Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia Suppression Research Articles

Nonlinear Moderation Effect of Vagal Regulation on the Link between Childhood Trauma and Adolescent Internalizing and Externalizing Symptoms.

Childhood trauma is a leading early adverse environment that increases psychopathological symptoms. Respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) suppression to challenges as a marker of self-regulation is found to linearly moderate the link between early adverse experiences and psychopathological symptoms, but yielding mixed findings. The present study examined the relationships between childhood trauma and internalizing and externalizing symptoms via a 1.5-year longitudinal design and the quadratic moderation effect of RSA suppression on these relationships among adolescents. In November 2021 (T1), the final sample of 275 Chinese adolescents (Mage = 12.94, SDage = 0.79; 49.82% females) completed the short form of Childhood Trauma Questionnaire and the Achenbach Youth Self-Report-2001 and underwent a speech task during which their baseline RSA and stress exposure RSA were obtained. In June 2023 (T2), 251 adolescents completed the Achenbach Youth Self-Report-2001. Results showed that childhood trauma at T1 was positively correlated with internalizing and externalizing symptoms at T1 and T2. RSA suppression to stress quadratically moderated these associations, such that adolescents with moderate rather than higher or lower RSA suppression had the least internalizing and externalizing symptoms at T1 and T2 when exposed to childhood trauma. The findings suggest that moderate RSA suppression to stress as a marker of optimal vagal regulation buffers the risk of developmental psychopathology from early adverse experiences.

Maternal respiratory sinus arrhythmia contextualizes the relation between maternal anxiety and overprotective parenting.

This current study examined maternal characteristics that predict the use of overprotective parenting in mothers of toddlers. Maternal respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) reactivity was tested as a moderator of the relation between maternal anxiety and overprotective parentig. Mothers (n = 151) and their 2-year-old toddlers participated in a laboratory visit and returned for a follow-up visit 1 year later. At child age 2, mothers reported their own anxiety. Mothers' RSA reactivity was measured between a resting baseline and a standardized laboratory task, and overprotective parenting was observed in that task. Toddler fearful temperament (FT) was observed in a separate standardized task as well as reported by mothers. At child age 3, mothers' overprotective parenting behaviors were observed according to the same procedures so change from age 2 could be measured. Results revealed that maternal anxiety and maternal RSA at age 2 interacted to predict relative increases in overprotective parenting behaviors at age 3. At low levels of RSA reactivity, reflecting RSA suppression, maternal anxiety predicted lower levels of overprotective parenting. At high levels of RSA reactivity, reflecting RSA augmentation, maternal anxiety predicted higher levels of overprotective parenting. Our results suggest that RSA suppression may protect mothers with anxiety symptoms from engaging in overprotective parenting, whereas RSA augmentation may put mothers with anxiety symptoms at risk for engaging in overprotective parenting. Findings indicate that the interaction of multiple parental traits should be considered when working with parents and families on parenting behavior. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Vagal flexibility to negative emotions moderates the relations between environmental risk and adjustment problems in childhood.

Neurobiological and social-contextual influences shape children's adjustment, yet limited biopsychosocial studies have integrated temporal features when modeling physiological regulation of emotion. This study explored whether a common underlying pattern of non-linear change in respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) across emotional scenarios characterized 4-6 year-old children's parasympathetic reactivity (N = 180). Additionally, we tested whether dynamic RSA reactivity was an index of neurobiological susceptibility or a diathesis in the association between socioeconomic status, authoritarian parenting, and the development of externalizing problems (EP) and internalizing problems over two years. There was a shared RSA pattern across all emotions, characterized by more initial RSA suppression and a subsequent return toward baseline, which we call vagal flexibility (VF). VF interacted with parenting to predict EP. More authoritarian parenting predicted increased EP two years later only when VF was low; conversely, when VF was very high, authoritarian mothers reported that their children had fewer EP. Altogether, children's patterns of dynamic RSA change to negative emotions can be characterized by a higher order factor, and the nature by which VF contributes to EP depends on maternal socialization practices, with low VF augmenting and high VF buffering children against the effects of authoritarian parenting.

Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) Augments the Effects of Gamified, Mobile Attention Bias Modification.

