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Respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), an index of the parasympathetic nervous system activity, has been considered indicative of stress response and emotion regulation. However, the relationship between RSA and anxiety remains inconclusive, partly because previous research has primarily focused on static RSA levels. In this nonclinical sample (N = 75, Mage = 20.89 ± 1.72 SD, 48 males), we used a damped oscillator model to characterize RSA dynamics across 30‐s epochs while participants completed the Trier social stress test. Results showed that RSA constantly oscillated during the three periods of TSST (namely Rest, Stress, and Recovery). Importantly, slower RSA oscillation in the Stress period was related to elevated state anxiety, whereas in the Recovery period, it was related to higher trait anxiety. These findings demonstrated the dynamic nature of RSA during the whole course of stress response. Slower RSA oscillation may indicate inflexible and tardy physiological regulation which may give rise to anxiety issues. Compared to static perspectives on aberrant autonomic arousal and psychopathology, our findings revealed the homeostatic dynamics underlying physiological regulation during stress responses. We found respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) spontaneously oscillated over time to rapidly modulate internal resources in response to contextual demands. Consequently, slower RSA oscillation, indicative of vagal inflexibility, suggested risks of stress dysregulation such as anxiety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Black adults' prior exposure to racial discrimination may be associated with their acute parasympathetic reactivity to and recovery from a new race‐related stressor. Existing analytical approaches to investigating this link obscure nuances in the timing, magnitude, and patterns of these acute parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) responses. In a re‐analysis of a prior study, we utilize an hidden Markov model (HMM) approach to examine how prior experiences of racial discrimination are associated with intraindividual patterns of (1) physiological states of PNS activity and (2) patterns of and variability in transitions between these physiological states. Participants (N = 118) were Black young adults (range 18–29 years; Mage = 19.67, SDage = 2.04) who completed an online survey to index prior racial discrimination exposure, followed by an in‐person lab visit during which their PNS activity in response to a race‐related stress task was measured via electrocardiogram and converted into respiratory sinus arrhythmia. HMMs indicated evidence for two states: baseline and a second state representing a significant reduction in respiratory sinus arrhythmia. Most participants (93.22%) demonstrated a blunted response to the task, indicating that they did not transition from baseline during the procedure. Prior racial discrimination was not associated with HMM states or state transition parameters. Blunted physiological responses may be an important area of future investigation that could inform early life course mental and physical health screenings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human interpersonal capacities emerge from coordinated neural, biological, and behavioral activity unfolding within and between people. However, developmental research to date has allocated comparatively little focus to the dynamic processes of how social interactions emerge across these levels of analysis. Second-person neuroscience and dynamic systems approach together to offer an integrative framework for addressing these questions. This study quantified respiratory sinus arrhythmia and social behavior (∼360 observations per system) from 44 mothers and typically developing 9-month-old infants during a novel modified "still-face" (text message perturbation) task. Stochastic autoregression models indicate that the infant parasympathetic nervous system is coupled within and between people second by second and is sensitive to social context. Intraindividual, we found positive coupling between infants' parasympathetic nervous system activity and their social behavior in the subsequent second, but only during the moments and periods of active caregiver engagement. Between people, we found a bidirectional coregulatory feedback loop: Mothers' parasympathetic activity positively predicted that of their infant in the subsequent second, a form of synchrony that decreased during the text message perturbation and did not fully recover. Conversely, infant parasympathetic activity negatively predicted that of their mother at the subsequent second, a form of synchrony that was invariant over social context. Findings reveal unidirectional parasympathetic coupling within infants and a complementary allostatic feedback loop between mother and infant parasympathetic systems. They offer novel evidence of a dynamic, socially embedded parasympathetic system at previously undocumented timescales, contributing to both basic science and potential clinical targets to better support adaptive, multisystem social development. Public Significance Statement: This study investigated how the subconscious, "rest and digest" parasympathetic nervous system supports babies' abilities to interact with others. Results suggest that the parasympathetic system changes in real-time to help babies regulate their bodies to engage socially and that parasympathetic activity is synchronized between mothers and babies in a coregulatory fashion. Findings improve scientific knowledge and may, in the future, aid clinical efforts to support children's development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ObjectiveMethodResultsConclusionThe literature on affective regulation in psychotherapy has traditionally relied on explicit client self-report measures. However, both clients’ and therapists’ affect fluctuate moment-to-moment during a session, highlighting the need for more implicit and continuous indices to better understand these dynamics. This study examined parasympathetic interpersonal and intrapersonal regulation dynamics between therapists and clients with Major Depressive Disorder during Supportive-Expressive Therapy.Data were collected from 52 dyads across five preselected sessions, using the Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia (RSA) index. We employed