILDREN (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 11:184. [PMID: 38397296 PMCID: PMC10887086 DOI: 10.3390/children11020184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Callous-unemotional (CU) traits are characterized by low empathy, guilt, and prosociality, putting children at risk for lifespan antisocial behavior. Elevated CU traits have been linked separately to difficulties with emotion understanding (i.e., identifying emotional states of others) and disrupted parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) functioning. However, no study has investigated how PNS functioning and emotion understanding are jointly related to CU traits. METHOD We explored associations between CU traits, emotion understanding, and PNS functioning (indexed via respiratory sinus arrhythmia [RSA]) among children aged 7-10 years old (n = 55). We also tested whether deficits in emotion understanding differ across specific emotions (i.e., fear, pain, happiness, anger). Each child's RSA was continuously recorded while they watched a film that included emotionally evocative social interactions. To assess emotion understanding, children identified emotions replayed in 1s animations of scenes from the film. Parents reported on child CU traits, conduct problems, and demographic information. RESULTS Higher CU traits were related to lower emotion understanding (β = -0.43, p = 0.03). PNS activity during the film moderated this association (β = -0.47, p < 0.001), such that CU traits were associated with lower emotion understanding among children with mean (B = -0.01, t = -2.46, p = 0.02) or high (i.e., 1 SD > M; B = -0.02, t = -3.00, p < 0.001) RSA levels during the film, but not among children with low RSA levels (i.e., 1 SD < M; B = 0.00, t = -0.53, p = 0.60). Moreover, we found that the observed moderated associations are driven by deficits in fear, specifically. CONCLUSIONS The link between poorer emotion understanding, fear understanding in particular, and CU traits was attenuated for children who demonstrated patterns of PNS functioning consistent with attentional engagement while viewing the emotion stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah F. Lynch
- Developmental Sciences, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA; (S.F.L.); (C.O.)
| | - Samantha Perlstein
- Clinical Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; (S.P.); (C.J.)
| | - Cora Ordway
- Developmental Sciences, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA; (S.F.L.); (C.O.)
| | - Callie Jones
- Clinical Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; (S.P.); (C.J.)
| | - Hanna Lembcke
- Department of General Psychology, University of Hagen, 58097 Hagen, Germany;
| | - Rebecca Waller
- Clinical Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; (S.P.); (C.J.)
| | - Nicholas J. Wagner
- Developmental Sciences, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA; (S.F.L.); (C.O.)
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20
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Chen FR, French K. PEP reward reactivity moderates the effects of RSA reactivity on antisocial behavior and substance use. Psychophysiology 2024; 61:e14445. [PMID: 37728176 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2023] [Revised: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023]
Abstract
Integrating Polyvagal Theory and Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory (RST), we examined pre-ejection period (PEP) reward reactivity, which was suggested to index trait impulsivity, as a moderator between respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) reactivity and antisocial behavior (ASB), and substance use in an urban male, adult sample. To understand the inconsistent findings between RSA reactivity and externalizing problems, we proposed to study both negatively and positively valenced tasks for RSA reactivity and to include PEP reward reactivity as a moderator for the RSA-behavior link. Data were collected from an urban sample of 131 male adults (active offenders, demographic controls, and college students). ICG (impedance cardiography) and ECG (electrocardiogram) were recorded, computing PEP (sympathetic nervous system activity marker) and RSA (parasympathetic nervous system activity marker), while participants completed the modified Trier Social Stress Test and a simple reward task. Reactivity was calculated by subtracting the baseline from the task activity. Consistent with prior studies, more RSA withdrawal to stress and less PEP shortening to reward predicted the most ASB and substance use. Less RSA withdrawal to reward and more PEP shortening to reward predicted the most ASB and substance use. We incorporated autonomic space, RST, and Polyvagal Theory to discuss our findings, and specifically highlight how clarifying what each reactivity captures based on the task demand (e.g., presence of social threat, need for vagal-mediated social affiliative behavior) can illuminate our understanding of the result patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frances R Chen
- Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Katherine French
- Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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21
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Borelli JL, Hong K, Kazmierski KFM, Smiley PA, Sohn L, Guo Y. Parents' depressive symptoms and reflective functioning predict parents' proficiency in relational savoring and children's physiological regulation. Dev Psychopathol 2024; 36:121-134. [PMID: 36239047 DOI: 10.1017/s095457942200102x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
This study examined parental depression and parental reflective functioning (PRF) as predictors of parental proficiency in relational savoring (RS), the association between RS proficiency and a marker of children's physiological self-regulation, respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), during a stressor, and indirect effects of parental depression and PRF on children's RSA via parents' RS. At Time 1 (T1), parents of 8- to 12-year-old children (N = 139) reported on their depressive symptoms and completed a parenting interview, coded for PRF. After 1.5 years (Time 2; T2), parents savored a positive relational memory that involved their children, which was coded for savoring proficiency. Children's RSA was measured during a stressful task (a series of impossible puzzles). Depressive symptoms (inversely) and PRF (positively) were associated with RS proficiency. Higher parental RS proficiency was associated with children's higher mean levels of RSA during the stressor. Indirect effects models supported that T2 RS proficiency mediated the negative association between parental T1 depressive symptoms and children's T2 RSA, and between T1 PRF and children's T2 RSA. We discuss these findings in terms of implications for parents' emotion regulation, children's emotion regulation, children's mental health, and intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica L Borelli
- University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
- Pomona College, Claremont, CA, USA
| | | | | | | | - Lucas Sohn
- University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Yuqing Guo
- University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
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22
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Manzotti A, Panisi C, Pivotto M, Vinciguerra F, Benedet M, Brazzoli F, Zanni S, Comassi A, Caputo S, Cerritelli F, Chiera M. An in-depth analysis of the polyvagal theory in light of current findings in neuroscience and clinical research. Dev Psychobiol 2024; 66:e22450. [PMID: 38388187 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2023] [Revised: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
The polyvagal theory has led to the understanding of the functions of the autonomic nervous system in biological development in humans, since the vagal system, a key structure within the polyvagal theory, plays a significant role in addressing challenges of the mother-child dyad. This article aims to summarize the neurobiological aspects of the polyvagal theory, highlighting some of its strengths and limitations through the lens of new evidence emerging in several research fields-including comparative anatomy, embryology, epigenetics, psychology, and neuroscience-in the 25 years since the theory's inception. Rereading and incorporating the polyvagal idea in light of modern scientific findings helps to interpret the role of the vagus nerve through the temporal dimension (beginning with intrauterine life) and spatial dimension (due to the numerous connections of the vagus with various structures and systems) in the achievement and maintenance of biopsychosocial well-being, from the uterus to adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Manzotti
- Division of Neonatology, "V. Buzzi" Children's Hospital, ASST-FBF-Sacco, Milan, Italy
- RAISE Lab, Clinical-Based Human Research Department, Foundation COME Collaboration, Pescara, Italy
- Research Department, SOMA Istituto Osteopatia Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Cristina Panisi
- Scientific Institute, IRCCS Eugenio Medea, Bosisio Parini, Italy
| | - Micol Pivotto
- Research Department, SOMA Istituto Osteopatia Milano, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Matteo Benedet
- Research Department, SOMA Istituto Osteopatia Milano, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Silvia Zanni
- Research Department, SOMA Istituto Osteopatia Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Alberto Comassi
- Research Department, SOMA Istituto Osteopatia Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Sara Caputo
- Research Department, SOMA Istituto Osteopatia Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Francesco Cerritelli
- RAISE Lab, Clinical-Based Human Research Department, Foundation COME Collaboration, Pescara, Italy
| | - Marco Chiera
- RAISE Lab, Clinical-Based Human Research Department, Foundation COME Collaboration, Pescara, Italy
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23
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Grossman P. Respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), vagal tone and biobehavioral integration: Beyond parasympathetic function. Biol Psychol 2024; 186:108739. [PMID: 38151156 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2023.108739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/29/2023]
Abstract
Linchpin to the entire area of psychophysiological research and discussion of the vagus is the respiratory and cardiovascular phenomenon known as respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA; often synonymous with high-frequency heart-rate variability when it is specifically linked to respiratory frequency), i.e. rhythmic fluctuations in heart rate synchronized to inspiration and expiration. This article aims 1) to clarify concepts, terms and measures commonly employed during the last half century in the scientific literature, which relate vagal function to psychological processes and general aspects of health; and 2) to expand upon an earlier theoretical model, emphasizing the importance of RSA well beyond the current focus upon parasympathetic mechanisms. A close examination of RSA and its relations to the vagus may 1) dispel certain commonly held beliefs about associations between psychological functioning, RSA and the parasympathetic nervous system (for which the vagus nerve plays a major role), and 2) offer fresh perspectives about the likely functions and adaptive significance of RSA, as well as RSA's relationship to vagal control. RSA is neither an invariably reliable index of cardiac vagal tone nor of central vagal outflow to the heart. The model here presented posits that RSA represents an evolutionarily entrenched, cardiovascular and respiratory phenomenon that significantly contributes to meeting continuously changing metabolic, energy and behavioral demands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Grossman
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, University Hospital Basel, Switzerland.
