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Zammuto M, Ottaviani C, Bianchi D, Laghi F, Lonigro A. From One's Heart to the Mind of Others: A Study in School-Aged Children. Dev Psychobiol 2024; 66:e22516. [PMID: 38924083 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22516] [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: 12/23/2023] [Revised: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 05/25/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
Studies have shown a significant association between effective parasympathetic modulation of the heart and processes linked to social cognition. Particularly, Quintana and colleagues documented a relation between vagally-mediated heart rate variability (vmHRV) and performance on a theory of mind (ToM) task, namely, the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET), in a sample of university students. The purpose of the present study was to test whether such result would extend to a sample of school-aged children (7-9 years old) using the child version of the RMET. In addition, the Eyes Test Revised was administered as it is more suitable to evaluate ToM during childhood. Results supported the positive association between vmHRV and ToM abilities, replicating and extending previous results obtained in young adults. The current study adds to the existing literature pointing to HRV as a putative biomarker of social cognition abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Zammuto
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Cristina Ottaviani
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- Functional Neuroimaging Lab, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Dora Bianchi
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Fiorenzo Laghi
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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Santamaría-García H, Migeot J, Medel V, Hazelton JL, Teckentrup V, Romero-Ortuno R, Piguet O, Lawor B, Northoff G, Ibanez A. Allostatic interoceptive overload across psychiatric and neurological conditions. Biol Psychiatry 2024:S0006-3223(24)01428-8. [PMID: 38964530 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2024.06.024] [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: 11/13/2023] [Revised: 06/10/2024] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/06/2024]
Abstract
Emerging theories emphasize the crucial role of allostasis (anticipatory and adaptive regulation of the body's biological processes) and interoception (integration, anticipation, and regulation of internal bodily states) in adjusting physiological responses to environmental and bodily demands. This review explores the disruptions in integrated allostatic interoceptive mechanisms in psychiatric and neurological disorders, including anxiety, depression, Alzheimer's disease, and frontotemporal dementia. We assess the biological mechanisms associated with allostatic interoception, including whole-body cascades, brain structure and function of the allostatic interoceptive network, heart-brain interactions, respiratory-brain interactions, the gut-brain-microbiota axis, peripheral biological processes (inflammatory, immune), and epigenetic pathways. These processes span psychiatric and neurological conditions and call for developing dimensional and trans-nosological frameworks. We synthesize new pathways to understand how allostatic interoceptive processes modulate interactions between environmental demands and biological functions in brain disorders. We discuss current limitations of the framework and future transdisciplinary developments. This review opens a new research agenda for understanding how allostatic interoception involves brain predictive coding in psychiatry and neurology, allowing for better clinical application and the development of new therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hernando Santamaría-García
- Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, PhD program of Neuroscience, Bogotá, Colombia; Hospital Universitario San Ignacio, Centro de Memoria y Cognición Intellectus, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Joaquin Migeot
- Global Brain Health Institute, University California of San Francisco, Trinity College of Dublin; Latin American Brain Health Institute (BrainLat), Universidad Adolfo Ibanez, Santiago de Chile
| | - Vicente Medel
- Latin American Brain Health Institute (BrainLat), Universidad Adolfo Ibanez, Santiago de Chile
| | - Jessica L Hazelton
- Latin American Brain Health Institute (BrainLat), Universidad Adolfo Ibanez, Santiago de Chile; The University of Sydney, School of Psychology and Brain & Mind Centre, Sydney, Australia
| | - Vanessa Teckentrup
- School of Psychology and Trinity Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Roman Romero-Ortuno
- Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, PhD program of Neuroscience, Bogotá, Colombia; Discipline of Medical Gerontology, School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Olivier Piguet
- The University of Sydney, School of Psychology and Brain & Mind Centre, Sydney, Australia
| | - Brian Lawor
- Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, PhD program of Neuroscience, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - George Northoff
- Institute of Mental Health Research, Mind, Brain Imaging and Neuroethics Research Unit, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Agustin Ibanez
- Global Brain Health Institute, University California of San Francisco, Trinity College of Dublin; Latin American Brain Health Institute (BrainLat), Universidad Adolfo Ibanez, Santiago de Chile; School of Psychology and Trinity Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
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3
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Chen FR, Nowak MK, French KM. Callous-unemotional traits and pre-ejection period in response to reward. Psychophysiology 2024:e14623. [PMID: 38922900 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14623] [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: 01/09/2024] [Revised: 05/13/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
Callous-unemotional (CU) traits have important utility in distinguishing individuals exhibiting more severe and persistent antisocial behavior, and our understanding of reward processing and CU traits contributes to behavioral modification. However, research on CU traits often investigated reward alongside punishment and examined solely on average reward reactivity, neglecting the reward response pattern over time such as habituation. This study assessed individuals' pre-ejection period (PEP), a sympathetic nervous system cardiac-linked biomarker with specificity to reward, during a simple reward task to investigate the association between CU traits and both average reward reactivity and reward response pattern over time (captured as responding trajectory). A heterogeneous sample of 126 adult males was recruited from a major metropolitan area in the US. Participants reported their CU traits using the Inventory of Callous-Unemotional Traits and completed a simple reward task while impedance cardiography and electrocardiogram were recorded to derive PEP. The results revealed no significant association between average PEP reward reactivity and CU traits. However, CU traits predicted both linear and quadratic slopes of the PEP reactivity trajectory: individuals with higher CU traits had slower habituation initially, followed by a rapid habituation in later blocks. Findings highlight the importance of modeling the trajectory of PEP reward response when studying CU traits. We discussed the implications of individuals with high CU traits having the responding pattern of slower initial habituation followed by rapid habituation to reward and the possible mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frances R Chen
- Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Montana K Nowak
- Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Katherine M French
- Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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Lent MC, Perry KJ, Perhamus GR, Buck C, Murray-Close D, Ostrov JM. Is autonomic functioning distinctly associated with anxiety and unsociability in preschoolers? Int J Psychophysiol 2024; 200:112343. [PMID: 38631542 PMCID: PMC11140582 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2024.112343] [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: 07/22/2023] [Revised: 03/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
There are many benefits of peer interactions for children's social, emotional, and cognitive development, and isolation from peers may have negative consequences for children. Although biological processes may underlie social withdrawal broadly, distinct patterns may be associated with withdrawal behaviors depending on their underlying motivation (e.g., shy versus disinterested). This study investigated the role of autonomic nervous system activity, as assessed via skin conductance level (SCL) and respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) in predicting changes in unsociability (e.g., lack of interest in peers) and anxious-fearfulness (e.g., discomfort among peers). Data were collected using a community sample of 92 US preschool children (45.7% female; Mage = 45.51 months, SDage = 3.81 months) at two time points one year apart. Gender differences were also explored. Baseline physiology was assessed while viewing a neutral video clip, and reactivity was assessed while viewing social exclusion and post-aggression discussion videos. For all children, coinhibition (i.e., SCL inhibition accompanied by RSA inhibition) to the post-aggression discussion video and blunted SCL activation to the exclusion video were prospectively associated with higher levels of anxious-fearfulness one year later. For boys only, baseline reciprocal sympathetic activation (i.e., SCL activation and RSA inhibition) was prospectively related to higher levels of unsociability one year later. For girls only, RSA inhibition in response to the post-aggression discussion video was prospectively related to higher levels of unsociability one year later. Findings contribute to a growing literature on autonomic reactivity in preschoolers' adjustment and suggest possible differences in the physiological processes underlying unsociability and anxious-fearfulness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria C Lent
- Department of Psychological Science, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA.
| | - Kristin J Perry
- Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center, The Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, USA
| | - Gretchen R Perhamus
- Department of Psychology, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Casey Buck
- Department of Psychological Science, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA
| | - Dianna Murray-Close
- Department of Psychological Science, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA
| | - Jamie M Ostrov
- Department of Psychology, University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, Buffalo, NY, USA
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Murray-Close D, Lent MC, Sadri A, Buck C, Yates TM. Autonomic nervous system reactivity to emotion and childhood trajectories of relational and physical aggression. Dev Psychopathol 2024; 36:691-708. [PMID: 36734227 DOI: 10.1017/s095457942200150x] [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: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
This study investigated the role of autonomic nervous system (ANS) coordination in response to emotion in girls' and boys' development of relational (e.g., ignoring, excluding) and physical (e.g., hitting, kicking) aggression. Caregivers reported on children's relational and physical aggression at ages 6, 7, 8, and 10 years (N = 232, 50.4% girls, 46.6% Latinx). Sympathetic nervous system (assessed via pre-ejection period) and parasympathetic nervous system (assessed via respiratory sinus arrhythmia) reactivity were measured in response to video clips depicting fear, happiness, and sadness at age 7. Growth curve models indicated that ANS reactivity to sadness, but not to fear or happiness, was related to trajectories of relational aggression. In contrast, ANS reactivity to all three emotions was associated with trajectories of physical aggression. Effects differed across genders, indicating that distinct patterns of ANS reactivity to emotion may be involved in girls' and boys' development of aggression. Overall, these findings contribute to a growing literature documenting the role of ANS reactivity to emotion in aggressive behavior. Moreover, this study considers ANS reactivity to specific emotions, as related to both relational and physical aggression, and as differentially expressed among girls versus boys.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dianna Murray-Close
- Department of Psychological Science, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA
| | - Maria C Lent
- Department of Psychological Science, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA
| | - Amanda Sadri
- Department of Psychology, University of California - Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Casey Buck
- Department of Psychological Science, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA
| | - Tuppett M Yates
- Department of Psychology, University of California - Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
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Godfrey DA, Kaufman EA, Crowell SE. Non-suicidal Self-injury History Moderates the Association Between Maternal Emotional Support and Adolescent Affect During Conflict. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 2024; 55:415-425. [PMID: 36028639 DOI: 10.1007/s10578-022-01417-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Onset of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is most frequent during adolescence. Etiological models indicate that abnormal affective reactivity and regulation within interpersonal contexts is related to heightened NSSI risk. The current study examined the effects of maternal emotional support on adolescent sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity and observed anger during a conflict discussion among 56 mother-daughter dyads consisting of healthy adolescents and adolescents with a history of self-injury. During the conflict discussion task, maternal emotional support and adolescent anger were coded from behavior, and cardiovascular pre-ejection period was used to index SNS responding. Results demonstrated that maternal emotional support was negatively associated with adolescent anger and SNS activity during the conflict. However, these associations were not significant among adolescents with heightened NSSI history. Maternal emotional support may serve as an interpersonal mechanism for adolescent physiological and behavioral regulation, yet may function differently among adolescents with more frequent NSSI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donald A Godfrey
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, 4505 Cullen Blvd, Houston, TX, 77204, USA
| | - Erin A Kaufman
- Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, 361 Windermere Road, London, ON, N6A 3K7, Canada.