a longitudinal Actor-Partner Interdependence Model, with clients self-reporting their functioning level before and after each session, as the moderator.Therapists’ RSA at one time point negatively associated with clients’ RSA at the next, and vice-versa, indicating interpersonal regulation. Clients’ RSA at one time point was positively associated with their RSA at the next, indicating intrapersonal regulation. However, only interpersonal regulation was significantly moderated by clients’ pre-to-post session functioning. Specifically, sessions where clients led positive dyadic RSA associations showed greater improvement in clients’ functioning than those led by therapists.Physiological interpersonal regulation, measured by RSA, may be a catalyst for change in depression treatment. Therapists who are responsive to clients’ arousal levels may help clients improve their functioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emotion regulation (ER) is a multifaceted construct, involving behavioral, cognitive, and physiological processes. Although autonomic coordination is theorized to play a crucial role in adaptive functioning, few studies have examined how different individual and contextual factors together may contribute to such coordination. This study examined the joint influences of narrative processing and emotional negativity/lability (N/L) traits on the coordination of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems in a sample of 112 children, ages 8–12 years (Mage = 10.15 years, SD = 1.33). Children completed a stress‐induction task followed by an interview about the task. Children's trait‐level N/L was assessed via parent‐report on the Emotion Regulation Checklist. Narrative processing was assessed and coded based on children's narrative accounts of the event (i.e., causal coherence, overall emotional tone). Indexes of sympathetic (skin conductance response, SCR) and parasympathetic (respiratory sinus arrhythmia, RSA) functioning were derived from physiological data obtained during the interview. Results revealed that children's trait‐level N/L and narrative processing of the stressful event interacted to predict the RSA–SCR correlation. Specifically, children who were high on either N/L or narrative causal coherence, but not both, demonstrated significant RSA–SCR correlation. Similarly, children with high N/L and negative‐to‐neutral narratives, as well as those with low N/L and neutral‐to‐positive narratives, exhibited significant RSA–SCR correlation. This work provides empirical evidence that narrative processing and trait N/L, together with RSA–SCR correlation, work in tandem to regulate emotional arousal. This study examined the interactive roles of individual and contextual factors in association with autonomic coordination in ER. Children's trait‐level negativity/lability and narrative processing (i.e., causal coherence, the overall emotional tone) interacted to predict sympathetic and parasympathetic coordination. Findings empirically support that narrative processing and trait N/L, together with RSA–SCR correlation, work in tandem to regulate emotional arousals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prenatal opioid exposure has been associated with developmental problems, including autonomic nervous system dysregulation. However, little is known about the effects of prenatal opioid exposure on the autonomic nervous system beyond the first days of life, particularly across both the parasympathetic and sympathetic branches, and when accounting for exposure to other substances. The present study examined the effects of prenatal exposure to opioid agonist therapy (OAT, e.g., methadone) and other opioids on infant autonomic nervous system activity at rest and in response to a social stressor (the Still‐Face Paradigm) at six months among 86 infants varying in prenatal opioid and other substance exposure. Results indicated that OAT and other opioids have unique effects on the developing autonomic nervous system that may further depend on subtype (i.e., methadone versus buprenorphine) and timing in gestation. Results are discussed in the context of theoretical models of the developing stress response system. Prenatal opioid exposure (POE) is a major public health concern and impacts the fetal and neonatal autonomic nervous system (ANS). However, little is known about POE effects on the ANS beyond the neonatal period and accounting for other substance exposure. The present study describes the effects of POE on infant respiratory sinus arrhythmia and pre‐ejection period at six months of age and the differential effects of type and timing of exposure in the context of polysubstance exposure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Short-term memory (STM) impairments are common among youth with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but not inherent to the disorder. Little is known about predictors driving heterogeneity in STM among youth with ADHD. Prior work (i.e., Ward et al., 2015) has shown that parasympathetic nervous system functioning may play a role explaining this heterogeneity. The current study sought to replicate and extend this study with a diverse sample of 285 children (N = 143 clinically recruited with ADHD) ages 6 to 12 years. Parents reported on child psychopathology and youth completed a visual spatial STM task while psychophysiological data (i.e., heart rate, respiration rate, skin conductance) were recorded, then derived to relevant parasympathetic (i.e., respiratory sinus arrhythmia [RSA]) and sympathetic (i.e., electrodermal activity [EDA]) indexes. Youth with ADHD exhibited lower STM, lower resting RSA, and task-based RSA increase from baseline compared to typically developing peers. RSA moderated the association between STM and ADHD, such that low STM was associated with ADHD in the context of RSA increase from baseline. This was in contrast to Ward and colleagues (2015), which reported that low STM was associated with ADHD in the context of RSA withdrawal from baseline. When analyses were limited to youth with ADHD only, EDA moderated the association between STM and ADHD symptoms, such that low STM performance was associated with elevated symptoms in the context of EDA augmentation from baseline. Findings are discussed in comparison to the original study, and possible explanations for discrepancies in results are explored. Future research directions are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. We