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24
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Bellato A, Sesso G, Milone A, Masi G, Cortese S. Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis: Altered Autonomic Functioning in Youths With Emotional Dysregulation. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2024; 63:216-230. [PMID: 36841327 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2023.01.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Revised: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/27/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To systematically investigate if there is a significant association between markers of autonomic functioning and emotional dysregulation (ED) in children and adolescents. METHOD Based on a preregistered protocol (PROSPERO: CRD42021239635), PubMed, Web of Knowledge/Science, Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, and APA PsycInfo databases were searched until April 21, 2021, to identify empirical studies reporting indices of autonomic nervous system (ANS) functioning in youths meeting DSM (version III, IV, IV-TR, 5 or 5-TR) or International Classification of Diseases (ICD) (version 9 or 10) criteria for any psychopathological/neurodevelopmental condition and assessed for ED with a validated scale. Eligible outcomes included correlation coefficients between ED and ANS measures or differences in ANS measures between youths with and without ED. Study quality was assessed with the Appraisal tool for Cross-Sectional Studies (AXIS) and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) for cohort studies. Random-effects meta-analyses were used for data synthesis. RESULTS There were 12 studies (1,016 participants) included in the descriptive review and 9 studies (567 participants) included in the meta-analyses. No evidence of a significant association between ED and altered cardiac or electrodermal functioning was found. However, exploratory meta-regressions suggested a possible association between reduced resting-state cardiac vagal control and increased ED. CONCLUSION This study did not find evidence of an association between ED and autonomic dysfunction. However, preliminary evidence that reduced vagal control at rest might be a transdiagnostic marker of ED in young people was found. Additional studies comparing autonomic measures in youths with and without ED are needed and should also assess the effects of interventions for ED on ANS functioning. STUDY PREREGISTRATION INFORMATION Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis: Is Autonomic Nervous System Functioning Atypical in Children and Adolescents With Emotional Dysregulation? https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/; CRD42021239635.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessio Bellato
- University of Nottingham Malaysia, Malaysia; King's College London, United Kingdom.
| | - Gianluca Sesso
- IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Pisa, Italy; University of Pisa, Italy
| | | | | | - Samuele Cortese
- University of Southampton, United Kingdom; New York University Langone Health, New York
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Islam B, McElwain NL, Li J, Davila MI, Hu Y, Hu K, Bodway JM, Dhekne A, Roy Choudhury R, Hasegawa-Johnson M. Preliminary Technical Validation of LittleBeats™: A Multimodal Sensing Platform to Capture Cardiac Physiology, Motion, and Vocalizations. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2024; 24:901. [PMID: 38339617 PMCID: PMC10857055 DOI: 10.3390/s24030901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
Across five studies, we present the preliminary technical validation of an infant-wearable platform, LittleBeats™, that integrates electrocardiogram (ECG), inertial measurement unit (IMU), and audio sensors. Each sensor modality is validated against data from gold-standard equipment using established algorithms and laboratory tasks. Interbeat interval (IBI) data obtained from the LittleBeats™ ECG sensor indicate acceptable mean absolute percent error rates for both adults (Study 1, N = 16) and infants (Study 2, N = 5) across low- and high-challenge sessions and expected patterns of change in respiratory sinus arrythmia (RSA). For automated activity recognition (upright vs. walk vs. glide vs. squat) using accelerometer data from the LittleBeats™ IMU (Study 3, N = 12 adults), performance was good to excellent, with smartphone (industry standard) data outperforming LittleBeats™ by less than 4 percentage points. Speech emotion recognition (Study 4, N = 8 adults) applied to LittleBeats™ versus smartphone audio data indicated a comparable performance, with no significant difference in error rates. On an automatic speech recognition task (Study 5, N = 12 adults), the best performing algorithm yielded relatively low word error rates, although LittleBeats™ (4.16%) versus smartphone (2.73%) error rates were somewhat higher. Together, these validation studies indicate that LittleBeats™ sensors yield a data quality that is largely comparable to those obtained from gold-standard devices and established protocols used in prior research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bashima Islam
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA 01609, USA
| | - Nancy L. McElwain
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA; (Y.H.); (K.H.); (J.M.B.)
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Jialu Li
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA; (J.L.); (R.R.C.)
| | - Maria I. Davila
- Research Triangle Institute, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA;
| | - Yannan Hu
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA; (Y.H.); (K.H.); (J.M.B.)
| | - Kexin Hu
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA; (Y.H.); (K.H.); (J.M.B.)
| | - Jordan M. Bodway
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA; (Y.H.); (K.H.); (J.M.B.)
| | - Ashutosh Dhekne
- School of Computer Science, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA;
| | - Romit Roy Choudhury
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA; (J.L.); (R.R.C.)
| | - Mark Hasegawa-Johnson
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA; (J.L.); (R.R.C.)