| | - Sheila E Crowell
- Department of Psychology, University of Utah, 380 S. 1530 E. BEH S. 502, Salt Lake City, UT, 84112, USA
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Meehan ZM, Hubbard JA, Moore CC, Mlawer F. Susceptibility to peer influence in adolescents: Associations between psychophysiology and behavior. Dev Psychopathol 2024; 36:69-81. [PMID: 36148857 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579422000967] [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: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
The current study investigated in-the-moment links between adolescents' autonomic nervous system activity and susceptibility to three types of peer influence (indirect, direct, continuing) on two types of behavior (antisocial, prosocial). The sample included 144 racially ethnically diverse adolescents (46% male, 53% female, 1% other; M age = 16.02 years). We assessed susceptibility to peer influence behaviorally using the Public Goods Game (PGG) while measuring adolescents' mean heart rate (MHR) and pre-ejection period (PEP). Three key findings emerged from bivariate dual latent change score modeling: (1) adolescents whose MHR increased more as they transitioned from playing the PGG alone (pre-influence) to playing while simply observed by peers (indirect influence) displayed more prosocial behavior; (2) adolescents whose PEP activity increased more (greater PEP activity = shorter PEP latency) as they transitioned from indirect influence to being encouraged by peers to engage in antisocial behavior (direct influence) engaged in more antisocial behavior; and (3) adolescents whose PEP activity decreased less as they transitioned from direct influence on prosocial behavior to playing the PGG alone again (continuing influence) displayed more continuing prosocial behavior (marginal effect). The discussion focuses on the role of psychophysiology in understanding adolescents' susceptibility to peer influence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary M Meehan
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Delaware, 105 The Green, 108 Wolf Hall, Newark, DE19716, USA
| | - Julie A Hubbard
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Delaware, 105 The Green, 108 Wolf Hall, Newark, DE19716, USA
| | - Christina C Moore
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Delaware, 105 The Green, 108 Wolf Hall, Newark, DE19716, USA
| | - Fanny Mlawer
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Delaware, 105 The Green, 108 Wolf Hall, Newark, DE19716, USA
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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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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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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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Byrd AL, Frigoletto OA, Vine V, Vanwoerden S, Jennings JR, Zalewski M, Stepp SD. Maternal invalidation and child RSA reactivity to frustration interact to predict teacher-reported aggression among at-risk preschoolers. Psychol Med 2023; 53:6366-6375. [PMID: 37743837 PMCID: PMC10520353 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291722003713] [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: 04/21/2022] [Revised: 10/01/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Aggression is a transdiagnostic indicator of risk and represents one of the most common reasons children are referred for mental health treatment. Theory and research highlight the impact of maternal invalidation on child aggression and suggest that its influence may vary based on differences in child physiological reactivity. Moreover, the interaction between these risk factors may be particularly pronounced among children of mothers with emotion regulation (ER) difficulties. The current study examined the independent and interactive effects of maternal invalidation and child physiological reactivity to frustration on teacher-reported aggression in an at-risk sample of preschool children. METHOD Participants included 77 mothers (Mage = 33.17 years, s.d. = 4.83; 35% racial/ethnic minority) and their children (Mage = 42.48 months; s.d. = 3.78; 56% female; 47% racial/ethnic minority). Groups of mothers with and without clinician-rated ER difficulties reported on maternal invalidation, and child respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) was assessed continuously during a frustration task as an indicator of physiological reactivity. Teachers or daycare providers reported on child aggression. RESULTS Results demonstrated positive associations between maternal ER difficulties and both maternal invalidation and child RSA reactivity to frustration. As expected, the interaction between maternal invalidation and child RSA reactivity was significant, such that higher maternal invalidation and greater child RSA reactivity to frustration predicted more aggression in a daycare or preschool setting. Importantly, this effect was demonstrated while controlling for demographic covariates and baseline RSA. CONCLUSIONS Findings are in line with diathesis-stress and biosocial models of risk and point to multiple targets for prevention and early intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy L. Byrd
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | | | - Vera Vine
- Department of Psychology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Salome Vanwoerden
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - J. Richard Jennings
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Maureen Zalewski
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, USA
| | - Stephanie D. Stepp
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
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Wong KP, Qin J. Effectiveness of Social Virtual Reality Training in Enhancing Social Interaction Skills in Children With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: Protocol for a Three-Arm Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR Res Protoc 2023; 12:e48208. [PMID: 37721790 PMCID: PMC10546265 DOI: 10.2196/48208] [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: 04/15/2023] [Revised: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders among children. Children with ADHD have challenges in understanding social cues and behavioral problems when entering a social setting. Virtual reality (VR) has been applied to improve cognitive behaviors in children with ADHD. Previous studies have not adopted VR to improve social interaction competence and appropriateness in children with ADHD. VR offers a more effective alternative to therapeutic strategies for children with ADHD. OBJECTIVE This study aims to examine the feasibility and effectiveness of social VR training in enhancing social interaction skills compared to traditional social skills training in children with ADHD. We hypothesize that participants in the social VR training group are likely to perform better on social interaction skills than those in the traditional social skills training group. METHODS In this nonblinded, 3-arm randomized controlled trial (RCT), 90 participants with ADHD recruited from the community will be randomized 1:1:1 to the social VR intervention group, traditional social skills training group, or waitlist control group. The child psychiatrist will conduct assessments for each participant at baseline and after the intervention. The Social Skills Rating Scale-Parent will be used to assess the social interaction skills of the participants before and after the intervention. Participants in the social VR intervention group and traditional social skills training group will receive twelve 20-minute training sessions for 3 weeks. The participants in the waitlist control group will receive no training. The primary outcome measure is training acceptability and compliance. The secondary outcome measures are the child psychiatrist's assessment and the Social Skills Rating Scale-Parent before and after the intervention. Another outcome measure is the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function and Attention. Differences in the scale scores will be examined using a t test and an F test. RESULTS This study is set to commence in the fourth quarter of 2023. It is anticipated that participants in the social VR intervention group will exhibit superior social interaction skills than those in the traditional social skills training group. CONCLUSIONS To our knowledge, this RCT is the first study examining the feasibility and effectiveness of a social VR-based intervention for enhancing the social interaction skills of children with ADHD in Hong Kong. The VR-based social skills training is expected to provide a safer and more effective environment for children with ADHD to learn than the traditional approach. This study can lead to a full-scale RCT. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05778526; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05778526. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID) PRR1-10.2196/48208.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ka Po Wong
- Department of Applied Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China (Hong Kong)
| | - Jing Qin
- Centre for Smart Health, School of Nursing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China (Hong Kong)
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Tsotsi S, Borelli JL, Backer M, Veragoo N, Abdulla N, Tan KH, Chong YS, Chen H, Meaney MJ, Broekman B, Rifkin-Graboi A. Preschoolers' emotion reactivity and regulation: Links with maternal psychological distress and child behavior problems. Dev Psychopathol 2023; 35:1079-1091. [PMID: 34779373 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579421000936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Maladaptive offspring emotion regulation has been identified as one pathway linking maternal and child psychological well-being in school-aged children. Whether such a pathway is present earlier in life still remains unclear. The present study investigated the role of preschoolers' emotion reactivity and regulation in the association between maternal psychological distress and child internalizing and externalizing problems. Children's emotion reactivity and regulation were assessed through both observed behavior and physiology. At 42 months of age, children (n = 251; 128 girls) completed a fear induction task during which their heart-rate variability was assessed and their behavior was monitored, and maternal self-reports on depressive mood and anxiety were collected. At 48 months mothers and fathers reported on their children's internalizing and externalizing problems. Higher maternal depressive mood was associated with lower child fear-related reactivity and regulation, as indexed by heart-rate variability. The latter mediated the association between higher maternal depressive mood and higher preschoolers' externalizing problems. Overall, our findings support the role of preschoolers' emotion reactivity and regulation in the relationship between maternal psychological distress and children's socio-emotional difficulties. This role may also depend on the discrete emotion to which children react or seek to regulate as, here, we only assessed fear-related reactivity and regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stella Tsotsi
- 1PROMENTA Research Centre, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Jessica L Borelli
- 2Department of Psychology and Social Behavior, School of Social Ecologgy, University of California, Irvine, USA
| | - Mumtaz Backer
- 3Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency of Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Noraini Veragoo
- 3Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency of Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Nurshuhadah Abdulla
- 3Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency of Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Kok Hian Tan
- 4Department of Psychological Medicine, Kandang Kerbau Women and Children's Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yap Seng Chong
- 3Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency of Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
- 5Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore and National University Health System, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Helen Chen
- 4Department of Psychological Medicine, Kandang Kerbau Women and Children's Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
- 6Faculty of Pediatrics, Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Michael J Meaney
- 7Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Québec, Canada
| | - Birit Broekman
- 8Department of Psychiatry, OLVG and Amsterdam UMC, VU University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Anne Rifkin-Graboi
- 9Centre for Research in Child Development, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
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14
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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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15
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Lent MC, Perry KJ, Blakely‐McClure SJ, Buck C, Murray‐Close D, Ostrov JM. Autonomic nervous system reactivity and preschoolers' social dominance. Dev Psychobiol 2022; 64:e22336. [PMID: 36426790 PMCID: PMC9828209 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Revised: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of skin conductance level reactivity (SCLR) and respiratory sinus arrhythmia reactivity (RSAR) in preschoolers' social dominance, as well as potential gender differences in these associations. Reactivity was assessed in response to viewing videos of social exclusion and a post-aggression discussion. In a community sample of 94 preschool children followed over one calendar year, reactivity to the post-aggression discussion, but not exclusion, video was related to social dominance. Specifically, increased RSAR to the post-aggression discussion video was positively associated with concurrent social dominance for both boys and girls. Longitudinally, for boys only, coactivation (i.e., increases in SCLR accompanied by increases in RSAR) to the post-aggression discussion video, which may reflect dysregulated, emotionally labile reactions to stress, was associated with relatively low levels of social dominance across the course of the year. Overall, findings contribute to a growing literature documenting the role of autonomic reactivity in preschoolers' social adjustment and extend this work to their capacity to achieve and maintain socially dominant positions with peers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria C. Lent