found that less parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) control in response to stress corresponds to more externalizing problems when the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) has less control. More PNS control in response to reward corresponds to more externalizing problems when SNS has more control. This study highlights the significance of task valences and provides further support for the integration of Gray's Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory and Porges's Polyvagal Theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) is an index of parasympathetic nervous system activity reflecting respiratory influences on heart rate. This influence is typically measured as high frequency heart rate variability (HF‐HRV) or root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD) of adjacent inter‐beat intervals. Examining the long‐term stability of its measurement is important as levels of resting RSA have been conceptualized as a marker of individual differences; in particular, of an individual's autonomic regulation and affect‐related processes, including emotion regulation. At present, it is not known if resting RSA levels reflect stable differences over a long‐term period (i.e., >1 year). Even less is known about how RSA stability differs as a function of depression history and whether it relates to depression risk trajectories. In the present study, we examined the 1.5‐year test–retest reliability of resting RSA using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) in 82 adults: n = 41 with a history of depression (ever‐depressed); n = 41 controls with no depression history (never‐depressed). HF‐HRV was fairly stable in both groups (ever‐depressed ICC = 0.55, never‐depressed ICC = 0.54). RMSSD was also fairly stable in ever‐depressed adults (ICC = 0.57) and never‐depressed controls (ICC = 0.40). ICC values for both indices did not differ between groups per overlapping 95% confidence intervals. Therefore, RSA stability as assessed by both frequency (HF‐HRV) and time domain (RMSSD) measures was not attenuated by a depression history. Implications and the need for future research are discussed. Researchers commonly utilize resting levels of parasympathetically‐mediated heart rate variability (e.g., HF‐HRV, RMSSD) to assess emotion regulation in healthy and clinical samples, particularly depression. However, little is known about its long‐term stability, and even less so in the presence of psychopathology. Our findings indicate that resting HF‐HRV and RMMSD are fairly stable indices of RSA over a period of 1.5 years, on average, among adults with and without a history of depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose : Exposure to aggressive parenting is a well-established environmental risk factor for anxiety symptoms. Moreover, autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity, including activity in both parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems (PNS and SNS), may moderate the effects of aggressive parenting on anxiety. This study aims to examine the interactive effects of aggressive parenting and ANS activity (both PNS and SNS) in accounting for trait anxiety among emerging adults. Methods: Participants (n = 190, mean age = 19.29, 56% females) reported retrospectively on childhood aggressive parenting and trait anxiety. In addition, we measured resting respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), an index of PNS, and resting skin conductance level (SCL), an index of SNS. Results: Regression analyses revealed that the three-way interaction between resting SCL, RSA, and aggressive parenting significantly accounted for trait anxiety. Simple slope analyses suggest that the relation between aggressive parenting and trait anxiety is stronger at lower conditional values of resting RSA and lower conditional values of resting SCL. Conclusion: Coinhibition, or relatively low activity across both systems, may exacerbate the link between aggressive parenting and trait anxiety. This study highlights the importance of considering the interaction effects of multiple physiological systems and environmental context on later psychological functioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intergenerational transmission of internalizing disorders (anxiety and depression) is well documented, but the responsible pathways are underspecified. One possible mechanism is via programming of the child's parasympathetic nervous system (PNS). For example, maternal depression and anxiety, via multiple pathways, may heighten child PNS reactivity, which has been linked to increased risk for internalizing disorders. Heightened PNS reactivity also may sensitize a child to their environment, increasing the vulnerability to developing psychopathology when exposed to stressors, such as maternal psychopathology. In a prospective longitudinal study of mother–child dyads (N = 446), we examined relations among maternal depression and anxiety symptoms when children were infants and aged 3 and 5 years, child respiratory sinus arrythmia (RSA) reactivity (measure of PNS reactivity) at 3 years, and child internalizing symptoms at age 5 years. Consistent with an adaptive calibration perspective, analyses tested the roles of child RSA reactivity as both a mediator and a moderator of associations between maternal and child symptoms. Greater child RSA reactivity in response to a fearful video predicted higher internalizing symptoms among children exposed to higher levels of maternal depression or anxiety symptoms at age 5 years (moderation effects). Child RSA reactivity did not mediate relations between maternal depression or anxiety symptoms in infancy and child internalizing symptoms at age 5 years. The results suggest that heightened PNS reactivity may represent a biological vulnerability to stressful environments early in life: When coupled with maternal depression or anxiety exposure, child PNS reactivity may promote the development of internalizing psychopathology in early childhood. In a longitudinal study spanning infancy to age 5 years, we examined child parasympathetic reactivity as both a mediator and a moderator of relations between maternal and child internalizing problems. Findings indicate that greater parasympathetic reactivity to fearful stimuli may confer risk in the context of maternal internalizing symptoms: Children with higher levels of