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26
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Skov H, Glackin EB, Drury SS, Lockman J, Gray SAO. Pre-COVID respiratory sinus arrhythmia moderates associations between COVID-19 stress and child externalizing behaviors: Testing neurobiological stress theories. Dev Psychopathol 2024:1-12. [PMID: 38273710 PMCID: PMC11272907 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579423001682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
Exposure to stress related to the COVID-19 pandemic contributes to psychopathology risk, yet not all children are negatively impacted. The current study examined a parasympathetic biomarker of stress sensitivity, respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), as a moderator of the effects of exposure to pandemic stress on child internalizing and externalizing behaviors in a sample of children experiencing economic marginalization. Three to five years pre-pandemic, when children were preschool-aged, RSA during baseline and a challenging parent-child interaction were collected. Mid-pandemic, between November 2020 and March 2021, children's exposure to pandemic stress and internalizing and externalizing behaviors were collected. Results demonstrated that children who, pre-pandemic, demonstrated blunted parasympathetic reactivity (i.e., no change in RSA relative to baseline) during the dyadic challenge exhibited elevated risk for externalizing behaviors mid-pandemic. Further, this risk was greatest for children exposed to high and moderate levels of pandemic stress. Consistent with diathesis stress and polyvagal frameworks, these conditional effects suggest that blunted parasympathetic reactivity in response to stress in early childhood may escalate the development of externalizing behaviors following stress exposure at school age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hilary Skov
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - Erin B Glackin
- Department of Psychology, Tulane University School of Science and Engineering, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Stacy S Drury
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jeffrey Lockman
- Department of Psychology, Tulane University School of Science and Engineering, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Sarah A O Gray
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
- Department of Psychology, Tulane University School of Science and Engineering, New Orleans, LA, USA
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27
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Xu J, Wang H, Morrow KE, Xu Y, Gao MM, Hu Y, Suveg C, Han ZR. Respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) dynamics matter for children's emotion regulation: RSA inertia and instability within a stress task. Child Dev 2024; 95:70-81. [PMID: 37467355 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023]
Abstract
The present study employed two key dynamic indicators (i.e., inertia and instability) to the psychophysiological research of child emotion regulation (ER) and examined whether respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) dynamics were associated with child ER during a stress task. Eighty-nine Chinese school-age children (Mage = 8.77 years, SD = 1.80 years; 46.1% girls) and their primary caregivers participated in the study. After controlling for RSA static reactivity, multiple regression analyses indicated that lower RSA inertia was related to fewer in-task negative emotions rated by children and their caregivers, and higher RSA instability was associated with better child trait ER. This study introduces physiological indicators of the dynamic aspects of parasympathetic activity to the study of child ER.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianjie Xu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Psychology Education, National Virtual Simulation Center for Experimental Psychology Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Hui Wang
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Beijing Normal University at Zhuhai, Zhuhai, China
| | | | - Yang Xu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Psychology Education, National Virtual Simulation Center for Experimental Psychology Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Mengyu Miranda Gao
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Psychology Education, National Virtual Simulation Center for Experimental Psychology Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Yueqin Hu
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Psychology Education, National Virtual Simulation Center for Experimental Psychology Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Cynthia Suveg
- Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Zhuo Rachel Han
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Psychology Education, National Virtual Simulation Center for Experimental Psychology Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
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28
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Zhang Y, MacNeill LA, Edwards RC, Burns JL, Zola AR, Poleon RB, Nili AN, Giase GM, Ahrenholtz RM, Wiggins JL, Norton ES, Wakschlag LS. Developmental Trajectories of Irritability across the Transition to Toddlerhood: Associations with Effortful Control and Psychopathology. Res Child Adolesc Psychopathol 2024; 52:125-139. [PMID: 37410219 DOI: 10.1007/s10802-023-01098-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023]
Abstract
Preschool-age irritability is a transdiagnostic marker of internalizing and externalizing problems. However, researchers have generally been reluctant to examine irritability within a clinically salient framework at younger ages due to some instability during the "terrible twos" period. Developmentally sensitive and dense measurements to capture intra- and inter-individual variability, as well as exploration of developmental processes that predict change, are needed. This study aimed to examine (1) the trajectories of irritability at the transition to toddlerhood (12-24 months of age) using repeated measures, (2) whether effortful control was associated with individual differences in level and growth rate of irritability, and (3) whether individual differences in the irritability trajectories were associated with later psychopathology. Families were recruited when the child was 12-18 months old (N = 333, 45.65% female). Mothers reported on their toddler's irritability at baseline and every two months until a follow-up laboratory assessment approximately one year later. Effortful control was measured at baseline. Clinical internalizing/externalizing symptoms were measured at the follow-up assessment. Hierarchical linear models revealed an increase in irritability over time, yet there was relatively little within-person variability. Effortful control was only associated with the level of irritability and not growth rate. Level of irritability was associated with internalizing, externalizing, and combined symptoms, but growth rate was not. Findings suggest intraindividual stability in irritability at the transition to toddlerhood and the possibility that screening for elevated irritability at toddler age is meaningful.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yudong Zhang
- Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
- Institute for Innovations in Developmental Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Leigha A MacNeill
- Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
- Institute for Innovations in Developmental Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Renee C Edwards
- Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
- Institute for Innovations in Developmental Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - James L Burns
- Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Anne R Zola
- Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Roshaye B Poleon
- Institute for Innovations in Developmental Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Amanda N Nili
- Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
- Institute for Innovations in Developmental Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Gina M Giase
- Institute for Innovations in Developmental Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Rachel M Ahrenholtz
- Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Jillian Lee Wiggins
- Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, USA
- San Diego State University, University of California San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego, USA
| | - Elizabeth S Norton
- Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
- Institute for Innovations in Developmental Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Lauren S Wakschlag
- Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
- Institute for Innovations in Developmental Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
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29
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Huang Y, Lü W. Nonlinear Moderation Effect of Vagal Regulation on the Link between Childhood Trauma and Adolescent Internalizing and Externalizing Symptoms. J Youth Adolesc 2024; 53:217-228. [PMID: 37689613 DOI: 10.1007/s10964-023-01860-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/11/2023]
Abstract
Childhood trauma is a leading early adverse environment that increases psychopathological symptoms. Respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) suppression to challenges as a marker of self-regulation is found to linearly moderate the link between early adverse experiences and psychopathological symptoms, but yielding mixed findings. The present study examined the relationships between childhood trauma and internalizing and externalizing symptoms via a 1.5-year longitudinal design and the quadratic moderation effect of RSA suppression on these relationships among adolescents. In November 2021 (T1), the final sample of 275 Chinese adolescents (Mage = 12.94, SDage = 0.79; 49.82% females) completed the short form of Childhood Trauma Questionnaire and the Achenbach Youth Self-Report-2001 and underwent a speech task during which their baseline RSA and stress exposure RSA were obtained. In June 2023 (T2), 251 adolescents completed the Achenbach Youth Self-Report-2001. Results showed that childhood trauma at T1 was positively correlated with internalizing and externalizing symptoms at T1 and T2. RSA suppression to stress quadratically moderated these associations, such that adolescents with moderate rather than higher or lower RSA suppression had the least internalizing and externalizing symptoms at T1 and T2 when exposed to childhood trauma. The findings suggest that moderate RSA suppression to stress as a marker of optimal vagal regulation buffers the risk of developmental psychopathology from early adverse experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yefei Huang
- School of Psychology, Shaanxi Normal University, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Behavior and Cognitive Neuroscience, Shaanxi Key Research Center for Children Mental and Behavior Health, Xi'an, China
| | - Wei Lü
- School of Psychology, Shaanxi Normal University, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Behavior and Cognitive Neuroscience, Shaanxi Key Research Center for Children Mental and Behavior Health, Xi'an, China.