- Department of Psychological ScienceUniversity of VermontBurlingtonVermontUSA
| | - Kristin J. Perry
- Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research CenterThe Pennsylvania State University, State CollegePennsylvaniaUSA
| | | | - Casey Buck
- Department of Psychological ScienceUniversity of VermontBurlingtonVermontUSA
| | - Dianna Murray‐Close
- Department of Psychological ScienceUniversity of VermontBurlingtonVermontUSA
| | - Jamie M. Ostrov
- Department of PsychologyUniversity at Buffalo, The State University of New YorkBuffaloNew YorkUSA
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16
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Chong LS, Gordis E, Hunter L, Amoh J, Strully K, Appleton AA, Tracy M. Childhood violence exposure and externalizing behaviors: A systematic review of the role of physiological biomarkers. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2022; 145:105898. [PMID: 36087419 PMCID: PMC9840871 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2022.105898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Revised: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Childhood exposure to violence has been consistently linked to externalizing behaviors like delinquency and aggression. Growing evidence indicates that physiological biomarkers from the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems (PNS and SNS) and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis may moderate or mediate the relation between childhood violence exposure and externalizing behaviors. We conducted a systematic review to synthesize recent findings on physiological biomarkers as mediators and/or moderators of this association across the life course, using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Our search yielded 3878 articles, of which 44 met inclusion criteria (describing a total of 46 independent studies). We found consistent evidence for blunted HPA-axis reactivity as a mediator of the relation between childhood violence exposure and subsequent externalizing behaviors, and for non-reciprocal PNS/SNS activation as moderators exacerbating this relation. However, the results of the majority of included studies that demonstrated significant moderating effects of physiological biomarkers varied by participant sex, type of childhood violence exposure, and type of stimuli used to induce physiological reactivity. The observed mixed findings are consistent with some theories that emphasize that both high and low stress reactivity can be adaptive depending on one's early environment. These findings highlight the need for systematic explorations of heterogeneity, theory-driven research questions, and longitudinal studies that span multiple developmental periods and multiple biological systems. Clinical implications include the need to assess physiological biomarkers in treatment and intervention studies and the potential to target interventions based on both autonomic functioning and environmental contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Shen Chong
- Department of Psychology, University at Albany, State University of New York, 1400 Washington Ave, Albany, NY 12222, United States
| | - Elana Gordis
- Department of Psychology, University at Albany, State University of New York, 1400 Washington Ave, Albany, NY 12222, United States
| | - Laura Hunter
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University at Albany School of Public Health, State University of New York, 1 University Place, Rensselaer, NY 12144, United States
| | - Jennifer Amoh
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University at Albany School of Public Health, State University of New York, 1 University Place, Rensselaer, NY 12144, United States
| | - Kate Strully
- Department of Sociology, University at Albany, State University of New York, 1400 Washington Ave, Albany, NY 12222, United States
| | - Allison A Appleton
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University at Albany School of Public Health, State University of New York, 1 University Place, Rensselaer, NY 12144, United States
| | - Melissa Tracy
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University at Albany School of Public Health, State University of New York, 1 University Place, Rensselaer, NY 12144, United States.
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17
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Zhou AM, Morales S, Youatt EA, Buss KA. Autonomic nervous system activity moderates associations between temperament and externalizing behaviors in early childhood. Dev Psychobiol 2022; 64:e22323. [PMID: 36282741 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2021] [Revised: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 08/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Temperamental risk, such as surgency, negative affect, and poor effortful control, has been posited as a predictor of externalizing symptom development. However, autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity underlying processes of reactivity and regulation may moderate associations between early temperament and later externalizing behaviors during early childhood. The aim of the present study was to examine how interactions between resting sympathetic (SNS) and parasympathetic (PNS) activity at age 5 may moderate associations between temperamental risk at age 3 and externalizing behavior at age 6 (n = 87). Results demonstrate different interactions between resting ANS activity and temperamental risk to predict externalizing behaviors. For children with lower SNS activation at rest, surgency was positively associated with externalizing behaviors. Negative affect was positively associated with externalizing behaviors except when there were either high levels of SNS and PNS activity or low levels of SNS and PNS activity. Effortful control was not associated with externalizing behaviors, though SNS and PNS activity interacted to predict externalizing behaviors after accounting for effortful control. Taken together, the results highlight the importance to examine multisystem resting physiological activity as a moderator of associations between temperamental risk and the development of externalizing behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna M Zhou
- Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, State College, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Santiago Morales
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Youatt
- Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, State College, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Kristin A Buss
- Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, State College, Pennsylvania, USA
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18
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Shan T, Tian X. The effects of mindfulness upbringing perception on social entrepreneurship orientation: A moderated mediation model of prosocial motivation and perceived pressure from external stakeholders. Front Psychol 2022; 13:968484. [PMID: 36312148 PMCID: PMC9606459 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.968484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Driven by economic and social benefits, social enterprises create new development models that combine wealth creation, social welfare provision, and environmental improvement through innovative approaches. The social entrepreneurship orientation reflects the behavioral tendency to transplant entrepreneurship orientation into the field of social value creation. It is a strategy to balance and integrate economic interests and social interests, which has a significant impact on social entrepreneurship performance. The purpose of this study is to explore the internal mechanism of the impact of social entrepreneurs’ mindfulness upbringing perception on social entrepreneur orientation. To reveal the internal mechanism, we propose a moderated and mediation model of prosocial motivation and perceived pressure from external stakeholders. In this study, random sampling was conducted among social start-ups in China. In order to improve the accuracy of the scale, a pre-survey was conducted before the formal survey. The data analysis results of the pre-survey showed that the scale in this study was suitable for the Chinese context and had good external validity. Through using survey data from social entrepreneurs in China, hierarchical regression analysis and bootstrapping model are adapted to test and verify mediation and moderation effects. The results show that mindfulness upbringing perception indeed positively influences social entrepreneurship orientation directly and partly through the mediating effect of prosocial motivation. Moreover, findings suggest the perceived pressure from external stakeholders negatively moderates not only the relationship between prosocial motivation and social entrepreneurship orientation but also the overall mediation model. This indicates that social entrepreneurs with low perceived pressure from external stakeholders will improve their social entrepreneurship orientation rapidly when their prosocial level is high. Based on these findings, we conclude that social entrepreneurship orientation may be achieved more effectively through the complex process of mindfulness upbringing perception, prosocial motivation, and perceived pressure from external stakeholders. Finally, the study proposes the theoretical and practical implications and suggestions for follow-up research.
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19
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Alen NV, Shields GS, Nemer A, D'Souza IA, Ohlgart MJ, Hostinar CE. A systematic review and meta-analysis of the association between parenting and child autonomic nervous system activity. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 139:104734. [PMID: 35716874 PMCID: PMC11023739 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2021] [Revised: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Parental socialization may influence the development of children's autonomic nervous system (ANS), a key stress-response system. However, to date no quantitative synthesis of the literature linking parenting and child ANS physiology has been conducted. To address this gap, we conducted a pre-registered meta-analysis. A systematic review of the literature identified 103 studies (n = 13,044 participants) with available effect sizes describing the association between parenting and either parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) or sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity in children. The overall analysis revealed non-significant associations between parenting and child ANS physiology on average. However, moderation analyses revealed a positive association between more positive parenting and higher resting PNS activity that was stronger when a study was experimental rather than correlational, and when the sample included children with a clinical condition. In conclusion, well-controlled experimental studies show that positive parenting is associated with the development of higher resting PNS activity, an effect that may be stronger among children who are at elevated developmental risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas V Alen
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, USA; Department of Biological and Clinical Psychology, University of Trier, Germany
| | - Grant S Shields
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, USA; Department of Psychological Science, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA
| | - Adele Nemer
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, USA
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20
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Poli A, Gemignani A, Chiorri C, Miccoli M. A critical period for experience-dependent development of the feelings of safety during early infancy: A polyvagal perspective on anger and psychometric tools to assess perceived safety. Front Integr Neurosci 2022; 16:915170. [PMID: 35924118 PMCID: PMC9339984 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2022.915170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Poli
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
- *Correspondence: Andrea Poli
| | - Angelo Gemignani
- Department of Surgical, Medical and Molecular Pathology and of Critical Care Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Carlo Chiorri
- Department of Educational Sciences, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Mario Miccoli
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
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21
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Ametti MR, Crehan ET, O’Loughlin K, Schreck MC, Dube SL, Potter AS, Sigmon SC, Althoff RR. Frustration, Cognition, and Psychophysiology in Dysregulated Children: A Research Domain Criteria Approach. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2022; 61:796-808.e2. [PMID: 35074486 PMCID: PMC9275749 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2021.11.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2021] [Revised: 10/30/2021] [Accepted: 01/13/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Dysregulated children experience significant impairment in regulating their affect, behavior, and cognitions and are at risk for numerous adverse sequelae. The unclear phenomenology of their symptoms presents a barrier to evidence-based diagnosis and treatment. METHOD The cognitive, behavioral, and psychophysiological mechanisms of dysregulation were examined in a mixed clinical and community sample of 294 children ages 7-17 using the Research Domain Criteria constructs of cognitive control and frustrative nonreward. RESULTS Results showed that caregivers of dysregulated children viewed them as having many more problems with everyday executive function than children with moderate or low levels of psychiatric symptoms; however, during standardized assessments of more complex cognitive control tasks, performance of dysregulated children differed only from children with low symptoms on tests of cognitive flexibility. In addition, when frustrated, dysregulated children performed more poorly on the Go/No-Go Task and demonstrated less autonomic flexibility as indexed by low respiratory sinus arrhythmia and pre-ejection period scores. CONCLUSION The findings of this study suggest that autonomic inflexibility and impaired cognitive function in the context of frustration may be mechanisms underlying childhood dysregulation.