parasympathetic reactivity who were later exposed to maternal depression or anxiety demonstrated heightened risk for child internalizing symptoms by age 5 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prolonged dysregulation of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) may increase propensity for physical or psychiatric illness. The current study examined differences in respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) regulation in 215 adolescents with or without autism spectrum disorder (ASD) at Time 1 (T1; 10–13 years old) and 1 year later (Time 2; T2). Linear mixed effects models demonstrated lower RSA regulation in ASD, and a small interaction effect, showing blunted change in RSA from T1 to T2. Developmental differences in RSA regulation were particularly notable in females with ASD and those taking psychotropic medications. Results expand previous findings of reduced parasympathetic regulation in ASD by revealing a blunted developmental slope, indicating diagnostic differences may persist or worsen over time, particularly in females. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rooted in the novel and the mysterious, awe is a common experience in childhood, but research is almost silent with respect to the import of this emotion for children. Awe makes individuals feel small, thereby shifting their attention to the social world. Here, we studied the effects of art-elicited awe on children's prosocial behavior toward an out-group and its unique physiological correlates. In two preregistered studies (Study 1: N = 159, Study 2: N = 353), children between 8 and 13 years old viewed movie clips that elicited awe, joy, or a neutral (control) response. Children who watched the awe-eliciting clip were more likely to spend their time on an effortful task (Study 1) and to donate their experimental earnings (Studies 1 and 2), all toward benefiting refugees. They also exhibited increased respiratory sinus arrhythmia, an index of parasympathetic nervous system activation associated with social engagement. We discuss implications for fostering prosociality by reimagining children's environments to inspire awe at a critical age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rumination, or thinking repetitively about one's distress, is a risk factor for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Current theories suggest that rumination contributes to PTSD symptoms directly, by increasing negative reactions to trauma cues (i.e., symptom exacerbation), or represents a form of cognitive avoidance, if verbal ruminations are less distressing than trauma imagery. The goal of this study was to test the symptom exacerbation and cognitive avoidance accounts of trauma‐focused rumination. We recruited 135 trauma‐exposed participants (n = 60 diagnosed with PTSD) and randomly assigned them to ruminate about their trauma, distract themselves, or engage in trauma imagery. For individuals with and without PTSD, rumination led to larger increases in subjective distress (i.e., negative affect, fear, sadness, subjective arousal, valence) than distraction, ηp2s =.04–.13, but there were no differences between rumination and imagery ηp2s =.001–.02. We found no evidence that rumination or imagery elicited physiological arousal, ds = 0.01–0.19, but did find that distraction reduced general physiological arousal, as measured by heart rate, relative to baseline, d = 0.84, which may be due to increases in parasympathetic nervous system activity (i.e., respiratory sinus arrhythmia), d = 0.33. These findings offer no support for the avoidant function of rumination in PTSD. Instead, the findings were consistent with symptom exacerbation, indicating that rumination leads directly to emotional reactivity to trauma reminders and may be a fruitful target in PTSD intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated whether parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous system (SNS) responses to social‐evaluative threat at age 14 were related to the number of substances used between ages 14 and 16 among Mexican‐origin adolescents (N = 243; 70.4% had never used substances by 14). Participants completed the Trier Social Stress Test, while cardiac measures of parasympathetic and SNS activity were measured continuously using respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and pre‐ejection period (PEP), respectively. Participants reported whether they had ever used alcohol, marijuana, and cigarettes, and had ever vaped nicotine in their lifetime at ages 14 and 16. Multilevel models were used to test associations between RSA and PEP responses at age 14 and substance use at 16. Among youth who had not used substances by 14, dampened RSA and PEP responses, and profiles of greater coinhibition and lower reciprocal SNS activation between RSA and PEP, at age 14 were associated with using substances by 16. Among youth who used by 14, exaggerated PEP responses were associated with using more substances by age 16. Taken together, dampened autonomic responses to social‐evaluative threat predicted initiation of substance use over two years, and difficulties with coordination of physiological responses may confer risk for substance use in adolescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We discuss Heart Rate Variability (HRV) measured during mindful breathing meditation. We provide a pedagogical computation of two commonly used heart rate variability metrics, i.e. the root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD) and the standard deviation of RR intervals (SDRR), in terms of Fourier components. It is shown that the root mean square of successive differences preferentially weights higher frequency Fourier modes, making it unsuitable as a biosignal for mindful breathing meditation which encourages slow breathing. We propose a new metric called the autonomic balance index (ABI) which uses Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia to quantify the fraction of heart rate variability contributed by the parasympathetic nervous system. We apply this metric to heart rate variability data collected during two different meditation techniques, and show that the autonomic balance index is significantly elevated during mindful breathing, making it a good signal for biofeedback during meditation sessions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent efforts to improve marital therapy interventions have begun investigating