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30
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Hale ME, George AM, Caughy MO, Suveg C. Resting respiratory sinus arrythmia and cognitive reappraisal moderate the link between political climate stress and anxiety symptoms in Latina and Black mothers. ANXIETY, STRESS, AND COPING 2024; 37:100-113. [PMID: 37075162 DOI: 10.1080/10615806.2023.2199207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/21/2023]
Abstract
Guided by the Family Stress Model for minority families, the present study examined the potential buffering effect of resting respiratory sinus arrythmia (RRSA), cognitive reappraisal, and mindfulness on the association between political climate stress (PCS) and anxiety symptoms in a sample of Latina and Black mothers. Participants were 100 mothers living in the southeastern United States. Mothers reported on PCS, cognitive reappraisal, mindfulness, and symptoms of anxiety. RRSA were measured during a resting task. Moderation analyses tested the influence of these three factors (RRSA, cognitive reappraisal, mindfulness) on the relation between PCS and anxiety. Results showed that the relation between PCS and anxiety symptoms was strongest at low levels of RRSA and cognitive reappraisal. At high levels of these two factors, there was no association between PCS and anxiety symptoms. Mothers with high levels of RRSA and cognitive reappraisal may be able to interact with and evaluate environmental stimuli in such a way that allows for adaptive adjustment, buffering against the negative impact of PCS. RRSA and cognitive reappraisal may be important targets of interventions designed to address the rising rates of anxiety symptoms in Latina and Black mothers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Molly E Hale
- Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Andrea M George
- Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Margaret O Caughy
- Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Cynthia Suveg
- Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
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31
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Bounoua N, Tabachnick AR, Eiden RD, Labella MH, Dozier M. Emotion dysregulation and reward responsiveness as predictors of autonomic reactivity to an infant cry task among substance-using pregnant and postpartum women. Dev Psychobiol 2024; 66:e22449. [PMID: 38131244 PMCID: PMC10752434 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Revised: 11/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Maternal substance use may interfere with optimal parenting, lowering maternal responsiveness during interactions with their children. Previous work has identified maternal autonomic nervous system (ANS) reactivity to parenting-relevant stressors as a promising indicator of real-world parenting behaviors. However, less is known about the extent to which individual differences in emotion dysregulation and reward processing, two mechanisms of substance use, relate to maternal ANS reactivity in substance-using populations. The current study examined associations among emotion dysregulation, reward responsiveness, and ANS reactivity to an infant cry task among 77 low-income and substance-using women who were either pregnant (n = 63) or postpartum (n = 14). Two indicators of ANS functioning were collected during a 9 min computerized infant cry task (Crybaby task): respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and pre-ejection period. Mothers also completed self-reported measures of emotion dysregulation and reward responsiveness. Analyses revealed that trait emotion regulation was associated with RSA reactivity to the Crybaby task, such that greater emotion dysregulation was associated with greater RSA reduction during the infant cry task than lower emotion dysregulation. Reward responsiveness was not significantly associated with either indicator of ANS reactivity to the task. Findings revealed distinct patterns of associations linking emotion dysregulation with ANS reactivity during a parenting-related computerized task, suggesting that emotion regulation may be a key intervention target for substance-using mothers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadia Bounoua
- University of Maryland, College Park, Department of Psychology
| | | | - Rina D. Eiden
- The Pennsylvania State University, Department of Psychology, and the Social Science Research Institute
| | | | - Mary Dozier
- University of Delaware, Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences
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Seidman AJ, Bylsma LM, Yang X, Jennings JR, George CJ, Kovacs M. Long-term stability of respiratory sinus arrhythmia among adults with and without a history of depression. Psychophysiology 2024; 61:e14427. [PMID: 37646340 PMCID: PMC10872939 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Revised: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
Respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) is an index of parasympathetic nervous system activity reflecting respiratory influences on heart rate. This influence is typically measured as high frequency heart rate variability (HF-HRV) or root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD) of adjacent inter-beat intervals. Examining the long-term stability of its measurement is important as levels of resting RSA have been conceptualized as a marker of individual differences; in particular, of an individual's autonomic regulation and affect-related processes, including emotion regulation. At present, it is not known if resting RSA levels reflect stable differences over a long-term period (i.e., >1 year). Even less is known about how RSA stability differs as a function of depression history and whether it relates to depression risk trajectories. In the present study, we examined the 1.5-year test-retest reliability of resting RSA using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) in 82 adults: n = 41 with a history of depression (ever-depressed); n = 41 controls with no depression history (never-depressed). HF-HRV was fairly stable in both groups (ever-depressed ICC = 0.55, never-depressed ICC = 0.54). RMSSD was also fairly stable in ever-depressed adults (ICC = 0.57) and never-depressed controls (ICC = 0.40). ICC values for both indices did not differ between groups per overlapping 95% confidence intervals. Therefore, RSA stability as assessed by both frequency (HF-HRV) and time domain (RMSSD) measures was not attenuated by a depression history. Implications and the need for future research are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J. Seidman
- University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, 3811 O’Hara Street, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - Lauren M. Bylsma
- University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, 3811 O’Hara Street, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
- University of Pittsburgh, Department of Psychology, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - Xiao Yang
- Old Dominion University, Department of Psychology, 250 Mills Godwin Life Sciences Building, Norfolk, VA, 23529, USA
| | - J. Richard Jennings
- University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, 3811 O’Hara Street, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - Charles J. George
- University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, 3811 O’Hara Street, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
| | - Maria Kovacs
- University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, 3811 O’Hara Street, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA
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Korom M, Tabachnick AR, Sellers T, Valadez EA, Tottenham N, Dozier M. Associations between cortical thickness and parasympathetic nervous system functioning during middle childhood. Psychophysiology 2023; 60:e14391. [PMID: 37455342 PMCID: PMC10789912 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Revised: 06/03/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Positive associations have been found between cortical thickness and measures of parasympathetic cardiac control (e.g., respiratory sinus arrhythmia, RSA) in adults, which may indicate mechanistic integration between neural and physiological indicators of stress regulation. However, it is unknown when in development this brain-body association arises and whether the direction of association and neuroanatomical localization vary across development. To investigate this, we collected structural magnetic resonance imaging and resting-state respiratory sinus arrhythmia data from children in middle childhood (N = 62, Mage = 10.09, range: 8.28-12.14 years). Whole-brain and exploratory ROI analyses revealed positive associations between RSA and cortical thickness in four frontal and parietal clusters in the left hemisphere and one cluster in the right. Exploratory ROI analyses revealed a similar positive association between cortical thickness and RSA, with two regions surviving multiple comparison correction, including the inferior frontal orbital gyrus and the Sylvian fissure. Prior work has identified these cortical areas as part of the central autonomic network that supports integrative regulation of stress response (e.g., autonomic, endocrine, and behavioral) and emotional expression. Our results suggest that the association between cortical thickness and resting RSA is present in middle childhood and is similar to the associations seen during adulthood. Future studies should investigate associations between RSA and cortical thickness among young children and adolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Korom
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
| | | | - Tabitha Sellers
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
| | - Emilio A Valadez
- Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Nim Tottenham
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University in the City of New York, New York, New York, USA
| | - Mary Dozier
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
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34
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Ma CH, Chang HY, Lee HC, Yu YF, Tien HS, Lin YH, Liu MY, Lin YL, Ma HM, Lin KF, Huang WL. The psychological and physiological effects of integrated cognitive-behavioral and biofeedback therapy on panic disorder: A randomized controlled trial. J Formos Med Assoc 2023; 122:1305-1312. [PMID: 37453901 DOI: 10.1016/j.jfma.2023.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 06/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and biofeedback therapy are commonly regarded as effective treatment modalities for panic disorder. The aim of this study was to establish a Taiwanese version of an integrated cognitive-behavioral and biofeedback therapy (ICB) and examine its effects on panic disorder using psychological and physiological indicators. METHODS Thirty patients with panic disorder were enrolled in this study. They were randomly assigned to either the ICB group (n = 15) or the treatment as usual (TAU) group (n = 15). The intervention consisted of six sessions, conducted once a week. Psychological indicators were measured at baseline (prior to intervention), week 3, and week 6, while physiological indicators were measured at baseline and week 6. The psychological indicators included five scales, with the Panic Disorder Severity Scale (PDSS) being the primary measure. The physiological indicators included respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and skin conductance, which respectively represent parasympathetic and sympathetic activity. RESULTS Considering all participants, PDSS scores significantly decreased over time, but the difference between the ICB and TAU groups did not reach statistical significance. Among the physiological indicators, resting-state RSA and RSA under relaxation showed significant between-group differences over time, with the ICB group demonstrating a more pronounced improvement in RSA. CONCLUSION In the context of existing pharmacological treatments, the benefits of ICB for panic disorder may not be observable through psychological indicators. However, it can lead to enhancement of parasympathetic activity as evidenced by the physiological indicators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chia-Hao Ma
- Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital Yunlin Branch, Yunlin, Taiwan; Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hung-Yeh Chang
- Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital Yunlin Branch, Yunlin, Taiwan
| | - Hui-Chun Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital Yunlin Branch, Yunlin, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Fang Yu
- Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital Yunlin Branch, Yunlin, Taiwan
| | - Hsin-Shan Tien
- Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital Yunlin Branch, Yunlin, Taiwan
| | | | | | - Yi-Ling Lin
- Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital Yunlin Branch, Yunlin, Taiwan
| | - Huei-Mei Ma
- Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital Yunlin Branch, Yunlin, Taiwan
| | - Kuan-Fu Lin
- Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital Yunlin Branch, Yunlin, Taiwan.
| | - Wei-Lieh Huang
- Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University Hospital Yunlin Branch, Yunlin, Taiwan; Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan; Cerebellar Research Center, National Taiwan University Hospital Yunlin Branch, Yunlin, Taiwan.