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22
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Lynch SF, Bedford R, Propper C, Wagner NJ. Examining Links Between Infant Parasympathetic Regulation during the Still-Face Paradigm and Later Callous-Unemotional Traits. Res Child Adolesc Psychopathol 2022; 50:489-503. [PMID: 34424454 PMCID: PMC11244580 DOI: 10.1007/s10802-021-00860-7] [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: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Although research suggests that callous-unemotional (CU) traits are underpinned by deficits in social affiliation and reduced sensitivity to threat, there has been little investigation of the biophysiological regulatory mechanisms underlying these processes in infancy. The current study uses data from the Durham Child Health and Development Study (DCHD; n = 206) to examine whether and how the combination of infants' behavioral reactivity and levels of respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), an indicator of parasympathetic nervous system functioning, during the still-face episode of the still-face paradigm at 6 months differentiates risk for CU traits and oppositional defiant behaviors (ODD) at age 3 years, as well as whether these relations vary by children's attachment security. Results indicate that reduced negative affect during the still-face episode at 6 months predicts higher CU traits (B = -0.28, β = -0.27, p = 0.003) and ODD (B = -0.35, β = -0.24, p = 0.007) at 3 years. Results also show that comparatively lower RSA, i.e. engaged parasympathetic system, predicts higher CU traits (B = -0.10, β = -0.34, p = 0.013), but not ODD. Tests of moderation suggest the combination of blunted negative affect but comparatively lower RSA levels during a social stressor constitutes risk for later CU traits for children who are also insecurely attached (simple slope = -0.70, t = 2.88, p = 0.006 at -1 SD). Findings contribute to our understanding of the complex and interactive risk processes which precede the development of CU traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah F Lynch
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University Developmental Sciences, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Rachael Bedford
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, Psychology & Neuroscience, London, UK
- Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, UK
| | - Cathi Propper
- Center for Developmental Science, University of North Carolina At Chapel Hill, University of North Carolina At Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Nicholas J Wagner
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University Developmental Sciences, Boston, MA, USA.
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23
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Mikolajewski AJ, Scheeringa MS. Links between Oppositional Defiant Disorder Dimensions, Psychophysiology, and Interpersonal versus Non-interpersonal Trauma. JOURNAL OF PSYCHOPATHOLOGY AND BEHAVIORAL ASSESSMENT 2022; 44:261-275. [PMID: 35669529 PMCID: PMC9165763 DOI: 10.1007/s10862-021-09930-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The etiology of oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) is not well understood but appears to have both biologically-based roots and can develop following adverse experiences. The current study is the first to examine the interaction between biologically-based factors and type of trauma experience (i.e., interpersonal and non-interpersonal) and associations with ODD. The psychophysiological factors included baseline resting heart rate, respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), and cortisol. ODD was measured as two dimensions of irritable and defiant/vindictive. The sample included 330 children, 3-7 years-old, oversampled for a history of trauma. Results showed the interactions between baseline physiological arousal variables and trauma type in predicting ODD dimensions were not supported. However, the baseline RSA by trauma interaction was a significant predictor of defiance/vindictiveness among boys, but not girls, when interpersonal trauma was compared to controls. Several other gender differences emerged. Among boys, both interpersonal and non-interpersonal trauma were predictive of ODD dimensions; however, among girls, non-interpersonal trauma was not. Among girls, there was a significant negative bivariate relationship between baseline cortisol and irritability. Also, when the sample was restricted to those with interpersonal trauma only and controls, baseline RSA was negatively associated with irritability in girls only (controlling for trauma). Finally, retrospective reports revealed that children who met criteria for ODD diagnosis and experienced interpersonal trauma were more likely to exhibit ODD symptoms prior to their trauma compared to those who experienced non-interpersonal trauma. Results are discussed in the context of previous mixed findings, and avenues for future research are highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy J Mikolajewski
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Tulane University School of Medicine
| | - Michael S Scheeringa
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Tulane University School of Medicine
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24
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Tsotsi S, Rifkin-Graboi A, Borelli JL, Chong YS, Rajadurai VS, Chua MC, Broekman B, Meaney M, Qiu A. Neonatal brain and physiological reactivity in preschoolers: An initial investigation in an Asian sample. J Psychiatr Res 2022; 146:219-227. [PMID: 34809993 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.11.010] [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: 12/23/2020] [Revised: 10/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) activity is important to physiological regulation. Limbic structures are important in determining what information the PNS receives, potentially influencing concurrent physiological responsivity and, ultimately, shaping PNS development. Yet, whether individual differences in these structures are linked to PNS activity in early childhood remains unclear. Here, in an exploratory capacity, we examined the association between neonatal limbic structures (i.e., the left and right amygdala and hippocampus) and preschoolers' resting-state respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA). RSA is a measure of heart-rate variability, a physiological marker that reflects fluctuation in the PNS and is often found predictive of emotion regulation and psychological wellbeing. Data were extracted from the "Growing Up in Singapore towards Healthy Outcomes" (GUSTO) cohort (n = 73, 39 girls). Neonatal limbic volume was collected within two weeks after birth while infants were asleep. Resting-state RSA was collected during a coloring session at 42 months of age. After controlling for potential confounders, a Bonferroni-corrected significant association between neonatal left hippocampal volume and resting-state RSA emerged wherein larger hippocampal volume was associated with higher resting-state RSA. No significant associations were present between resting-state RSA and right or left amygdala, or right hippocampal volume. These findings contribute to an increasing body of evidence aiming at enhancing our understanding of neurobiological underpinnings of parasympathetic activity and modulation. Results are also discussed with reference to ideas concerning biological sensitivity to context, as both left hippocampal volume and resting-state RSA were previously found to moderate associations between adversity and psychological function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stella Tsotsi
- PROMENTA Research Centre, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
| | - Anne Rifkin-Graboi
- Centre for Research in Child Development, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
| | - Jessica L Borelli
- Department of Psychological Science, School of Social Ecology, University of California, Irvine, USA
| | - Yap Seng Chong
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences (SICS), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore; Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore and National University Health System, Singapore
| | - Victor Samuel Rajadurai
- Department of Neonatology, Kandang Kerbau Women and Children's Hospital, Singapore; Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
| | - Mei Chien Chua
- Department of Neonatology, Kandang Kerbau Women and Children's Hospital, Singapore; Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore
| | - Birit Broekman
- Department of Psychiatry, OLVG and Amsterdam UMC, VU University, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Michael Meaney
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences (SICS), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore; McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Anqi Qiu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
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25
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Sensory Behaviours and Resting Parasympathetic Functions among Children with and without ADHD. ScientificWorldJournal 2021; 2021:6615836. [PMID: 34824559 PMCID: PMC8610664 DOI: 10.1155/2021/6615836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous studies suggest that parasympathetic functions support sensory behaviours. However, the relationship between sensory behaviours and parasympathetic functions remain inconclusive and inconsistent among children with and without attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This research aims to examine the sensory behaviours and resting parasympathetic functions among children with and without ADHD. We compared sensory behaviours and baseline parasympathetic functions of 64 participants, with 42 typically developing and 24 ADHD male children aged 7–12 years. Sensory behaviours were evaluated using the sensory profile. Baseline parasympathetic functions were indexed using the normalized unit of heart rate variability high-frequency bands (HF n.u.). Children underwent an experimental protocol consisting of watching a silent cartoon movie while HF n.u. is continuously monitored, within a controlled environment. The results of this research showed significantly lower HF n.u. (t(64) = 7.84, p < 0.01) and sensory processing total score (t(64) = 14.13 = p < 0.01) among children with ADHD compared to their typically developing peers. Likewise, a significant moderate positive correlation (r = 0.36, p < 0.05) was found between the HF n.u. and sensory profile total scores among children with ADHD. Children with ADHD have significantly lower resting state parasympathetic functions compared to their typically developing peers.