psychophysiologic processes in therapy. These studies are novel and represent initial investigations into relevant phenomena associated with the therapy process. Grounded in Polyvagal Theory, this study introduces an on‐going multimethod couple therapy process research (CHAMPS) and highlights the importance of establishing norms among distressed couples in therapy, which can provide context for other studies' results and instigate further investigation of physiology in marital therapy. Using a sample of 24 married, heterosexual couples (N = 48), we examine trends in markers of sympathetic (SNS) and parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) functioning; namely, electrodermal activity (SNS), cardiac impedence (SNS), and respiratory sinus arrhythmia (PNS) before and during therapy sessions and shifts in these measures over the course of four therapy sessions. We discuss clinical implications and provide recommendations for further investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paternal stress is often assessed by maternal report and is posited to influence infant development indirectly by contributing to a mother's stress and experiences during pregnancy. Far less is known about how direct effects of prenatal paternal stress, as described by fathers themselves, are related to an infant's physiological functioning. We assessed fathers' own experiences of stress and examined its direct impact on infant respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), a biological index of self-regulation, at seven-month postpartum. During the third trimester of pregnancy, the UCLA Life Stress Interview was conducted to assess chronic stress in mothers and fathers (N = 90). Infant baseline RSA and RSA reactivity in response to the Still-Face paradigm were assessed at seven-month postpartum. Infants of fathers with high prenatal stress showed lower baseline RSA, possibly reflective of poor infant psychophysiological regulation. The predictive role of paternal stress remained significant after controlling for maternal stress. Our findings provide emerging empirical evidence to support the influence of prenatal paternal stress on infant RSA, highlighting the important role of fathers for child development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined the prospective associations between two indicators of mother-youth emotional climate (i.e., maternal affect, dyadic cohesiveness) during a peer problem discussion and youth coping with peer stress following entry into middle school. We also investigated youth baseline respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) as a moderator of these associations given its role in physiological stress regulation. Participants were 100 mother-youth dyads (53% boys; M age = 11.05 years; 43% ethnic minorities). More positive maternal affect at Time 1 (spring of 5th grade) was associated with more primary and secondary control engagement coping and advice-seeking at Time 2 (fall of 6th grade); greater dyadic cohesiveness was prospectively linked with more advice-seeking only. Further, the positive association between maternal affect and primary control coping was only evident for youth who showed lower (not higher) baseline RSA. We discuss implications for jointly considering the mother-youth relational context and youth physiological regulatory capacity towards understanding coping socialization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prenatal intrauterine exposures and postnatal caregiving environments may both shape the development of infant parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) activity. However, the relative contributions of prenatal and postnatal influences on infant respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA)–an index of PNS functioning–are relatively unknown. We examined whether prenatal and postnatal maternal emotion dysregulation, a transdiagnostic construct that spans mental health diagnoses, were independently related to infant RSA trajectories during a social stressor, the still-face paradigm. Our sample included 104 mothers and their 7-month-old infants. Maternal emotion dysregulation was measured with the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale during the 3rd trimester of pregnancy and again at a 7-month postpartum laboratory visit. Infant RSA was recorded during the still-face paradigm. Only postnatal maternal emotion dysregulation was associated with infant RSA. Specifically, high postnatal emotion dysregulation was associated with a blunted (i.e., dampened reactivity and recovery) infant RSA response profile. Infant sex did not moderate the associations between maternal emotion dysregulation and infant RSA. Findings suggest that postnatal interventions to promote effective maternal emotion regulation may reduce risk for infants' dysregulated psychophysiological stress responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aggressive behavior is a multifaceted phenomenon encompassing various behaviors with distinct etiological, developmental, and motivational underpinnings. Reactive aggression is impulsive, emotionally charged, and triggered by real or perceived provocation, whereas proactive aggression is premeditated, controlled, and aimed at achieving specific goals. This review delves into the physiological aspects of aggression to explore the validity of the "hot-blooded" (reactive) versus "cold-blooded" (proactive) distinction, which are thought to be associated with hyper-arousal and hypo-arousal, respectively. To do so, we build on evidence from work investigating the role of heart rate (HR), skin conductance (SC), heart rate variability (HRV), and respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) in the manifestation of reactive and proactive aggression. Our review points to contradicting findings in terms of the physiological arousal patterns associated with each aggressive behavior, although associations with HRV and RSA were more consistent compared to those found for HR and SC measures. We propose distinct possibilities that might explain the identified contradictory evidence. Specifically, we suggest that future research needs to test for (1) environmental moderation (e.g., parenting styles), (2) individual differences (e.g., negative emotionality and callous-unemotional traits), (3) potential associations with physiological responses to threat (e.g., fear conditioning and startle reactivity), and (4) the interaction between sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. Despite its limitations, this line of work also has important implications and can guide more effective interventions for aggressive individuals who operate at a high cost to peers, family members and to the society in general. • Reactive aggression is impulsive, emotionally charged, and triggered by real or perceived provocation. • Proactive aggression is premeditated, controlled, and aimed at achieving specific goals. • This review delves into the physiological aspects of aggression to explore the validity of the "hot-blooded" (reactive) versus "cold-blooded" (proactive) distinction. • Our review points to contradicting findings in terms of the physiological arousal patterns associated with each aggressive behavior. • This line of work has important implications and can guide more effective interventions for aggressive individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a longstanding debate linking fearlessness to psychopathy. Yet, research explicitly testing physiological fear reactivity is limited, especially studies including both sympathetic (SNS) and parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) reactivity to ecologically valid fear induction. Recent research has shown that testing both branches of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) is important for understanding the factor construct of psychopathy (Thomson et al. in Psychophysiology, 56(1), 2019a). However, the association between fear reactivity and the 4-facet structure of psychopathy has not been explored. Using virtual reality fear induction, the present study aimed to test if the interpersonal, affective, lifestyle, and antisocial facets were differentially related to physiological fear reactivity profiles. In a late adolescent/early adult sample (N = 114; age 18–21 years), psychopathy was assessed using the Self-Report Psychopathy Scale Short Form and physiological fear reactivity was measured using SNS and PNS via skin conductance and respiratory sinus arrhythmia, respectively. Results show that the affective and antisocial facets were associated with dampened SNS fear reactivity, while the lifestyle facet was associated with greater PNS fear reactivity. Most interesting was that the interpersonal facet was related to coinhibition of the ANS (low SNS and PNS reactivity); this is the same physiological pattern associated with proactive aggression (Thomson et al. in Physiology Behavior, 242, 113061, 2021). This could suggest that coinhibition to fear induction, which was originally linked to factor 1 (Thomson et al. in Psychophysiology, 56(1), 2019a), may be a physiological profile that enables the manipulative, coercive, and cold-blooded behaviors associated with psychopathy. By contrast, affective and antisocial facets share a fear profile of a blunted SNS, while the lifestyle facet is related to aberrant PNS activation, suggesting a biological vulnerability to emotion dysregulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. • Larger left hippocampal volume associated with higher resting-state RSA. • No association between amygdala and right hippocampal volume and resting-state RSA. • Left hippocampal volume in early life may convey risk for difficulties in emotion processing and related mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unresolved loss/trauma in the context of the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) has been theorised to result from dissociative processing of fear-related memories and ideas. To examine the plausibility of this model, this study tested hypothesised associations between unresolved loss/trauma and indicators of autonomic nervous system (ANS) reactivity. First-time pregnant women (N = 235) participated in the AAI while heart rate (interbeat interval; IBI) and indicators of parasympathetic reactivity (respiratory sinus arrhythmia; RSA) and sympathetic reactivity (pre-ejection period; PEP, skin conductance level; SCL) were recorded. Using multilevel modelling, ANS reactivity was examined in relation to topic (loss/trauma versus other questions); discussion of actual loss/trauma; classification of unresolved/disorganised; and unresolved responses during the interview. Responses to loss/trauma questions and discussion of loss were associated with respectively larger and smaller IBIs. There was no moderation by unresolved/disorganised status. Unresolved responses about loss were associated with smaller IBIs. Participants classified as unresolved/disorganised showed decreasing PEP and blunted SCL throughout the whole interview. The findings suggest that unresolved speech about loss co-occurs with physiological arousal, although the inconclusive findings regarding parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous system responses fail to clearly support the role of fear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our primary objective was to examine the extent to which moment-to-moment associations between preschool-aged children's behavior and maternal emotional support differed for mothers showing different levels of parasympathetic engagement. We used behavioral observations of maternal and child behavior and maternal changes in cardiac vagal tone assessed via respiratory sinus arrhythmia in 15-s intervals during a 5-min challenging puzzle task (N = 121 dyads; 65 girls. Mage = 4.42 years). Results from multilevel models showed that increases in children's defeat (e.g., frustration, task withdrawal) coupled with maternal vagal augmentation (an index of social engagement) in a given 15-s interval predicted increases in maternal support in the next interval, whereas increases in children's defeat coupled with maternal vagal withdrawal (an index of physiological arousal) in a given 15-s interval did not prediet increases in maternal support. Findings suggest that vagal augmentation in mothers may operate together with fluctuations in children's negative behaviors to predict supportive parenting in real time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The etiology of psychopathology is multifaceted and warrants consideration of factors at multiple levels and across developmental time. Although experiences of adversity in early life have been associated with increased risk of developing psychopathology, pathways toward maladaptation or resilience are complex and depend upon a variety of factors, including