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35
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Abel MR, Vernberg EM, Lochman JE, McDonald KL, Jarrett MA, Powell N. A Prospective Study of Co-Rumination in Parent-Adolescent Conversations Several Years After a Devastating Tornado. JOURNAL OF CLINICAL CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHOLOGY : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL FOR THE SOCIETY OF CLINICAL CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHOLOGY, AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION, DIVISION 53 2023:1-15. [PMID: 38032343 PMCID: PMC11136890 DOI: 10.1080/15374416.2023.2286588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study examined the association between youth post-disaster stress responses and co-rumination in conversations with a parent several years after a devastating tornado. METHOD Adolescents (N = 200) drawn from an ongoing study for aggressive youth (ages 13 to 17; 80% African American) and their parents experienced an EF-4 tornado in 2011 and then provided joint recollections about their tornado experiences approximately 5 years later. Recollections were coded for the four components of co-rumination: rehashing problems, dwelling on negative affect, mutual encouragement of problem talk, and speculating about problems. Parent-rated post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and youth resting respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) were measured approximately 6-months and 1-year post-tornado, respectively. RESULTS Results indicated that co-rumination could be identified, and reliably measured, in the tornado conversations. Resting RSA moderated the association between post-disaster PTSS and the co-rumination component dwelling on negative affect, such that youth PTSS was associated with higher levels of dwelling on negative affect but only at lower levels of resting RSA (an index of physiological dysregulation). There was no association between youth PTSS and dwelling on negative affect at high resting RSA (an index of better physiological regulation). Youth PTSS and resting RSA were unrelated to the other three co-rumination components. No gender differences were found. CONCLUSIONS Results provide preliminary evidence establishing the co-rumination coding scheme in a sample of disaster-exposed parents and adolescents. Results also indicated that PTSS and resting RSA are important youth-level factors that relate to how parents and adolescents discuss their disaster experiences even years post-exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madelaine R. Abel
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Department of Psychiatry,
Boston, MA
- Clinical Child Psychology Program, University of Kansas,
Lawrence, KS
| | - Eric M. Vernberg
- Clinical Child Psychology Program, University of Kansas,
Lawrence, KS
| | - John E. Lochman
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama,
Tuscaloosa, AL
| | | | | | - Nicole Powell
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama,
Tuscaloosa, AL
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36
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Singh Solorzano C, Grano C. Predicting postpartum depressive symptoms by evaluating self-report autonomic nervous system reactivity during pregnancy. J Psychosom Res 2023; 174:111484. [PMID: 37690332 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2023.111484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2022] [Revised: 02/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Altered self-reported autonomic reactivity is associated with worse mental health in the general population. Although dysfunctional changes in ANS during pregnancy have been investigated in relation to depressive symptoms, no studies addressed the relationship between self-report autonomic reactivity during pregnancy and depressive symptoms after the delivery. The present study aimed to assess the impact of prepartum self-reported autonomic reactivity on the development of postpartum depressive symptoms. METHODS In this longitudinal study, 170 women were assessed during pregnancy (i.e., second or third trimester) and after childbirth (i.e., one month after the delivery). Self-reported autonomic reactivity was assessed through the Body Perception Questionnaire - Short Form that evaluates the autonomic functions related to organs above (i.e., supradiaphragmatic reactivity) and below (i.e., subdiaphragmatic reactivity) the diaphragm. In addition, prepartum and postpartum depressive symptoms were evaluated using the Patient Health Questionnaire - 9. RESULTS Findings showed that higher prepartum supradiaphragmatic reactivity predicted higher depressive symptoms in the postpartum period (β = 0.112, p = 0.009) after controlling for prepartum depressive symptomatology and other potential covariates. CONCLUSIONS Evaluation of self-reported autonomic activity may be a useful tool to identify antenatally women at risk of postpartum depressive symptoms. Future studies are needed to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions aimed at reducing the threat-responsive autonomic reactivity at rest and improving adaptive autonomic regulation to prevent postpartum depression.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Caterina Grano
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.
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37
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Madden-Rusnak A, Micheletti M, Dominguez A, de Barbaro K. Spontaneous infant crying modulates vagal activity in real time. Dev Psychobiol 2023; 65:e22428. [PMID: 37860903 PMCID: PMC10754064 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
Porges' polyvagal theory (1991) proposes that the activity of the vagal nerve modulates moment-by-moment changes in adaptive behavior during stress. However, most work, including research with infants, has only examined vagal changes at low temporal resolutions, averaging 30+ s across phases of structured stressor paradigms. Thus, the true timescale of vagal regulation-and the extent to which it can be observed during unprompted crying-is unknown. The current study utilized a recently validated method to calculate respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) dynamically at a high resolution of 5 Hz (updated every 200 ms) in a home-based infant study. Using an event-related analysis, we calculated the relative change in RSA around the onset of naturally occurring unprompted instances of n = 41 infants' 180 crying events. As predicted, RSA significantly decreased after the onset of crying compared to non-crying chance changes in RSA. Decreasing trends in RSA were driven by infants with higher pre-cry RSA values, infants rated lower in Negative Affectivity, and those rated both high and low in Orienting by their mothers. Our results display the timescale of RSA in spontaneous and naturalistic episodes of infant crying and that these dynamic RSA patterns are aligned with real-time levels of RSA and also caregiver-reported temperament.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Madden-Rusnak
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Megan Micheletti
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Alexis Dominguez
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Kaya de Barbaro
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
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38
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Rawn KP, Keller PS. Child emotion lability is associated with within-task changes of autonomic activity during a mirror-tracing task. Psychophysiology 2023; 60:e14354. [PMID: 37246804 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Revised: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Adaptive biological and emotional stress responding are both critical for healthy human development. However, the complex associations between the two are not fully understood. The current study addresses this gap in research by studying associations of child emotion regulation and lability with within-task changes in the biological stress response during a mirror-tracing task. Participants were 59 families including two parents and a child between 5 and 12 years old (52.2% female). Parents reported on family demographics and completed the Emotion Regulation Checklist. Child skin conductance level (SCL) and respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) were recorded during a baseline task and during a 3-minute mirror-tracing task. Within-task patterns of SCL and RSA during the task were estimated with multilevel modeling (measures within persons). The emotion regulation subscale was unrelated to any facet of SCL/RSA time courses. However, lower emotion lability was related to SCL patterns that changed less during the task and were overall lower. For RSA, lower emotion lability was related to higher initial RSA that significantly decreased during the task. These findings suggest that higher child emotion lability may promote increased physiological arousal of target organs during challenging activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle P Rawn
- Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
| | - Peggy S Keller
- Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
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39
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Shakiba N, Lynch SF, Propper CB, Mills-Koonce WR, Wagner NJ. Vagal Flexibility Moderates the Links between Observed Sensitive Caregiving in Infancy and Externalizing Behavior Problems in Middle Childhood. Res Child Adolesc Psychopathol 2023; 51:1453-1464. [PMID: 37300786 PMCID: PMC11257083 DOI: 10.1007/s10802-023-01088-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
This study explored how patterns of physiological stress reactivity underpin individual differences in sensitivity to early rearing experiences and childhood risk for psychopathology. To examine individual differences in parasympathetic functioning, past research has largely relied on static measures of stress reactivity (i.e., residual and change scores) in infancy which may not adequately capture the dynamic nature of regulation across contexts. Using data from a prospective longitudinal study of 206 children (56% African Americans) and their families, this study addressed these gaps by employing the latent basis growth curve model to characterize the dynamic, non-linear patterns of change in infants' respiratory sinus arrhythmia (i.e., vagal flexibility) across the Face-to-Face Still-Face Paradigm. Furthermore, it investigated whether and how infants' vagal flexibility moderates the links between sensitive parenting, observed during a free play task when children were 6 months of age, and parent-report of children's externalizing problems at 7 years of age. Results of the structural equation models revealed that infants' vagal flexibility moderates the predictive relations between sensitive parenting in infancy and children's later externalizing problems. Simple slope analyses revealed that low vagal flexibility, characterized by less suppression and flatter recovery patterns, exacerbated risk for externalizing psychopathology in the context of insensitive parenting. Children with low vagal flexibility also benefited most from sensitive parenting, as indicated by the lower number of externalizing problems. Findings are interpreted in the light of the biological sensitivity to context model and provide evidence for vagal flexibility as a biomarker of individual's sensitivity to early rearing contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nila Shakiba
