Cardiac vagal regulation differentiates among children at risk for behavior problems

Abstract

A sample of 335 five-year-old children participating in an ongoing longitudinal study was the focus of a study on the effects of emotional and behavioral challenge on cardiac activity in children with different patterns of early childhood behavior problems. The children were placed in one of three behavior problem groups (low behavior problems, risk for externalizing problems, risk for mixed externalizing/internalizing problems) based on their scores on the Child Behavior Checklist for 4-18 year-olds (Achenbach, 1991), completed by their mothers. To assess cardiac vagal regulation, resting measures of respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and RSA change (vagal withdrawal) to five emotionally and behaviorally challenging tasks were derived. In addition, Heart period (HP) and Heart period change (HR acceleration) was examined. Results indicated that the behavior problem groups did not differ in terms of resting measures of either RSA or HP. Analyses of the challenge tasks indicated that the children at risk for mixed problems displayed greater cardiac vagal withdrawal across the five tasks than did the other two groups of children. There was a trend for the children at risk for externalizing problems to display less vagal withdrawal than the control group. In addition, the children at risk for mixed problems displayed greater heart rate acceleration to the tasks than did the other two groups of children. Follow-up analyses indicated that the greater cardiac acceleration observed in the mixed group was largely a function of greater vagal withdrawal. These findings are discussed in terms of the emotion regulatory function of cardiac vagal regulation, and its implications for patterns of risk for behavior problems in young children. Recent work in both developmental and clinical psychology has identified the construct of emotion regulation as one that is critical to understanding adaptive functioning (Baumeister &. The ability to exercise self-control over the expression of emotion, particularly negative emotions, and emotion-related behavior, develops over the first years of life and has particular importance for the development of appropriate and adaptive social behavior during the preschool and school years

Physiological reactivity to stress and parental support: comparison of clinical and non‐clinical adolescents

“…We did not fi nd evidence for the hypothesis that adolescents with and without mental health problems would differ in their physiological reaction to the stressor (e.g., Calkins et al, 2007;Rottenberg et al, 2005). However, we found an indirect effect via secure base behaviour.…”

“…An explanation for the non-signifi cant relation between psychopathology and physiological reactivity might be the heterogeneity of the type of psychopathology in the clinical group. Unfortunately, the small sample size limited the statistical power to differentiate between adolescents with internalizing and externalizing problems (Calkins et al, 2007;Dietrich et al, 2007). Another explanation might be that other factors moderate the relation between psychopathology and physiological reactivity, such as environmental stress.…”

“…Therefore, sympathetic increases and parasympathetic decreases may both be expected as a reaction to a stressor. Weak parasympathetic responses to stress have been related to psychopathology (Calkins, Graziano, & Keane, 2007;El Sheikh, 2001;El Sheikh & Whitson, 2006;Rottenberg, Salomon, Gross, & Gotlib, 2005). Therefore, the parasympathetic response in adolescents with mental health problems may be weaker than in adolescents without such problems.…”

Future Directions in Emotion Dysregulation and Youth Psychopathology

“…5 Moreover, comorbid internalizing and externalizing symptoms predict greater RSA withdrawal to emotion evocation than either internalizing or externalizing symptoms alone (Calkins, Graziano, & Keane, 2007;Pang & Beauchaine, 2013). In contrast, high RSA is associated with resilience among children who are exposed to adversity.…”

Dysfunctional Behaviors in Children and Adolescents with Neurocardiogenic Syncope

“…It is a selfreport questionnaire with eight syndrome subscales (Anxious/ Depressed, Withdrawn/Depressed, Somatic Complaints, Social Problems, Thought Problems, Attention Problems, Rule-Breaking Behavior, and Aggressive Behavior) which are related to screening emotional and behavioral problems across multiple cultures [12,13]. Although no normative Italian data on the most recent YSR are available to date, the psychometric properties of the previous YSR [14] version have been investigated recently in a study conducted in Italy, that showed the good validity and reliability of this test on the Italian population [15].…”