individuals' physiological regulation and cognitive functioning. Therefore, in a longitudinal cohort of 113 mother–child dyads, we explored associations from early adverse experiences to physiological coregulation across multiple systems and subsequent variations in executive functioning. Latent profile analysis derived multisystem profiles based on children's heart rate, respiratory sinus arrhythmia, pre-ejection period, and cortisol measured during periods of rest and reactivity throughout a developmentally challenging protocol. Three distinct profiles of multisystem regulation emerged: heightened multisystem baseline activity (anticipatory arousal/ autonomic nervous system [ANS] responder), typically adaptive patterns across all systems (active copers/mobilizers), and heightened hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis activity (HPA axis responders). Path models revealed that children exposed to adversity before 18 months were more likely to evidence an anticipatory arousal/ANS responders response at 36 months, and children in this profile had lower executive functioning scores than the active copers/mobilizers. In sum, these findings provide important information about potential physiological associations linking early adversity to variations in children's task-based executive functioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Higher respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) is related to greater antiviral gene expression. • This association was stronger for RSA during paced breathing than RSA at rest. • Higher RSA was also related to lower CTRA transcriptome profile. • RSA was not associated with inflammatory gene expression. Parasympathetic nervous system activity can downregulate inflammation, but it remains unclear how parasympathetic nervous system activity relates to antiviral activity. The present study examined associations between parasympathetic nervous system activity and cellular antiviral gene regulation in 90 adolescents (M age = 16.28, SD = 0.73; 51.1% female) who provided blood samples and measures of cardiac respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), twice, five weeks apart. Using a multilevel analytic framework, we found that higher RSA (an indicator of higher parasympathetic nervous system activity)—both at rest and during paced breathing—was associated with higher expression of Type I interferon (IFN) response genes in circulating leukocytes, even after adjusting for demographic and biological covariates. RSA was not associated with a parallel measure of inflammatory gene expression. These results identify a previously unrecognized immunoregulatory aspect of autonomic nervous system function and highlight a potential biological pathway by which parasympathetic nervous system activity may relate to health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. The first night effect (FNE) is the tendency to have lower than usual sleep quality and quantity during the first polysomnography (PSG) recording, which alters sleep architecture. The FNE occurs in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), with studies suggesting that cardiac autonomic dysregulation is altered in patients with this illness. Objective. To determine whether the FNE influences the autonomic activity of ASD and typically developing (TD) children. Method. Two PSGs were recorded in 13 ASD and 13 TD children. The FNE was evaluated with eight sleep variables and autonomic activity through respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and low frequency (LF). Statistical analyses included intra- and inter-subject comparisons. Results. The FNE was present in both groups and affected more sleep variables in the ASD group. There were no significant differences between both recordings in RSA and LF. Inter-subject comparison showed significant differences in certain sleep variables, mainly during the first night. A comparison of RSA and LF between N2 and N3 stages and REM sleep showed that the TD group had significant differences in both measures whereas the ASD group only did so in the LF the first night. Discussion and conclusion. The influence of the FNE on the quantitative characteristics of sleep is corroborated in ASD and TD children, but not in RSA or LF. When the activity of the RSA and LF between sleep stages was considered, a different pattern was observed between the two PSG recordings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children with histories of secure attachments during infancy are expected to develop healthier patterns of physiological activity at rest and in response to a stressor than children with insecure attachments. The present study examined longitudinal associations between infant attachment security and children's respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) at rest and in response to a frustration task at age 9. The study focused on a sample of children referred from Child Protective Services (N = 97). RSA reflects the regulation of the parasympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system, is sensitive to environmental influences, and is associated with emotion regulation. Children with histories of secure attachments during infancy exhibited less RSA withdrawal during a frustration task than children with histories of insecure attachments. Attachment security was not significantly associated with baseline RSA. Results suggest that mitigating parasympathetic reactivity during frustrating situations may be one avenue by which infant attachment security promotes emotion regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The autonomic nervous system (ANS) has received much attention as a potential low-cost, peripheral indicator of depression. Despite theoretical support, however, results have been mixed as to whether indices of the ANS reliably index depression. In response, the present study sought to clarify the relation between ANS activity and depression by examining cardiac autonomic balance (CAB) and cardiac autonomic regulation (CAR), two composite indices of the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous system, within both a stressful and rewarding context. We hypothesized that CAB Stress , representing the difference between the parasympathetic and sympathetic branches in response to stress, and CAR Reward , representing the summation of the two branches in response to reward, will be most indicative of