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, 64 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
| | - Sarah F Lynch
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, 64 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Cathi B Propper
- School of Nursing, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - W Roger Mills-Koonce
- School of Education, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Nicholas J Wagner
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, 64 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
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40
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Jones-Mason K, Coccia M, Alkon A, Melanie Thomas KCP, Laraia B, Adler N, Epel ES, Bush NR. Parental sensitivity modifies the associations between maternal prenatal stress exposure, autonomic nervous system functioning and infant temperament in a diverse, low-income sample. Attach Hum Dev 2023; 25:487-523. [PMID: 37749913 DOI: 10.1080/14616734.2023.2257669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023]
Abstract
Evidence suggests that adversity experienced during fetal development may shape infant physiologic functioning and temperament. Parental sensitivity is associated with child stress regulation and may act as a buffer against risk for intergenerational health effects of pre- or postnatal adversity. Building upon prior evidence in a racially and ethnically diverse sample of infants (M infant age = 6.5 months) and women of low socioeconomic status, this study examined whether coded parenting sensitivity moderated the association between an objective measure of prenatal stress exposures (Stressful Life Events (SLE)) and infant parasympathetic (respiratory sinus arrhythmia; RSA) or sympathetic (pre-ejection period; PEP) nervous system functioning assessed during administration of the Still-Face-Paradigm (SFP) (n = 66), as well as maternal report of temperament (n = 154). Results showed that parental sensitivity moderated the associations between prenatal stress exposures and infant RSA reactivity, RSA recovery, PEP recovery, and temperamental negativity. Findings indicate that greater parental sensitivity is associated with lower infant autonomic nervous system reactivity and greater recovery from challenge. Results support the hypothesis that parental sensitivity buffers infants from the risk of prenatal stress exposure associations with offspring cross-system physiologic reactivity and regulation, potentially shaping trajectories of health and development and promoting resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen Jones-Mason
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, USA
| | - Michael Coccia
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, USA
| | - Abbey Alkon
- School of Nursing, University of California, San Francisco, USA
| | | | - Barbara Laraia
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, USA
| | - Nancy Adler
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, USA
| | - Elissa S Epel
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, USA
| | - Nicole R Bush
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, USA
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41
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Foss S, Petty CR, Howell C, Mendonca J, Bosse A, Waber DP, Wright RJ, Enlow MB. Associations among maternal lifetime trauma, psychological symptoms in pregnancy, and infant stress reactivity and regulation. Dev Psychopathol 2023; 35:1714-1731. [PMID: 35678173 PMCID: PMC9732151 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579422000402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Maternal trauma has intergenerational implications, including worse birth outcomes, altered brain morphology, and poorer mental health. Research investigating intergenerational effects of maternal trauma on infant stress reactivity and regulation is limited. Maternal mental health during pregnancy may be a contributor: psychopathology is a sequela of trauma exposure and predictor of altered self-regulatory capacity in offspring of affected mothers. We assessed associations among maternal lifetime trauma and infant stress responsivity, mediated by psychological symptoms in pregnancy. Mothers reported lifetime trauma history and anxiety, depressive, and posttraumatic stress symptoms during pregnancy. At infant age 6 months, stress reactivity and regulation were assessed via maternal behavior ratings (Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised, IBQ-R) and behavioral (negative mood) and physiological (respiratory sinus arrhythmia, RSA) markers during a laboratory stressor (Still-Face Paradigm). Maternal trauma was directly associated with lower infant physiological regulation and indirectly associated with lower levels of both infant behavioral and physiological regulation via higher maternal anxiety during pregnancy. Maternal trauma was also indirectly associated with higher infant reactivity via higher maternal anxiety during pregnancy. Post hoc analyses indicated differential contributions of maternal prenatal versus postnatal anxiety to infant outcomes. Findings highlight potential contributory mechanisms toward maladaptive child stress response, which has been associated with poor behavioral, cognitive, and academic outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Foss
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Carter R. Petty
- Institutional Centers for Clinical and Translational Research, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Caroline Howell
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Juliana Mendonca
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Abigail Bosse
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Deborah P. Waber
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Rosalind J. Wright
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Kravis Children’s Hospital, Department of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Institute for Exposomic Research, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Michelle Bosquet Enlow
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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42
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Lan Q, Zhang C, Lunkenheimer E, Chang S, Li Z, Wang L. Maternal postnatal depressive symptoms and children's internalizing problems: The moderating role of mother-infant RSA synchrony. Dev Psychopathol 2023:1-13. [PMID: 37702076 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579423001153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/14/2023]
Abstract
Maternal depressive symptoms are a crucial risk factor for children's internalizing problems, though positive mother-child relationships may buffer this risk transmission. Mother-child physiological coregulation (e.g., synchrony) has emerged as a potentially important mechanism of developmental psychopathology and may play a role in the transmission of internalizing symptoms. In this two-wave longitudinal study, we examined whether and how mother-infant physiological synchrony (of respiratory sinus arrhythmia; RSA) moderated the association between maternal postnatal depressive symptoms and children's internalizing problems in a rural, low-SES community sample (N = 166 dyads). At 6 months, mother-infant RSA synchrony and infant negative affect were assessed during free play. Mother reported their depressive symptoms at 6 months and children's internalizing problems at 24 months. Multilevel structural equation models indicated that mother-infant dyads demonstrated significant and positive RSA synchrony on average and RSA synchrony significantly moderated the association between maternal depressive symptoms and children's internalizing problems even after controlling for infant negative affect. Greater maternal depressive symptoms were associated with higher child internalizing problems when RSA synchrony was lower but not when it was higher. This finding suggests that mother-infant RSA synchrony may operate as a resilience factor for the intergenerational transmission of internalizing symptoms in community samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qili Lan
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences and Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Chen Zhang
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences and Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Erika Lunkenheimer
- Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, USA
| | - Suying Chang
- United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Office for China, Beijing, China
| | - Zhi Li
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences and Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Li Wang
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences and Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
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43
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Poli A, Cappellini F, Sala J, Miccoli M. The integrative process promoted by EMDR in dissociative disorders: neurobiological mechanisms, psychometric tools, and intervention efficacy on the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1164527. [PMID: 37727746 PMCID: PMC10505816 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1164527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Dissociative disorders (DDs) are characterized by a discontinuity in the normal integration of consciousness, memory, identity, emotion, perception, bodily representation, motor control, and action. The life-threatening coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been identified as a potentially traumatic event and may produce a wide range of mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety disorders, sleep disorders, and DD, stemming from pandemic-related events, such as sickness, isolation, losing loved ones, and fear for one's life. In our conceptual analysis, we introduce the contribution of the structural dissociation of personality (SDP) theory and polyvagal theory to the conceptualization of the COVID-19 pandemic-triggered DD and the importance of assessing perceived safety in DD through neurophysiologically informed psychometric tools. In addition, we analyzed the contribution of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) to the treatment of the COVID-19 pandemic-triggered DD and suggest possible neurobiological mechanisms of action of the EMDR. In particular, we propose that, through slow eye movements, the EMDR may promote an initial non-rapid-eye-movement sleep stage 1-like activity, a subsequent access to a slow-wave sleep activity, and an oxytocinergic neurotransmission that, in turn, may foster the functional coupling between paraventricular nucleus and both sympathetic and parasympathetic cardioinhibitory nuclei. Neurophysiologically informed psychometric tools for safety evaluation in DDs are discussed. Furthermore, clinical and public health implications are considered, combining the EMDR, SDP theory, and polyvagal conceptualizations in light of the potential dissociative symptomatology triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic.