Anxiety-related attention bias (AB) is the preferential processing of threat observed in clinical and sub-clinical anxiety. Attention bias modification training (ABMT) is a computerized cognitive training technique designed to systematically direct attention away from threat and ameliorate AB, but mixed and null findings have highlighted gaps in our understanding of mechanisms underlying ABMT and how to design the most effective delivery systems. One neuromodulation technique, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) across the pre-frontal cortex (PFC) may augment the effects of ABMT by strengthening top-down cognitive control processes, but the evidence base is limited and has not been generalized to current approaches in digital therapeutics, such as mobile applications. The present study was a single-blind randomized sham-controlled design. We tested whether tDCS across the PFC, vs. sham stimulation, effectively augments the beneficial effects of a gamified ABMT mobile app. Thirty-eight adults (Mage = 23.92, SD = 4.75; 18 females) evidencing low-to-moderate anxiety symptoms were randomly assigned to active or sham tDCS for 30-min while receiving ABMT via a mobile app. Participants reported on potential moderators of ABMT, including life stress and trait anxiety. ECG was recorded during a subsequent stressor to generate respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) suppression as a metric of stress resilience. ABMT delivered via the app combined with tDCS (compared to sham) reduced AB and boosted stress resilience measured via RSA suppression, particularly for those reporting low life stress. Our results integrating tDCS with ABMT provide insight into the mechanisms of AB modulation and support ongoing evaluations of enhanced ABMT reliability and effectiveness via tDCS.

Childhood abuse and social anxiety symptoms among young adults: Moderating role of respiratory sinus arrhythmia suppression to social stress

BackgroundChildhood abuse (CA) has been considered as an environmental risk factor for the development of social anxiety symptoms. Respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) is a biomarker that has been found to interact with environmental stressors to affect psychopathological symptoms. However, little is known whether RSA moderates the relationship between CA and social anxiety symptoms. ObjectiveThe current study aimed to examine the relationships between CA and two forms of social anxiety symptoms including social performance anxiety symptoms (SPAS) and social interaction anxiety symptoms (SIAS), and the moderating role of baseline RSA and/or RSA suppression to a social-evaluative stress in these links. Participants and settingA total of 157 Chinese undergraduate students (Mage = 18.96, SD = 0.85, 85 % females) participated in this study. MethodParticipants completed the short form of Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, Social Phobia Scale and Social Interaction Anxiety Scale to assess CA, SPAS and SIAS, and then underwent a social stress protocol (a public speech task) during which their baseline RSA and stress induced RSA were obtained. ResultsCA was positively correlated with SPAS but was not correlated with SIAS. RSA suppression to social stress moderated the associations between CA and two forms of social anxiety symptoms, such that CA was positively associated with SPAS and SIAS among individuals with blunted RSA suppression, but not among those with greater RSA suppression. ConclusionsGreater social stress RSA suppression as a better physiological regulation marker might ameliorate the negative effect of CA on social anxiety symptoms.

Childhood anxiety sensitivity, fear downregulation, and anxious behaviors: Vagal suppression as a moderator of risk.

Anxiety sensitivity-the fear that anxiety-related sensations will result in catastrophic physical, social, or psychological consequences-is a robust risk factor for clinical anxiety. However, less is known about how anxiety sensitivity may interact with physiological modulation of arousal to predict anxious children's fear responses. The present investigation examined vagal withdrawal as a moderator of the association between anxiety sensitivity and anxious children's ability to downregulate subjective feelings of fear in response to an anxiety-provoking speech task. Observer ratings of anxious behaviors and performance during the task were also examined. It was hypothesized that children's anxiety sensitivity levels would interact with respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) suppression to explain unique variance in subjective fear downregulation, anxious behaviors, and task performance. Participants were 105 children with anxiety disorders (N = 105; M = 10.07 years, SD = 1.22; 57% female) who completed diagnostic interviews, questionnaires, a speech about their family, and an RSA assessment in baseline and speech conditions. Interactions between RSA suppression and anxiety sensitivity predicted unique variance in subjective fear downregulation. Specifically, the greatest difficulties downregulating subjective fear responses were exhibited by children with high anxiety sensitivity and low RSA suppression. Interactions between RSA suppression and anxiety sensitivity did not predict variance in observer ratings of anxious behaviors or task performance. However, higher baseline RSA and speech RSA were significantly associated with fewer anxious behaviors during the speech. Higher baseline RSA was also significantly associated with better speech performance. These findings highlight the importance of vagal withdrawal and its interaction with anxiety sensitivity in predicting downregulation of subjective fear among clinically anxious children. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Parental Marital Conflict and Growth in Adolescents\u2019 Externalizing Problems: the Role of Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia