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Behavioral disorder masks learning disability. CURRENT RESEARCH IN BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.crbeha.2021.100024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
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Gonçalves SF, Chaplin TM, López R, Regalario IM, Niehaus CE, McKnight PE, Stults-Kolehmainen M, Sinha R, Ansell EB. High-Frequency Heart Rate Variability and Emotion-Driven Impulse Control Difficulties During Adolescence: Examining Experienced and Expressed Negative Emotion as Moderators. THE JOURNAL OF EARLY ADOLESCENCE 2021; 41:1151-1176. [PMID: 35197657 PMCID: PMC8863321 DOI: 10.1177/0272431620983453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Emotion-driven impulse control difficulties are associated with negative psychological outcomes. Extant research suggests that high frequency heart rate variability (HF-HRV) may be indicative of emotion-driven impulse control difficulties and potentially moderated by negative emotion. In the current study, 248 eleven- to 14-year-olds and their parent engaged in a negatively emotionally arousing conflict task at Time 1. Adolescents' HF-HRV and negative emotional expression and experience were assessed before, during, and/or after the task. Adolescents reported on their levels of emotion-driven impulse control difficulties at Time 1 and one year later. Results revealed that higher levels of HF-HRV reactivity (i.e., higher HF-HRV augmentation) predicted higher levels of emotion-driven impulse control difficulties one year later among adolescents who experienced higher negative emotion. These findings suggest that negative emotional context should be considered when examining HF-HRV reactivity as a risk factor for emotion-driven impulse control difficulties and associated outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie F. Gonçalves
- Department of Psychology, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, 22030, United States
| | - Tara M. Chaplin
- Department of Psychology, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, 22030, United States
| | - Roberto López
- Department of Psychology, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, 22030, United States
| | - Irene M. Regalario
- Department of Psychology, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, 22030, United States
| | - Claire E. Niehaus
- Department of Psychology, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, 22030, United States
| | - Patrick E. McKnight
- Department of Psychology, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, 22030, United States
| | | | - Rajita Sinha
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, 06519, United States
| | - Emily B. Ansell
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, Pennsylvania State University, State College, Pennsylvania, 16802, United States
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Luengo Kanacri BP, Eisenberg N, Tramontano C, Zuffiano A, Caprara MG, Regner E, Zhu L, Pastorelli C, Caprara GV. Measuring Prosocial Behaviors: Psychometric Properties and Cross-National Validation of the Prosociality Scale in Five Countries. Front Psychol 2021; 12:693174. [PMID: 34367020 PMCID: PMC8339254 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.693174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
This research investigated the psychometric properties of the Prosociality Scale and its cross-cultural validation and generalizability across five different western and non-western countries (China, Chile, Italy, Spain, and the United States). The scale was designed to measure individual differences in a global tendency to behave in prosocial ways during late adolescence and adulthood. Study 1 was designed to identify the best factorial structure of the Prosociality Scale and Study 2 tested the model's equivalence across five countries (N = 1,630 young adults coming from China, Chile, Italy, Spain and the United States; general M age = 21.34; SD = 3.34). Findings supported a bifactor model in which prosocial responding was characterized by a general latent factor (i.e., prosociality) and two other specific factors (prosocial actions and prosocial feelings). New evidence of construct validity of the Prosociality Scale was provided.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nancy Eisenberg
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Arizona, AZ, United States
| | - Carlo Tramontano
- Centre for Research in Psychology, Behavior and Achievement, Coventry University, Coventry, United Kingdom
| | - Antonio Zuffiano
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza Università di Roma, Rome, Italy
| | | | | | - Liqi Zhu
- Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
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Emotion Regulation via the Autonomic Nervous System in Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): Replication and Extension. JOURNAL OF ABNORMAL CHILD PSYCHOLOGY 2021; 48:361-373. [PMID: 31808007 DOI: 10.1007/s10802-019-00593-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a prevalent disorder characterized by symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity, and/or impulsivity, as well as executive dysfunction. Recent work underlines the importance in understanding the role of emotion reactivity and regulatory deficits in the context of the disorder. One study (i.e., Musser et al. 2011) utilized a positive and negative emotion induction and suppression task, as well as indexes of autonomic nervous system reactivity, to examine emotional functioning in youth with ADHD. This study revealed inflexible parasympathetic-based regulation across emotion conditions among youth with ADHD compared to typically developing youth. The present study sought to replicate and extend these findings to a clinically recruited, diverse sample, while also examining sympathetic functioning. Two hundred fifty-nine participants (160 youth with ADHD), aged 5 to 13, completed the task utilized in Musser et al. 2011, while indexes of parasympathetic (i.e., respiratory sinus arrhythmia [RSA]) and sympathetic (i.e., pre-ejection period [PEP] and electrodermal activity [EDA]) reactivity were obtained. ADHD was associated with significantly elevated parasympathetic (i.e., augmented RSA) and sympathetic (as indexed by EDA) reactivity. Overall, results replicate and extend Musser et al. 2011, revealing sympathetic-linked disruptions in emotion reactivity and parasympathetic-linked disruptions in emotion regulation among youth with ADHD. Future studies of behavioral therapies for ADHD should consider the efficacy of adding an emotion regulation skills training component.
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Wymbs BT, Canu WH, Sacchetti GM, Ranson LM. Adult ADHD and romantic relationships: What we know and what we can do to help. JOURNAL OF MARITAL AND FAMILY THERAPY 2021; 47:664-681. [PMID: 33421168 DOI: 10.1111/jmft.12475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2020] [Revised: 11/15/2020] [Accepted: 11/22/2020] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
It has been widely maintained that enduring and healthy romantic relationships are critical to quality of life in adulthood, and can buffer the impact of adversity, including psychological disorder. Unfortunately, much research points toward adults with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) having short-lived and discordant romantic relationships. Despite this ample evidence, relatively little research has focused on identifying specific factors that may strengthen or explain their relational difficulties, which would have obvious relationship distress prevention and intervention implications. The current study reviews the state of the literature on romantic relationships in adults with ADHD, including differences that have been established between ADHD and non-ADHD populations as well as distal and proximal factors that appear to increase risk of relationship distress of adults with ADHD. Finally, notable gaps in the literature are identified and implications are raised with regards to prevention and intervention efforts designed to address functional impairment in adults with ADHD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian T Wymbs
- Department of Psychology, Ohio University, Athens, OH, USA
| | - Will H Canu
- Department of Psychology, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC, USA
| | | | - Loren M Ranson
- Department of Psychology, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC, USA
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Breaux R, Eadeh HM, Swanson CS, McQuade JD. Adolescent Emotionality and Emotion Regulation in the Context of Parent Emotion Socialization Among Adolescents with Neurodevelopmental Disorders: A Call to Action with Pilot Data. Res Child Adolesc Psychopathol 2021; 50:77-88. [PMID: 34195911 DOI: 10.1007/s10802-021-00833-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
To date, only three studies have examined the role of emotion socialization in the emotional functioning of youth with neurodevelopmental disorders. As such, this review article with pilot data sought to provide a call to action and first step in addressing this limited research body. Pilot data was collected with 18 adolescents (Mage = 13.5, SD = 1.6; 70% male) with a neurodevelopmental disorder and their primary caregiver. All adolescents were diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and displayed a range of comorbid disorders: autism spectrum disorder (27.8%), anxiety (66.7%), depression (44.4%), and disruptive behavior disorders (50%). Adolescents and caregivers completed a conflict discussion task while physiological, observational, and self-report measures of emotion socialization and emotional functioning were measured. Observed supportive parent emotion socialization behaviors were significantly associated with more observed adaptive emotion regulation strategies, and decreased observed and adolescent-reported negative affect, whereas non-supportive emotion socialization behaviors were associated with more observed negative affect and less observed adaptive emotion regulation strategies. Our pilot findings support growing research suggesting that adaptive parent emotion socialization practices can help foster less negative emotionality and better emotion regulation in youth with neurodevelopment disorders. We make a call to action for more emotion socialization research focused on youth with neurodevelopmental disorders, and propose four important directions for future research: 1) Research examining emotion socialization behaviors during daily life, 2) Understanding the nuanced role of emotion socialization practices, 3) Considering diversity in emotion socialization practices with clinical populations, and 4) Longitudinal and intervention research studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosanna Breaux
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, PhD, 460 Turner St., Suite 207, Blacksburg, VA, 24060, USA.