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44
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Zhou AM, Lytle MN, Youatt EA, Pérez-Edgar K, LoBue V, Buss KA. Examining transactional associations between maternal internalizing symptoms, infant negative emotionality, and infant respiratory sinus arrhythmia. Biol Psychol 2023; 182:108625. [PMID: 37423511 PMCID: PMC10528331 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2023.108625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 06/11/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
The current study examined transactional associations between maternal internalizing symptoms, infant negative emotionality, and infant resting respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA). We used data from the Longitudinal Attention and Temperament Study (N = 217) to examine the associations between maternal internalizing symptoms, infant negative emotionality, and infant resting RSA from 4-months to 18-months using a random-intercepts cross-lagged panel model. We found that mothers with higher average internalizing symptoms have infants with higher levels of resting RSA. However, there were no stable, between-individual differences in infant negative emotionality across time. Additionally, we found significant negative within-dyad cross-lagged associations from maternal internalizing symptoms to subsequent measures of infant negative emotionality, as well as a significant negative cross-lagged association from maternal internalizing symptoms to child resting RSA after 12-months of age. Lastly, we find evidence for infant-directed effects of negative emotionality and resting RSA to maternal internalizing symptoms. Results highlight the complex, bidirectional associations in maternal-infant dyads during the first two years of life, and the importance of considering the co-development of infant reactivity and regulatory processes in the context of maternal internalizing symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna M Zhou
- Department of Psychology, The University of Utah, United States.
| | - Marisa N Lytle
- Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, United States
| | - Elizabeth A Youatt
- Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, United States
| | - Koraly Pérez-Edgar
- Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, United States
| | - Vanessa LoBue
- Department of Psychology, Rutgers University-Newark, United States
| | - Kristin A Buss
- Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, United States
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45
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Carvalho C, Oshri A. The Protective Role of the Autonomic Nervous System in Intergenerational Cycles of Neglect. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 2023:10.1007/s10578-023-01580-3. [PMID: 37561353 DOI: 10.1007/s10578-023-01580-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023]
Abstract
Offspring of parents who experienced childhood neglect are at increased risk for developing internalizing problems. Empirical evidence suggests this link is principally mediated through parenting behavior. However, such intergenerational cycles of adversity are found to be disrupted in many families. Parasympathetic nervous system functioning is well documented to mediate individuals' emotion regulation biologically. Respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) is a validated biomarker for parasympathetic activity. The goal of the current study was to investigate the moderating role of parent RSA reactivity in the effect of parents' childhood neglect on their children's internalizing problems, through parental acceptance. Physiological and survey data were collected from 145 dyads (94% mothers; Youth Mage = 12.9, Youth SDage = 0.85). Results suggest that the effect of parents' childhood neglect on their child's internalizing problems was conditional on parents' RSA reactivity. Specifically, higher levels of parents' neglect were only linked to increased risk for youth internalizing problems if parents exhibited a lack of RSA withdrawal. Further, this moderating effect was found to be mediated through parental acceptance. Findings suggest understanding intergenerational consequences of child maltreatment contexts should include consideration of bioregulatory factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cory Carvalho
- Human Development and Family Sciences, The Youth Development Institute, University of Georgia, 105 Foster Rd. Health Sciences Campus, 30606, Athens, GA, USA.
| | - Assaf Oshri
- Human Development and Family Sciences, The Youth Development Institute, University of Georgia, 105 Foster Rd. Health Sciences Campus, 30606, Athens, GA, USA
- Neuroscience Program, University of Georgia, Athens, USA
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46
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Boparai S, Dunning ED, Keim M, Galtieri LR, King K, Friedman D, Compas B, Breiger D, Lengua L, Katz LF. Caregiver emotion regulation predicts trajectories of psychopathology during pediatric cancer treatment. JOURNAL OF FAMILY PSYCHOLOGY : JFP : JOURNAL OF THE DIVISION OF FAMILY PSYCHOLOGY OF THE AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION (DIVISION 43) 2023; 37:635-646. [PMID: 36892923 PMCID: PMC10403380 DOI: 10.1037/fam0001071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Elevated child and caregiver psychopathology are observed in families of children with cancer, with a subset developing clinically significant symptoms. This study examines whether caregivers' resting respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and observed emotion regulation (ER) are protective against caregiver and child psychopathology during the first year of pediatric cancer treatment. Primary caregivers of children recently diagnosed with cancer (N = 159; child Mage = 5.6 years; children 48% male, 52% female) completed 12 monthly questionnaires. At Month 3, primary caregivers were interviewed about their experiences of emotions, and their resting RSA was measured. Data were analyzed using multilevel models. Observed ER was associated with lower caregiver anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) 1 year postdiagnosis but was not associated with children's symptoms. Resting RSA had a significant positive association with child depression/anxiety at the start of treatment and Month 12 child PTSS. Findings suggest that caregivers would benefit from interventions to manage their negative emotions at the start of cancer treatment. Additionally, caregivers who are more physiologically regulated may be more attuned to their children's negative emotions. Our findings highlight the importance of taking a multimethod approach to understanding how ER impacts functioning. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Kevin King
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington
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47
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Ruyak SL, Roberts MH, Chambers S, Ma X, DiDomenico J, De La Garza R, Bakhireva LN. Impulsivity and Alcohol Use during Pregnancy and Postpartum: Insights from Novel Methodological Approaches within the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Behav Sci (Basel) 2023; 13:600. [PMID: 37504047 PMCID: PMC10376597 DOI: 10.3390/bs13070600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2023] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Impaired emotion regulation and impulsivity have been linked to substance use. This study evaluated the association between emotion regulation difficulties-specifically impulsivity-and substance use within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic among pregnant (n = 49) and postpartum (n = 20) women. Participants from a prospective cohort ENRICH-2 completed a baseline phone survey of COVID-19-related experiences and impulsivity followed by a 14-day (3x/day) mobile ecological momentary assessment (mEMA) of impulsivity and substance use. Between-subject (BS) and within-subject (WS) associations for baseline impulsivity and momentary impulsivity with respect to substance use were examined using mixed effects models. At the BS level, momentary impulsivity scores that were higher than the overall group average were positively associated with subsequent momentary reports of marijuana use (β = 1.25; p = 0.04) when controlling for pregnancy status and COVID-19-related stress. At the WS level, momentary impulsivity scores that were higher than an individual's average score were positively associated with subsequent reports of momentary alcohol use (β = 0.08; p = 0.04). This research supports the idea that impulsivity varies based on individual situations, such as stress associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, and may be an important correlate of substance use in pregnant and postpartum women. Future research might consider investigation of additional factors, which may serve to moderate or mediate the relationship between impulsivity and substance use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon L Ruyak
- College of Nursing, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
- Substance Use Research and Education (SURE) Center, College of Pharmacy, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - Melissa H Roberts
- Substance Use Research and Education (SURE) Center, College of Pharmacy, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - Stephanie Chambers