Previous studies have examined the moderating effect of respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) on the association between marital conflict and externalizing problems, however the findings were inconsistent. One possible reason is that the covariation of internalizing problems in externalizing problems. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine this issue. Participants were 332 Chinese adolescents (54.5% boys) age from 13 to 15 years old. At T1, electrocardiogram monitoring was performed on adolescents during the resting state and stressor tasks (a speech task and a mental arithmetic task) to obtain RSA data. The Chinese version of the Achenbach Youth Self-Report-2001 (YSR-2001) and the Chinese version of the Children’s Perception of Interparental Conflict scale were used to assess adolescents’ externalizing and internalizing problems and their perception of marital conflict, respectively. Adolescents’ problem behaviors were assessed again in the second and third waves of data collection, with a 1-year lag among each wave. The results revealed that the 3- interactions of marital conflict × RSA reactivity in speech task × sex significantly predicted the trajectory of externalizing problems when controlling for internalizing problems from externalizing problems. Specifically, girls with greater RSA suppression to the speech task reported low and stable externalizing problems, however, boys with the same pattern were associated with slightly increased levels of externalizing problems. While, RSA augmentation to the speech task predicted the increase in externalizing problems among both girls and boys in high marital conflict families over time. However, this interaction effects were not significant when not partial out internalizing problems from externalizing problems. The findings highlight the importance of controlling for the covariation of internalizing problems when examining the interaction effects of person and environment on the development of adolescents’ externalizing problems.

Intraindividual reaction time variability, respiratory sinus arrhythmia, and children's externalizing problems

Intraindividual reaction time variability (IIRTV) is a unique cognitive function index that is independent of accuracy and has been found to be related to children's externalizing problems. Respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) reactivity to challenge tasks was also found to be a potential influence factor of children's externalizing problems. The present study examined whether IIRTV interacts with RSA reactivity to relate to externalizing problems in children. The flanker task was administered to 168 early elementary school-age children to assess their IIRTV, and the Child Behavior Checklist-Chinese version (CBCL-CV) was completed by their parents to assess children's externalizing problems. Electrocardiogram data were collected during the resting and task period to calculate resting RSA and RSA reactivity. The results indicated that children's IIRTV was correlated with their externalizing problems. Importantly, IIRTV interacted with RSA reactivity to relate to externalizing problems. IIRTV was positively related to externalizing problems in children with RSA suppression but was not significantly related to externalizing problems in children with RSA augmentation during the task. These findings suggest that poor attentional or cognitive control, as indexed by greater IIRTV, is related to more externalizing problems. Moreover, during mild cognitive stress, greater RSA suppression might indicate poor physiological regulation, which is more likely to increase externalizing problems for children with poor attentional or cognitive control.

Interpretation biases and depressive symptoms among anxiety-disordered children: The role of individual differences in respiratory sinus arrhythmia.

Individual differences in interpretation biases-the tendency to interpret ambiguous stimuli as threatening-partially explain the presence of comorbid depressive symptoms among anxious youth. Increasing efforts have examined physiological processes that influence the association between interpretation biases and depressive symptoms in this population, and potential gender differences in this relationship. This study examined the moderating role of respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) suppression (i.e., decrease from baseline)-an index of parasympathetic nervous system reactivity-in the association between interpretation biases and depressive symptoms in clinically anxious youth. One-hundred-and-five clinically anxious children (Mage =10.09years, SD=1.22; 56.7% female; 61.9% racial/ethnic minority) completed measures of self-reported and behaviorally indexed interpretation biases, reported anxiety/depression symptom severity, and participated in a speech task. RSA suppression during the task moderated the association between interpretation biases and depressive symptom severity in the total sample. Separate exploratory moderation analyses were conducted among girls and boys. Among girls, RSA suppression moderated the association between behaviorally indexed interpretation biases and depressive symptoms, and marginally moderated (p=.067) the association between self-reported interpretation biases and depressive symptoms. Among boys, RSA suppression was not a significant moderator. These findings may help identify clinically anxious youth most at-risk for comorbid depressive symptoms.

Facial affect recognition moderates the relation between autonomic nervous system reactivity and aggression during dyadic conflict.

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.