| | - Hana-May Eadeh
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa, USA
| | - Courtney S Swanson
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, PhD, 460 Turner St., Suite 207, Blacksburg, VA, 24060, USA
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Nakkas C, Bösch M, LaMarca R, Wyss T, Annen H, Brand S. Self-Reported Emotion Regulation Is Associated With Response to Test of Cardiac Vagal Function. J PSYCHOPHYSIOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1027/0269-8803/a000283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Abstract. Parasympathetic function and emotional self-regulation (ESR) share neuroanatomic structures. Based on Porges’ Polyvagal Theory and the Neurovisceral Integration Model (NIM), we compared vagally mediated heart-rate variability (vmHRV) with psychometrically assessed ESR. We hypothesized that vmHRV and ESR would be associated during rest, a vagal function test, and recovery from that test. A significant association would justify the psychometric measuring of parasympathetic health, which is less burdensome than its psychophysiological assessment. Two hundred thirteen healthy males (aged: 18–26 years, M = 20.29 years) took part in the present study. They completed the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ) and underwent the Cold Face Test (CFT) for 4 min wearing ambulatory electrocardiograms. A High frequency (HF) band was used as a measure of vmHRV before, during, and after the CFT. Associations between the HF band and ESR were analyzed with partial rank correlations. There was no significant association between ERQ scores and the response to the CFT itself. But there was an almost significant association between the ERQ scale Cognitive Appraisal and baseline vmHRV, and a significant association between Cognitive Appraisal and cardiac recovery from the CFT, that is, participants with higher scores on that ESR scale revealed a tendency to exhibit greater vmHRV during baseline and they exhibited greater vagal withdrawal during recovery from the CFT. Cognitive appraisal as a psychometrically assessed emotion regulatory process was reflected in a more flexible parasympathetic activity (i.e., better cardiac vagal health) during recovery from an exclusively physiological stressor. This lends convergent validity to self-reported emotion regulation, and justification for its use as a measure of ESR as a trait, offering further support for the Polyvagal Theory and NIM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Can Nakkas
- Swiss Federal Department of Defense, Civil Protection and Sports, Psychological-Pedagogical Service of the Swiss Armed Forces (PPD A), Thun, Switzerland
| | - Maria Bösch
- Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Zurich, Switzerland
- Praxis Pramstaller, Uetikon am See, Switzerland
| | - Roberto LaMarca
- Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Zurich, Switzerland
- Clinica Holistica Engiadina SA, Susch, Switzerland
| | - Thomas Wyss
- Swiss Federal Institute of Sport Magglingen SFISM, Magglingen, Switzerland
| | - Hubert Annen
- Department of Military Psychology Studies, Military Academy at ETH Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Serge Brand
- Center for Affective, Stress and Sleep Disorders (ZASS), Psychiatric Clinics (UPK), University of Basel, Switzerland
- Division of Sport Science and Psychosocial Health, Department of Sport, Exercise and Health, University of Basel, Switzerland
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Zijlmans J, Marhe R, van Duin L, Luijks MJA, Bevaart F, Popma A. No Association Between Autonomic Functioning and Psychopathy and Aggression in Multi-Problem Young Adults. Front Psychol 2021; 12:645089. [PMID: 33796054 PMCID: PMC8008113 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.645089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Aberrant functioning of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) is an important factor in the occurrence of antisocial behavior. Baseline autonomic functioning and the responsivity of the ANS have been related to psychopathic traits and aggression. Here we investigated whether a naturalistic sample of male multi-problem young adults (age 18-27) present with similar autonomic deficits in relation to their psychopathy and aggression as previous studies observed in clinical samples. Methods In a sample of 112 multi-problem young adults, baseline autonomic functioning and autonomic responsivity to emotional stimuli were assessed through four physiological measures: heart rate, respiratory sinus arrhythmia, pre-ejection period, and skin conductance. 27 control participants were included primarily to assess whether the task worked appropriately. Participants watched a neutral 5 min video to assess baseline autonomic functioning and watched two sad clips to assess autonomic reactivity to sadness. We investigated the association between autonomic functioning and self-reported psychopathic traits and aggression within the multi-problem group. Results We found no significant associations between autonomic functioning and psychopathy and aggression. Conclusion These null-findings highlight the importance of research in naturalistic samples in addition to research in clinical and general populations samples and underscore the complexity of translating research findings into practical and clinical implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josjan Zijlmans
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Reshmi Marhe
- School of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Laura van Duin
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Marie-Jolette A Luijks
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Floor Bevaart
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Arne Popma
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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Schloß S, Derz F, Schurek P, Cosan AS, Becker K, Pauli-Pott U. Reward-Related Dysfunctions in Children Developing Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder-Roles of Oppositional and Callous-Unemotional Symptoms. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:738368. [PMID: 34744828 PMCID: PMC8569139 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.738368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Objectives: Neurocognitive functions might indicate specific pathways in developing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). We focus on reward-related dysfunctions and analyze whether reward-related inhibitory control (RRIC), approach motivation, and autonomic reactivity to reward-related stimuli are linked to developing ADHD, while accounting for comorbid symptoms of oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), and callous-unemotional (CU) traits. Methods: A sample of 198 preschool children (115 boys; age: m = 58, s = 6 months) was re-assessed at age 8 years (m = 101.4, s = 3.6 months). ADHD diagnosis was made by clinical interviews. We measured ODD symptoms and CU traits using a multi-informant approach, RRIC (Snack-Delay task, Gift-Bag task) and approach tendency using neuropsychological tasks, and autonomic reactivity via indices of electrodermal activity (EDA). Results: Low RRIC and low autonomic reactivity were uniquely associated with ADHD, while longitudinal and cross-sectional links between approach motivation and ADHD were completely explained by comorbid ODD and CU symptoms. Conclusion: High approach motivation indicated developing ADHD with ODD and CU problems, while low RRIC and low reward-related autonomic reactivity were linked to developing pure ADHD. The results are in line with models on neurocognitive subtypes in externalizing disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan Schloß
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Friederike Derz
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Pia Schurek
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Alisa Susann Cosan
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Katja Becker
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany.,Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior, University of Marburg and Justus Liebig University Giessen, Marburg, Germany
| | - Ursula Pauli-Pott
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
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Ritz T, Schulz SM, Rosenfield D, Wright RJ, Bosquet Enlow M. Cardiac sympathetic activation and parasympathetic withdrawal during psychosocial stress exposure in 6-month-old infants. Psychophysiology 2020; 57:e13673. [PMID: 33048371 PMCID: PMC8548071 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2020] [Revised: 05/23/2020] [Accepted: 06/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Infant autonomic reactivity to stress is a potential predictor of later life health complications, but research has not sufficiently examined sympathetic activity, controlled for effects of physical activity and respiration, or studied associations among autonomic adjustments, cardiac activity, and affect in infants. We studied 278 infants during the repeated Still-Face Paradigm, a standardized stressor, while monitoring cardiac activity (ECG) and respiratory pattern (respiratory inductance plethysmography). Video ratings of physical activity and affect were also performed. Respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and T-wave amplitude (TWA) served as noninvasive indicators of cardiac parasympathetic and sympathetic activity, respectively. Responses were compared between infants who completed two still-face exposures and those who terminated after one exposure due to visible distress. Findings, controlled for physical activity, showed robust reductions in respiration-adjusted RSA and TWA, with more tonic attenuation of TWA. Infants completing only one still-face trial showed more pronounced autonomic changes and less recovery from stress. They also showed elevated minute ventilation, suggesting hyperventilation. Both reductions in adjusted RSA and TWA contributed equally to heart rate changes and were associated with higher negative and lower positive affect. These associations were more robust in the group of distressed infants unable to complete both still-face trials. Thus, cardiac sympathetic activation and parasympathetic withdrawal are part of the infant stress response, beyond associated physical activity and respiration changes. Their association with cardiac chronotropy and affect increases as infants' distress level increases. This excess reactivity to social stress should be examined as a predictor of future cardiovascular disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Ritz
- Department of Psychology, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Stefan M. Schulz
- Clinical Psychology, Psychotherapy, and Experimental Psychopathology, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - David Rosenfield
- Department of Psychology, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Rosalind J. Wright
- Department of Environmental Medicine & Public Health, 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
| | - Michelle Bosquet Enlow
- Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA,Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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Roubinov D, Tein JY, Kogut K, Gunier R, Eskenazi B, Alkon A. Latent profiles of children's autonomic nervous system reactivity early in life predict later externalizing problems. Dev Psychobiol 2020; 63:10.1002/dev.22068. [PMID: 33289073 PMCID: PMC8166940 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2019] [Revised: 09/24/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Prior researchers have observed relations between children's autonomic nervous system reactivity and externalizing behavior problems, but rarely considers the role of developmentally regulated changes in children's stress response systems. Using growth mixture modeling, the present study derived profiles of parasympathetic nervous system reactivity (as indicated by respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA)) and sympathetic nervous system reactivity (as indicated by pre-ejection period (PEP)) from low income, primarily Mexican American children measured repeatedly from infancy through age 5 (N = 383) and investigated whether profiles were associated with externalizing problems at age 7. Analyses identified two profiles of RSA reactivity (reactive decreasing and U-shaped reactivity) and three profiles of PEP reactivity (blunted/anticipatory reactivity, reactive decreasing, non-reactive increasing). Compared to children with an RSA profile of reactive decreasing, those with an RSA profile of U-shaped reactivity had marginally higher externalizing problems, however, this difference was not statistically significant. Children who demonstrated a profile of blunted/anticipatory PEP reactivity had significantly higher externalizing problems compared to those with a profile of non-reactive increasing, likely related to the predominantly male composition of the former profile and predominantly female composition of the latter profile. Findings contribute to our understanding of developmental trajectories of ANS reactivity and highlight the utility of a longitudinal framework for understanding the effects of physiological risk factors on later behavior problems.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Katherine Kogut
- Center for Environmental Research and Children’s Health (CERCH), School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley
| | - Robert Gunier
- Center for Environmental Research and Children’s Health (CERCH), School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley
| | - Brenda Eskenazi
- Center for Environmental Research and Children’s Health (CERCH), School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley
| | - Abbey Alkon
- School of Nursing, University of California, San Francisco
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Zhang R, Yang X, Liu D, Lü W, Wang Z. Intraindividual reaction time variability, respiratory sinus arrhythmia, and children's externalizing problems. Int J Psychophysiol 2020; 157:1-10. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2020.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2020] [Revised: 08/05/2020] [Accepted: 08/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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Huffman LG, Oshri A, Caughy M. An autonomic nervous system context of harsh parenting and youth aggression versus delinquency. Biol Psychol 2020; 156:107966. [PMID: 33027683 PMCID: PMC7665164 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2020.107966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2019] [Revised: 08/17/2020] [Accepted: 09/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Harsh parenting is a significant predictor of youth aggression and delinquency. However, not every child exposed to adverse parenting develops such problem behaviors. Recent developmental evolutionary models suggest that variability in stress response reactivity to parenting, reflected by autonomic nervous system (ANS) functioning, may affect the impact of adverse parenting on youth behavioral adjustment. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the parasympathetic and sympathetic branches of the ANS moderate the association between parenting and aggressive and delinquent behaviors. The study sample included low-income, ethnically diverse preadolescents (M = 10.28 years old; N = 101) and their caregivers. Direct effects were found from basal RSA to delinquent behaviors. In addition, harsh parenting predicted increased youths' aggressive and delinquent behaviors in the context of high RSA withdrawal and increased youths' delinquent behaviors in the context of shortened basal PEP. Implications for prevention and intervention are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Landry Goodgame Huffman
- Neuroscience Program, Biomedical & Health Sciences Institute, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30607, United States.