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - Xingya Ma
- Substance Use Research and Education (SURE) Center, College of Pharmacy, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - Jared DiDomenico
- Substance Use Research and Education (SURE) Center, College of Pharmacy, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - Richard De La Garza
- David Geffen School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Ludmila N Bakhireva
- Substance Use Research and Education (SURE) Center, College of Pharmacy, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
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48
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Ding Y, Allen JJB. The within-person association of relative left frontal activity and vagally mediated heart rate variability not moderated by history of depression. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.10.547869. [PMID: 37502900 PMCID: PMC10369869 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.10.547869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Motivated by the Neurovisceral Integration Model (NVI) of cardiac vagal control, we investigated the relationship between relative left frontal activity (rLFA) and vagally mediated heart rate variability or respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) in 287 participants, half of whom had a history of depression. We hypothesized that there would be a within-person association of rLFA and RSA such that when RSA is lower rLFA would also be lower (Hypothesis I). Moreover, it was hypothesized that this within-subject association would be moderated by a history of depression (Hypothesis II). Metrics of rLFA and RSA were derived from concurrent electroencephalogram and electrocardiogram recordings. The logarithmic difference in EEG alpha power between the homologous right and left electrodes (Ln (Right/Left)) in the frontal region was used to index rLFA. A Hilbert transform was applied to the mean-centered and bandpass-filtered (0.12-.40 Hz) inter-beat interval (IBI) time series to get a fine-grained measure (in the time domain) of RSA. A linear mixed ANOVA model with rLFA as the dependent variable and RSA as the main fixed effect found that participants had less rLFA during epochs when they had lower RSA, which was consistent with the prediction from Hypothesis I. Contrary to the prediction from Hypothesis II, the within-person association of RSA and rLFA was not moderated by a history of depression. However, the association between RSA and rLFA varied across the four pairs of frontal electrodes that we examined. Thus, more research is needed to determine the spatial extent of this association, e.g., examining the relationship between source-localized rLFA and RSA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaohui Ding
- Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708-0999
| | - John J B Allen
- Department of Psychology, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721
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Boxmeyer CL, Stager CG, Miller S, Lochman JE, Romero DE, Powell NP, Bui C, Qu L. Mindful Coping Power Effects on Children's Autonomic Nervous System Functioning and Long-Term Behavioral Outcomes. J Clin Med 2023; 12:jcm12113621. [PMID: 37297817 DOI: 10.3390/jcm12113621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Revised: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Mindful Coping Power (MCP) was developed to enhance the effects of the Coping Power (CP) preventive intervention on children's reactive aggression by integrating mindfulness training into CP. In prior pre-post analyses in a randomized trial of 102 children, MCP improved children's self-reported anger modulation, self-regulation, and embodied awareness relative to CP but had fewer comparative effects on parent- and teacher-reported observable behavioral outcomes, including reactive aggression. It was hypothesized that MCP-produced improvements in children's internal awareness and self-regulation, if maintained or strengthened over time with ongoing mindfulness practice, would yield improvements in children's observable prosocial and reactive aggressive behavior at later time points. To appraise this hypothesis, the current study examined teacher-reported child behavioral outcomes at a one-year follow-up. In the current subsample of 80 children with one-year follow-up data, MCP produced a significant improvement in children's social skills and a statistical trend for a reduction in reactive aggression compared with CP. Further, MCP produced improvements in children's autonomic nervous system functioning compared with CP from pre- to post-intervention, with a significant effect on children's skin conductance reactivity during an arousal task. Mediation analyses found that MCP-produced improvements in inhibitory control at post-intervention mediated program effects on reactive aggression at the one-year follow-up. Within-person analyses with the full sample (MCP and CP) found that improvements in respiratory sinus arrhythmia reactivity were associated with improvements in reactive aggression at the one-year follow-up. Together, these findings indicate that MCP is an important new preventive tool to improve embodied awareness, self-regulation, stress physiology, and observable long-term behavioral outcomes in at-risk youth. Further, children's inhibitory control and autonomic nervous system functioning emerged as key targets for preventive intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline L Boxmeyer
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, College of Community Health Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, USA
- Center for Youth Development and Intervention, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, USA
| | - Catanya G Stager
- Division of Preventive Medicine, Heersink School of Medicine, The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - Shari Miller
- Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27516, USA
| | - John E Lochman
- Center for Youth Development and Intervention, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, USA
- Department of Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences, The University of Alabam, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, USA
| | - Devon E Romero
- Department of Counseling, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78249, USA
| | - Nicole P Powell
- Center for Youth Development and Intervention, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, USA
| | - Chuong Bui
- Center for Youth Development and Intervention, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, USA
- Alabama Life Research Institute, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487, USA
| | - Lixin Qu
- Carolina Population Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27516, USA
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50
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van der Mee DJ, Gevonden MJ, Westerink JHDM, de Geus EJC. Cardiorespiratory fitness, regular physical activity, and autonomic nervous system reactivity to laboratory and daily life stress. Psychophysiology 2023; 60:e14212. [PMID: 36379911 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Revised: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The cross-stressor adaptation hypothesis-which posits that adjustment to physical stress as a result of regular physical activity and its effects on fitness crosses over to psychological stress reactivity-has been around for over four decades. However, the literature has been plagued by heterogeneities preventing definitive conclusions. We address these heterogeneity issues in a combined laboratory and daily life study of 116 young adults (M = 22.48 SD = 3.56, 57.76% female). The exposure, i.e., the potential driver of adaptation, was defined in three ways. First, a submaximal test was performed to obtain aerobic fitness measured as the VO2 max (kg/ml/min). Second, leisure time exercise behavior, and third, overall moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), were obtained from a structured interview. Outcomes were autonomic nervous system (ANS) reactivity and affective responsiveness to stressors. ANS activity was measured continuously and expressed as inter-beat-interval (IBI), pre-ejection-period (PEP), respiratory sinus arrythmia (RSA), and non-specific Skin Conductance Responses (ns.SCR). Negative and positive affect were recorded after each experimental condition in the laboratory and hourly in daily life with a nine-item digital questionnaire. Linear regressions were performed between the three exposure measures as predictors and the various laboratory and daily life stress measurements as outcomes. Our results support the resting heart rate reducing effect of aerobic fitness and total MVPA in both the laboratory and daily life. We did not find evidence for the cross-stressor adaptation hypothesis, irrespective of ANS or affective outcome measure or whether the exposure was defined as exercise/MVPA or aerobic fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Martin J Gevonden
- Department of Biological Psychology, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Joyce H D M Westerink
- Industrial Engineering and Innovation Sciences, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
- Philips Research, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
| | - Eco J C de Geus
- Department of Biological Psychology, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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