Abstract # 4260 Promoting resilience to early life stress in male C57BL/6N mice by repeated administration of Mycobacterium vaccae

To test alterations in placental cellular aging as one pathway by which maternal early adversity influences physiologic development in her offspring.Maternal report of her adverse childhood experiences (ACE) was obtained prenatally along with measures of prenatal stress and demographic information. Placentas (N = 67) were collected at birth and telomere length (TL) was measured in four separate fetally-derived placental tissues: amnion, chorion, villus, and umbilical cord. At four months of age, infants completed the still-face paradigm (SFP) during which respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) data were collected; RSA reactivity and RSA recovery was available from 44 and 41 infants respectively. Multi-level mixed effects models examined the impact of maternal ACE score on placental TL. Generalized linear models tested the relation between composite placental TL and infant RSA, as well as the moderation of maternal ACE score and infant RSA by composite placental TL.Higher maternal ACE score significantly predicted shorter placental TL across tissues (β = −0.015; P = 0.036) and infant RSA across the SFP. No direct relation was found between placental TL and RSA, however composite placental TL moderated the relation between ACE score and both infant RSA reactivity (β = 0.025; P = 0.005) and RSA recovery (β = −0.028; P = 0.032). In infants with shorter composite placental TL, higher ACE score predicted greater RSA suppression during the still-face epoch relative to play period 1 and greater RSA augmentation during play period 2 relative to the still-face epoch.These data are the first, to our knowledge, to report that changes in placental TL influence the transgenerational impact of maternal early life adversity on the development of her offspring’s autonomic nervous system.

Abstract # 3243 Age dependent changes of adipokine- and adipo-cytokine secretion from rat adipose tissue by endogenous and exogenous toll-like receptor agonists

To test alterations in placental cellular aging as one pathway by which maternal early adversity influences physiologic development in her offspring.Maternal report of her adverse childhood experiences (ACE) was obtained prenatally along with measures of prenatal stress and demographic information. Placentas (N = 67) were collected at birth and telomere length (TL) was measured in four separate fetally-derived placental tissues: amnion, chorion, villus, and umbilical cord. At four months of age, infants completed the still-face paradigm (SFP) during which respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) data were collected; RSA reactivity and RSA recovery was available from 44 and 41 infants respectively. Multi-level mixed effects models examined the impact of maternal ACE score on placental TL. Generalized linear models tested the relation between composite placental TL and infant RSA, as well as the moderation of maternal ACE score and infant RSA by composite placental TL.Higher maternal ACE score significantly predicted shorter placental TL across tissues (β = −0.015; P = 0.036) and infant RSA across the SFP. No direct relation was found between placental TL and RSA, however composite placental TL moderated the relation between ACE score and both infant RSA reactivity (β = 0.025; P = 0.005) and RSA recovery (β = −0.028; P = 0.032). In infants with shorter composite placental TL, higher ACE score predicted greater RSA suppression during the still-face epoch relative to play period 1 and greater RSA augmentation during play period 2 relative to the still-face epoch.These data are the first, to our knowledge, to report that changes in placental TL influence the transgenerational impact of maternal early life adversity on the development of her offspring’s autonomic nervous system.

Abstract # 4279 Examining sex differences in the neuroimmune profile of the developing rat

To test alterations in placental cellular aging as one pathway by which maternal early adversity influences physiologic development in her offspring.Maternal report of her adverse childhood experiences (ACE) was obtained prenatally along with measures of prenatal stress and demographic information. Placentas (N = 67) were collected at birth and telomere length (TL) was measured in four separate fetally-derived placental tissues: amnion, chorion, villus, and umbilical cord. At four months of age, infants completed the still-face paradigm (SFP) during which respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) data were collected; RSA reactivity and RSA recovery was available from 44 and 41 infants respectively. Multi-level mixed effects models examined the impact of maternal ACE score on placental TL. Generalized linear models tested the relation between composite placental TL and infant RSA, as well as the moderation of maternal ACE score and infant RSA by composite placental TL.Higher maternal ACE score significantly predicted shorter placental TL across tissues (β = −0.015; P = 0.036) and infant RSA across the SFP. No direct relation was found between placental TL and RSA, however composite placental TL moderated the relation between ACE score and both infant RSA reactivity (β = 0.025; P = 0.005) and RSA recovery (β = −0.028; P = 0.032). In infants with shorter composite placental TL, higher ACE score predicted greater RSA suppression during the still-face epoch relative to play period 1 and greater RSA augmentation during play period 2 relative to the still-face epoch.These data are the first, to our knowledge, to report that changes in placental TL influence the transgenerational impact of maternal early life adversity on the development of her offspring’s autonomic nervous system.