| | - Assaf Oshri
- Department of Human Development & Family Science, College of Family & Consumer Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30607, United States
| | - Margaret Caughy
- Department of Human Development & Family Science, College of Family & Consumer Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30607, United States
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Rydell AM, Brocki KC. Cognitive and Emotional Profiles of CU Traits and Disruptive Behavior in Adolescence: a Prospective Study. JOURNAL OF ABNORMAL CHILD PSYCHOLOGY 2020; 47:1039-1051. [PMID: 30523475 DOI: 10.1007/s10802-018-0496-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
In this study we followed 82-90 adolescents, 50% boys, from 15 to 16 years, investigating CU traits and disruptive behaviors as predictors of cognitive skills and arousal to emotional pictures. At age 15, CU traits were rated by adolescents and disruptive (aggregated ADHD-ODD-delinquent) behaviors were rated by parents and adolescents. At age 16, executive function, reaction time variability (RTV), IQ and arousal to negative pictures were assessed. The results showed that, with control for disruptive behaviors, CU traits predicted lower RTV, higher IQ and lower arousal to negative pictures. With control for CU traits, disruptive behaviors predicted lower spatial working memory, lower interference control and higher RTV. Our findings are of theoretical and clinical relevance as they point to highly diverging cognitive and emotional profiles of CU traits and disruptive behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann-Margret Rydell
- Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Box 1225, 751 42, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Karin C Brocki
- Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Box 1225, 751 42, Uppsala, Sweden
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Daches S, Vine V, George CJ, Jennings JR, Kovacs M. Sympathetic arousal during the processing of dysphoric affect by youths at high and low familial risk for depression. Psychophysiology 2020; 57:e13664. [PMID: 32797632 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13664] [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: 08/20/2019] [Revised: 04/18/2020] [Accepted: 04/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Youths at high risk for depression have been shown to have problems in repairing their own sad mood. Given that sympathetic arousal has been implicated both in the experience and regulation of affect, an atypical pattern of arousal may be one of the factors that contribute to mood repair problems. In the current study, we measured sympathetic arousal of never-depressed youths at high (n = 56) and low (n = 67) familial risk for depression during sad mood induction and instructed mood repair. Sympathetic arousal was indexed by skin conductance level (SCL) and cardiac pre-ejection period (PEP); mood repair outcome was indexed by self-rated affect. High-risk youths demonstrated increased SCL during sadness induction, which persisted during mood repair; low-risk youths evidenced increased SCL only during mood repair. Shortened PEP was evident only among high-risk youths and only during mood repair. Furthermore, shortened PEP during mood induction predicted less successful mood repair in the low-risk but not in the high-risk group. The findings suggest that: (a) depression-prone youths differ from control peers in patterns of sympathetic responses to emotional stimuli, which may impair their ability to relieve sadness, and (b) activation patterns differ across subsystems (SCL vs. PEP) of sympathetic activity, in conjunction with depression risk status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shimrit Daches
- Department of Psychology, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel
| | - Vera Vine
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Charles J George
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - J Richard Jennings
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Maria Kovacs
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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41
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Tenenbaum RB, Musser ED, Morris S, Ward AR, Raiker JS, Coles EK, Pelham WE. Response Inhibition, Response Execution, and Emotion Regulation among Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. JOURNAL OF ABNORMAL CHILD PSYCHOLOGY 2020; 47:589-603. [PMID: 30112596 DOI: 10.1007/s10802-018-0466-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is associated with deficits in response inhibition, response execution, and emotion regulation. However, the nature of the associations among these deficits remains unclear. Thus, this study examines these associations using a multi-method design. One hundred sixty-six children (aged 5-13 years; 66.3% male; 75 with ADHD) completed two conditions (i.e., neutral and fear) of an emotional go/no-go task. Parasympathetic-based regulation was indexed via respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), and sympathetic-based reactivity was indexed via cardiac pre-ejection period (PEP). Overall, children exhibited more difficulty with response execution (i.e., more omission errors, fewer correct go responses) and less difficulty with response inhibition (i.e., fewer commission errors, more correct no-go responses) during the fear condition than the neutral condition. Children with ADHD displayed more difficulty with response execution during the fear condition compared to typically developing youth. Additionally, children with ADHD displayed parasympathetic-based dysregulation (i.e., RSA increase from baseline) and reduced sympathetic-based reactivity (i.e., PEP lengthening) compared to typically developing youth across task conditions. In sum, children with ADHD demonstrate greater difficulty with response execution during emotionally salient contexts, as well as parasympathetic-based emotion dysregulation. Future work should examine these associations longitudinally with the aim of predicting impairment and treatment response in youth with ADHD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel B Tenenbaum
- Center for Children and Families, Department of Psychology, Florida International University, 11200 SW 8th St., AHC 4 455, Miami, FL, 33100, USA
| | - Erica D Musser
- Center for Children and Families, Department of Psychology, Florida International University, 11200 SW 8th St., AHC 4 455, Miami, FL, 33100, USA.
| | - Stephanie Morris
- Center for Children and Families, Department of Psychology, Florida International University, 11200 SW 8th St., AHC 4 455, Miami, FL, 33100, USA
| | - Anthony R Ward
- Center for Children and Families, Department of Psychology, Florida International University, 11200 SW 8th St., AHC 4 455, Miami, FL, 33100, USA
| | - Joseph S Raiker
- Center for Children and Families, Department of Psychology, Florida International University, 11200 SW 8th St., AHC 4 455, Miami, FL, 33100, USA
| | - Erika K Coles
- Center for Children and Families, Department of Psychology, Florida International University, 11200 SW 8th St., AHC 4 455, Miami, FL, 33100, USA
| | - William E Pelham
- Center for Children and Families, Department of Psychology, Florida International University, 11200 SW 8th St., AHC 4 455, Miami, FL, 33100, USA
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42
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Rudd KL, Yates TM. A latent change score approach to understanding dynamic autonomic coordination. Psychophysiology 2020; 57:e13648. [PMID: 32716600 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13648] [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: 10/04/2019] [Revised: 06/14/2020] [Accepted: 06/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Children's self-regulation is a core adaptive system in child development. Physiological indices of regulation, particularly the autonomic nervous system (ANS), have garnered increased attention as an informative level of analysis in regulation research. Cardiography supports the simultaneous examination of both ANS branches via measures of pre-ejection period (PEP) and respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) as indicators of sympathetic and parasympathetic activity, respectively. However, despite their heavily intertwined functions, research examining autonomic coordination across sympathetic and parasympathetic systems is scarce. Moreover, extant efforts have favored static, mean level reactivity analyses, despite the dynamic nature of ANS regulation and the availability of analytic tools that can model these processes across time. This study drew on a sample of 198 six-year-old children from a diverse community sample (49.5% female, 43.9% Latinx) to examine dynamic autonomic coordination using bivariate latent change score modeling to evaluate bidirectional influences of sympathetic and parasympathetic activity over the course of a challenging puzzle completion task. Results indicated that children evidenced reciprocal sympathetic activation (i.e., PEP attenuation and RSA withdrawal) across the challenge task, and these regulatory responses were characterized by a temporally leading influence of PEP on lagging changes in RSA. The current findings contribute to our understanding of children's autonomic coordination while illustrating a novel analytic technique to advance ongoing efforts to understand the etiology and developmental significance of children's physiological self-regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristen L Rudd
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Tuppett M Yates
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
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43
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Stephens M, Bush N, Weiss S, Alkon A. Distribution, Stability, and Continuity of Autonomic Nervous System Responsivity at 18- and 36-Months of Age. Biol Res Nurs 2020; 23:208-217. [PMID: 32715727 DOI: 10.1177/1099800420943957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Cardiac autonomic nervous system (ANS) measures, respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and preejection period (PEP), are valid and reliable indicators of children's sensitivity to their environment; however, there are few studies of ANS measures in children less than three years of age. This study's aim was to summarize the distributions, stability, and continuity of RSA and PEP measures during resting, challenge, and reactivity for children at 18- and 36-months. METHODS This was a cohort study of racially- and ethnically-diverse, low-income children who completed a developmentally challenging protocol while we simultaneously assessed their RSA and PEP at 18-months (N = 134) and 36-months (N = 102). RESULTS The ANS resting, challenge, and reactivity measures at 18- and 36-months of age were normally distributed. The RSA resting (r = 0.29), RSA challenge (r = 0.44), PEP resting (r = 0.55) and PEP challenge (r = 0.58) measures were moderately stable but RSA (r = 0.01) and PEP reactivity (r = 0.02) were not stable from 18- to 36-months of age. There was no continuity in the ANS measures from 18- to 36-months of age with statistically significant changes in sample means for all of the ANS measures. DISCUSSION These developmental changes in ANS are shown at the sample level but there are individual differences in ANS responses from 18- to 36-months that may be affected by adversity or protective factors experienced early in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Stephens
- Department of Family Health Care Nursing, School of Nursing, 8785University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), CA, USA
| | - Nicole Bush
- Departments of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, 8785University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), CA, USA
| | - Sandra Weiss
- Department of Physiological Nursing, School of Nursing, 8785University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), CA, USA
| | - Abbey Alkon
- Department of Family Health Care Nursing, School of Nursing, 8785University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), CA, USA
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44
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Dryburgh NSJ, Khullar TH, Sandre A, Persram RJ, Bukowski WM, Dirks MA. Evidence Base Update for Measures of Social Skills and Social Competence in Clinical Samples of Youth. JOURNAL OF CLINICAL CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHOLOGY 2020; 49:573-594. [PMID: 32697122 DOI: 10.1080/15374416.2020.1790381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Social skills and social competence are key transdiagnostic processes in developmental psychopathology and are the focus of an array of clinical interventions. In this Evidence Base Update, we evaluated the psychometric properties of measures of social skills and social competence used with clinical samples of children and adolescents. A systematic literature search yielded eight widely used measures of social skills and one measure of social competence. Applying the criteria identified by Youngstrom et al. (2017), we found that, with some exceptions, these measures had adequate to excellent norms, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability. There was at least adequate evidence of construct validity and treatment sensitivity in clinical samples for nearly all measures assessed. Many of the scales included items assessing constructs other than social skills and competence (e.g., emotion regulation). Development of updated tools to assess youth's effectiveness in key interpersonal situations, including those occurring online, may yield clinical dividends.