Parental gentle encouragement promotes shy toddlers’ regulation in social contexts

Gentle encouragement to approach appears to reduce risk for anxiety and is commonly incorporated into parenting interventions for inhibited preschoolers, yet little is known regarding whether gentle encouragement facilitates in-the-moment regulation as shy or inhibited children face social novelty, particularly during the toddler period. The current study used a sample of 55 temperamentally shy toddlers (21–24 months old) to examine toddler regulation in novel social contexts in relation to parental gentle encouragement to engage. Contexts included low-threat social novelty (i.e., a clown and puppets) and moderately threatening social novelty (i.e., strangers). Using an experimental design, parents were randomly assigned to provide behaviors thought to represent gentle encouragement: warm responsiveness to toddler fear and encouragement of toddler autonomy, prompt to engage, both warmth and prompt, or remaining uninvolved (no-encouragement control). Relative to toddlers in the no-encouragement control condition, toddlers whose parents were instructed to provide warmth showed less fear and more engagement in moderately threatening social contexts, and toddlers whose parents were instructed to provide both warmth and prompts showed greater suppression of respiratory sinus arrhythmia in low-threat social contexts. Findings suggest that parental gentle encouragement may promote regulated responses in social contexts in shy toddlers. Encouragement of toddler autonomy and warm responsiveness to toddlers in particular may help shy toddlers to engage with, rather than withdraw from, new people.

The transgenerational transmission of maternal adverse childhood experiences (ACEs): Insights from placental aging and infant autonomic nervous system reactivity

ObjectiveTo test alterations in placental cellular aging as one pathway by which maternal early adversity influences physiologic development in her offspring. MethodsMaternal report of her adverse childhood experiences (ACE) was obtained prenatally along with measures of prenatal stress and demographic information. Placentas (N = 67) were collected at birth and telomere length (TL) was measured in four separate fetally-derived placental tissues: amnion, chorion, villus, and umbilical cord. At four months of age, infants completed the still-face paradigm (SFP) during which respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) data were collected; RSA reactivity and RSA recovery was available from 44 and 41 infants respectively. Multi-level mixed effects models examined the impact of maternal ACE score on placental TL. Generalized linear models tested the relation between composite placental TL and infant RSA, as well as the moderation of maternal ACE score and infant RSA by composite placental TL. ResultsHigher maternal ACE score significantly predicted shorter placental TL across tissues (β = −0.015; P = 0.036) and infant RSA across the SFP. No direct relation was found between placental TL and RSA, however composite placental TL moderated the relation between ACE score and both infant RSA reactivity (β = 0.025; P = 0.005) and RSA recovery (β = −0.028; P = 0.032). In infants with shorter composite placental TL, higher ACE score predicted greater RSA suppression during the still-face epoch relative to play period 1 and greater RSA augmentation during play period 2 relative to the still-face epoch. ConclusionsThese data are the first, to our knowledge, to report that changes in placental TL influence the transgenerational impact of maternal early life adversity on the development of her offspring’s autonomic nervous system.

RSA reactivity in response to viewing bullying film and adolescent social adjustment.

This study assessed adolescent respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) reactivity while watching a bullying film clip from Boyz'n the Hood. We emphasized the importance of considering measurement context of RSA and examined whether RSA reactivity moderated the links between environmental factors (i.e., neighborhood violence, parental psychological control, and parental acceptance) and adolescent social adjustment. Data were collected from 57 adolescents and their primary caregivers. Electrocardiogram (ECG) and respiration data were obtained from adolescents. Results indicated that neighborhood violence was positively associated with aggressive behavior but only among adolescents showing RSA augmentation, not suppression. Among youth displaying RSA suppression, parental acceptance was positively linked to prosocial behavior. We propose that, in the specific context of watching a bullying film clip, RSA suppression may relate to physiological regulation of emotion, which may differentially influence adolescents' responses to socialization.