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45
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Dekkers TJ, Popma A, Sonuga-Barke EJS, Oldenhof H, Bexkens A, Jansen BRJ, Huizenga HM. Risk Taking by Adolescents with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): a Behavioral and Psychophysiological Investigation of Peer Influence. JOURNAL OF ABNORMAL CHILD PSYCHOLOGY 2020; 48:1129-1141. [PMID: 32607755 PMCID: PMC7392932 DOI: 10.1007/s10802-020-00666-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Adolescents with ADHD demonstrate increased risk-taking behavior (RTB) like substance abuse and dangerous traffic conduct. RTB in adolescence is more likely under peer influence. The current investigation (1) tests the hypothesis that adolescents with ADHD are particularly susceptible to such influence and (2) tests whether groups differed in autonomic reactivity to peer influence. Adolescent boys between 12 and 19 years with (n = 81) and without (n = 99) ADHD performed the Balloon Analogue Risk Task twice. In the peer condition, a highly credible virtual peer manipulation that encouraged risk taking was added, in the solo condition this was absent. Autonomic reactivity was indexed by heart rate (HR), pre-ejection period (PEP) and respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA). All adolescents engaged in more risk taking in the peer condition relative to solo condition. Autonomic differences between groups were only found on PEP: a stronger sympathetic response to peer influence was observed in typically developing adolescents relative to adolescents with ADHD. Increased physiological stress (as indexed by PEP) in the peer relative to the solo condition predicted peer-induced risk taking in all adolescents. We conclude that susceptibility to peer influence is not exaggerated in ADHD but rather reflects a general tendency of adolescents. As adolescents experiencing peer influence as stressful are most susceptible to peer influence, we suggest that increasing resistance to peer influence may be an important treatment aim for these adolescents specifically.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tycho J Dekkers
- Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Nieuwe Achtergracht 129B, 1018WS, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. .,Department of Forensic Psychiatry and Complex Behavioral Disorders, De Bascule, Academic Center for Child- and Adolescent Psychiatry, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. .,Amsterdam UMC, Department of Child- and Adolescent Psychiatry, Free University Medical Center (VUmc), Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Arne Popma
- Department of Forensic Psychiatry and Complex Behavioral Disorders, De Bascule, Academic Center for Child- and Adolescent Psychiatry, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Amsterdam UMC, Department of Child- and Adolescent Psychiatry, Free University Medical Center (VUmc), Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Edmund J S Sonuga-Barke
- Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College, London, UK
| | - Helena Oldenhof
- Amsterdam UMC, Department of Child- and Adolescent Psychiatry, Free University Medical Center (VUmc), Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Anika Bexkens
- Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, GGZ Delfland, Center for Psychiatry, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Brenda R J Jansen
- Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Nieuwe Achtergracht 129B, 1018WS, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Hilde M Huizenga
- Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Nieuwe Achtergracht 129B, 1018WS, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Amsterdam Brain and Cognition Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Research Priority Area Yield, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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46
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Abramson L, Uzefovsky F, Toccaceli V, Knafo-Noam A. The genetic and environmental origins of emotional and cognitive empathy: Review and meta-analyses of twin studies. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 114:113-133. [PMID: 32353470 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.03.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2019] [Revised: 02/20/2020] [Accepted: 03/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Empathy is considered a cornerstone of human social experience, and as such has been widely investigated from psychological and neuroscientific approaches. To better understand the factors influencing individual differences in empathy, we reviewed and meta-analyzed the behavioral genetic literature of emotional empathy- sharing others' emotions (k=13), and cognitive empathy- understanding others' emotions (k = 15), as manifested in twin studies. Results showed that emotional empathy is more heritable, 48.3 % [41.3 %-50.6 %], than cognitive empathy, 26.9 % [18.1 %-35.8 %]. Moreover, cognitive empathy as examined by performance tests was affected by the environment shared by family members, 11.9 % [2.6 %-21.0 %], suggesting that emotional understanding is influenced, to some degree, by environmental factors that have similar effects on family members beyond their genetic relatedness. The effects of participants' age and the method used to asses empathy on the etiology of empathy were also examined. These findings have implications for understanding how individual differences in empathy are formed. After discussing these implications, we suggest theoretical and methodological future research directions that could potentially elucidate the relations between genes, brain, and empathy.
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47
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Godfrey DA, Babcock JC. Facial affect recognition moderates the relation between autonomic nervous system reactivity and aggression during dyadic conflict. Psychophysiology 2020; 57:e13588. [PMID: 32323355 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2019] [Revised: 02/23/2020] [Accepted: 03/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Researchers examining physiological factors of emotion have identified differential patterns of physiological reactivity among intimate partner violence perpetrators during interpersonal conflict. Although it is unclear what mechanisms are influencing these distinct physiological patterns, research suggests that perpetrators' ability to decode emotions may be involved. The current study examined how the relation between an individual's physiological reactivity and their aggression during conflict with an intimate partner is influenced by the affect they are exposed to and their affect recognition ability. Sixty-seven heterosexual couples completed self-report measures and participated in a conflict discussion while physiological measures were recorded. The sympathetic nervous system (SNS) was indexed by Skin Conductance Level (SCL) and the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) by Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia (RSA). Aggressive affect was coded from video. Additionally, men were administered a facial affect recognition task. Results indicated that observed aggression during the conflict discussion was associated with RSA and SCL suppression, but only for men with moderate to high affect recognition ability. Additionally, the interaction effects between physiological reactivity and affect recognition on male aggression was conditional on their partner exhibiting at least moderate levels of aggressive affect. Findings from our study suggest that the relation between autonomic nervous system reactivity during conflict and aggression toward an intimate partner is conditional on men's ability to decode the facial affect of their partner. For individuals who were able to decode aggressive affect from their partner, aggression was associated with decreased parasympathetic and SNS activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donald A Godfrey
- Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Julia C Babcock
- Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
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48
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Creavy KL, Gatzke‐Kopp LM, Zhang X, Fishbein D, Kiser LJ. When you go low, I go high: Negative coordination of physiological synchrony among parents and children. Dev Psychobiol 2020; 62:310-323. [DOI: 10.1002/dev.21905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2019] [Revised: 07/10/2019] [Accepted: 07/10/2019] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Kristine L. Creavy
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies Pennsylvania State University State College Pennsylvania
- Child Welfare Resource Center University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work Pittsburgh Pennsylvania
| | - Lisa M. Gatzke‐Kopp
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies Pennsylvania State University State College Pennsylvania
| | - Xutong Zhang
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies Pennsylvania State University State College Pennsylvania
| | - Diana Fishbein
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies Pennsylvania State University State College Pennsylvania
| | - Laurel J. Kiser
- University of Maryland School of Medicine Baltimore Maryland
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49
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Gatzke-Kopp LM, Benson L, Ryan PJ, Ram N. Cortical and affective regulation of autonomic coordination. Psychophysiology 2020; 57:e13544. [PMID: 32039482 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2019] [Revised: 12/16/2019] [Accepted: 01/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Although anatomical research clearly demonstrates the ability of the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches of the autonomic nervous system to independently influence cardiac function, little research has examined whether coordinated activation is typical or whether the extent of autonomic coordination is situationally dependent. This study examines the extent of coordination between sympathetic (cardiac pre-ejection period: PEP) and parasympathetic (respiratory sinus arrhythmia: RSA) influences on the cardiac function to determine whether coordination is a trait-like between-person characteristic or a state-varying within-person phenomenon, and if so, whether variability in autonomic coordination is modulated by cognitive (P3b amplitude) or affective state. Kindergarten-aged children (n = 257) completed a go/no-go task administered in blocks designed to induce affective states through the delivery of reward (Blocks 1 and 3) and frustration (Block 2). Results from multilevel models that allowed for the simultaneous examination of between-person and within-person associations in the repeated measures data suggested that (a) children with higher overall RSA also tended to have higher overall PEP; (b) at within-person level, RSA and PEP tended to be reciprocally coordinated; but that (c) when frustration invokes cognitive disengagement, coordination between parasympathetic and sympathetic systems demonstrate compensatory coordination. These findings highlight the extent to which the coordination of autonomic systems is a dynamic state-like phenomenon rather than a trait-like individual differences characteristic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa M Gatzke-Kopp
- Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Lizbeth Benson
- Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Patrick J Ryan
- Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Nilam Ram
- Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
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50
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Kvadsheim E, Fasmer OB, Osnes B, Koenig J, Adolfsdottir S, Eichele H, Plessen KJ, Sørensen L. Lower Cardiac Vagal Activity Predicts Self-Reported Difficulties With Emotion Regulation in Adolescents With ADHD. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:244. [PMID: 32362841 PMCID: PMC7181562 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2018] [Accepted: 03/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate the relation between cardiac vagal activity (CVA), a measure of autonomic nervous system (ANS) flexibility, and self-reported emotion regulation (ER) difficulties in adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and controls. METHODS The sample comprised 11-17-year-old adolescents with ADHD (n=34) and controls (n = 33). Multiple linear regression analyses investigated the relation between CVA, as indexed by high frequency heart rate variability (HF-HRV), and ER difficulties as assessed by the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS). Supplemental analyses were performed in ADHD and control groups separately. Analyses assessed effects of body mass index (BMI), physical activity levels, and HF peak as a surrogate of respiration on CVA. RESULTS Lower CVA was associated with ER difficulties, and specifically with limited access to effective ER strategies. When investigating the relation between CVA and ER in the ADHD and control groups separately, there was a tendency of lower CVA predicting limited access to effective ER strategies in the ADHD group, and not in the control group. CONCLUSION The results suggest that lower CVA, i.e., reduced ANS flexibility, in adolescents with ADHD and controls is associated with self-reported ER difficulties, and specifically with limited access to effective ER strategies. There was a tendency for lower CVA to predict limited ER strategies only in the adolescents with ADHD and not controls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabet Kvadsheim
- Department of Biological and Medical Psychology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Ole Bernt Fasmer
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Berge Osnes
- Department of Biological and Medical Psychology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Julian Koenig
- Section for Experimental Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Centre for Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.,University Hospital of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Steinunn Adolfsdottir
- Department of Biological and Medical Psychology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.,Department of Visual Impairments, Statped West - National Service for Special Needs Education, Bergen, Norway
| | - Heike Eichele
- Department of Biological and Medical Psychology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Kerstin Jessica Plessen
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health Center, Capital Region Psychiatry, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Lin Sørensen
- Department of Biological and Medical Psychology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
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