Polymorphic variation in the SLC5A7 gene influences infant autonomic reactivity and self-regulation: A neurobiological model for ANS stress responsivity and infant temperament

ObjectiveTo examine the impact of polymorphic variation in the solute carrier family 5 member 7 (SLC5A7) gene on autonomic nervous system (ANS) reactivity indexed by respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and heart rate (HR) in infants during a dyadic stressor, as well as maternal report of infant self-regulation. Given evidence of race differences in older individuals, race was specifically examined. MethodsRSA and HR were collected from 111 infants during the still-face paradigm (SFP). Mothers completed the Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised short-form. Multi-level mixed effects models examined the impact of SLC5A7 genotype on RSA and HR across the SFP. Linear models tested the influence of genotype on the relation between RSA, HR, and maternal report of infant self-regulation. ResultsSLC5A7 genotype significantly predicted RSA stress responsivity (β = −0.023; p = 0.028) and HR stress responsivity (β = 0.004; p = 0.002). T-allele carriers exhibited RSA suppression and HR acceleration in response to stress while G/G homozygotes did not suppress RSA and exhibited less HR acceleration. All infants exhibited modest RSA augmentation and HR deceleration during recovery. Race-stratified analyses revealed that White T-allele carriers drove the overall results for both RSA (β = −0.044; p = 0.007) and HR (β = 0.006; p = 0.008) with no relation between SLC5A7 genotype and RSA or HR in Black infants. Maternal report of infant orienting/regulation was predicted by the interaction of SLC5A7 genotype and both RSA recovery (β = 0.359; p = 0.001) and HR recovery (β = −1.659; p = 0.020). RSA augmentation and HR deceleration during recovery were associated with higher maternal reports of self-regulation among T-allele carriers, a finding again primarily driven by White infants. ConclusionsEarly in development, genetic contributions to ANS are evident and predict maternal report of infant self-regulation within White infants, consistent with prior literature. The lack of associations in Black infants suggest that race differences in physiological reactivity and self-regulation are emerging during the first year of life potentially providing early evidence of disparities in health risk trajectories.

Children’s autonomic functioning moderates links between maternal rejecting attitudes and preschool aggressive behaviors

Substantial theoretical and empirical literature suggests that the extent to which children's early experiences contribute to the development of aggressive behaviors may depend on the psychophysiological regulatory capacities of the child. This study adds to this literature by examining the relations between mothers' rejecting child-rearing attitudes and children's aggressive behaviors, as well as whether children's parasympathetic regulation, both at rest and in response to anger-inducing films, moderate these links. Using the data collected from 88 preschoolers (mage =51months), the results revealed that the positive association between mothers' rejecting child-rearing attitudes and children's aggressive behaviors was moderated by respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) reactivity to anger. More rejecting child-rearing attitudes predicted more aggressive behaviors only for children who showed mild RSA suppression to RSA augmentation. Conversely, and consistent with the differential-susceptibility model, children who showed mild RSA suppression to RSA augmentation had the fewest aggressive behaviors when mothers reported less rejecting child-rearing attitudes.

Callous-Unemotional Traits and Autonomic Functioning in Toddlerhood Interact to Predict Externalizing Behaviors in Preschool.

Callous-unemotional (CU) traits are one meaningful risk factor which helps to explain heterogeneity in the emergence of externalizing behavior problems. While the extant literature demonstrates links between early CU traits and later externalizing problems, there is a dearth of research examining for whom early CU traits confer risk. Data from a longitudinal study (n =108) were used to examine the extent to which parasympathetic functioning moderated links between CU traits in toddlerhood (m age = 24.99months) and externalizing behavior problems at preschool-age (m age = 51months). Neither CU traits nor parasympathetic functioning at age 2 directly predicted later externalizing behaviors. However, results show that high levels of CU traits predict elevated externalizing behavior problems, but only for toddlers exhibiting either high baseline respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) or little to no RSA suppression in response to a fear stimulus.

A Model-Based Cluster Analysis of Maternal Emotion Regulation and Relations to Parenting Behavior.

In a diverse community sample of mothers (N=108) and their preschool-aged children (Mage =3.50years), this study conducted person-oriented analyses of maternal emotion regulation (ER) based on a multimethod assessment incorporating physiological, observational, and self-report indicators. A model-based cluster analysis was applied to five indicators of maternal ER: maternal self-report, observed negative affect in a parent-child interaction, baseline respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), and RSA suppression across two laboratory tasks. Model-based cluster analyses revealed four maternal ER profiles, including a group of mothers with average ER functioning, characterized by socioeconomic advantage and more positive parenting behavior. A dysregulated cluster demonstrated the greatest challenges with parenting and dyadic interactions. Two clusters of intermediate dysregulation were also identified. Implications for assessment and applications to parenting interventions are discussed.