depressogenic risk. We examined the parasympathetic (i.e., respiratory sinus arrhythmia) and sympathetic (i.e., pre-ejection period) responses of 97 emerging adults (M age = 18.93) for a stress (i.e., negative mood induction) and reward (i.e., probabilistic learning) task, as well as their depressive symptoms at baseline, 3-week, and 6-week follow-up. Analyses found partial support for our hypotheses, revealing greater CAR Reward (i.e., coactivation of both branches) was related to lower depressive symptoms. Further, exploratory analyses examining gender differences found lower CAB Stress (i.e., sympathetically-oriented response) was predictive of an increasing trajectory of depression, but only among males. Overall, the current study highlights the importance of simultaneously examining both branches of the ANS across various environmental contexts. Research and clinical implications of the current findings are discussed. • Co-activation of the autonomic nervous system under reward predicts lower depression. • Lower cardiac autonomic balance under stress confers risk for depression in males. • It is important to examine both branches of the autonomic nervous system jointly. • It is important to consider cardiac autonomic responses to both stress and reward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The ontogeny of vagal tone under conditions of homeostasis across infancy and early childhood is not well understood. • A systematic review of 62 articles suggest that measures of respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) increase over time and demonstrate moderate stability across infancy, toddlerhood, and preschool ages. • A series of models fit to two diverse, longitudinal datasets suggest that baseline RSA is characterized by stable increases across infancy and early childhood. • Analyses suggest that individual differences in resting RSA may become entrenched in early life. • This study contributes to our understanding of the developmental trajectories of baseline RSA across infancy and early childhood. Functioning of the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS), most often indexed by respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), influences the volitional, cognitively-mediated forms of self-regulation across development. However, despite its clear relevance to children's self-regulation, and its utility as a transdiagnostic biomarker of emotion dysregulation and psychopathology, the ontogeny of vagal tone under conditions of homeostasis across infancy and early childhood is not well understood. The current research is comprised of two complementary studies. The first aims to address this gap by conducting a systematic review of the literature which has assessed resting RSA in the first three years of life. The second study uses data from two diverse, longitudinal datasets (n = 203 and n = 370) to model change in RSA from infancy to toddlerhood. Results from a systematic review of 62 studies meeting inclusion criteria suggest that measures of resting RSA increase over time and demonstrate moderate stability across infancy, toddlerhood, and preschool ages. Results from a series of models fit to longitudinal data in study two suggest that baseline RSA is characterized by stable increases across infancy and early childhood. Moreover, although there was equivocal evidence for individual variability in trajectories of RSA, the findings suggest that the individual differences in resting RSA may become entrenched in early life based on observed significant variance in growth model intercepts. In all, the current study contributes to our understanding of the developmental trajectories of baseline RSA across infancy and early childhood and should support future research examining links between children's parasympathetic regulation and their adjustment in early life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During dyadic interactions, well‐regulated autonomic responses may support and be supported by socioemotional regulation, whereas autonomic responses that are inappropriate for the social context may be linked with socioemotional dysregulation. We evaluated women's parasympathetic and socioemotional responses during playful interaction with their 24‐week‐old infants, hypothesizing that insufficient or excessive variability in second‐by‐second vagal functioning would be associated with concurrent socioemotional dysregulation. Among a sample of 322 low‐income, Mexican origin mothers (Mage = 27.8; SD = 6.5 years), variability in second‐by‐second vagal functioning was indexed by within‐mother standard deviation (SD) in respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) during a 5‐min unstructured play task. A latent construct of socioemotional dysregulation was identified using factor analyses. Structural equation modeling was used to evaluate linear and quadratic relations between within‐mother SD of RSA and concurrent socioemotional dysregulation. Analyses revealed a positively accelerated relationship between within‐mother SD of RSA and concurrent maternal socioemotional dysregulation during play with her infant. Within‐mother SD of RSA during a non‐interactive baseline task was not related to maternal dysregulation. The results illustrate mothers' dynamic autonomic and socioemotional responses are intertwined during real‐time interactions with her infant and lend support for the discriminant validity of within‐mother SD of RSA during free play. Impact statement: Excessive temporal variation in a mother's vagal functioning while playing with her children is linked with more concurrent maternal socioemotional dysregulation. Novel measures of within‐mother variability in second‐by‐second vagal functioning shed new light on temporal qualities of maternal parasympathetic nervous system functioning, which bear implications for maternal socioemotional functioning. Volatility in mothers' vagal responsivity while playing with her infant holds promise for use as a physiological indicator of mothers' socioemotional dysregulation during unstructured, everyday parent‐infant interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biopsychosocial models of children's socioemotional development highlight the joint influences of physiological regulation and parenting practices. Both high and low levels of children's baseline respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) have been associated with children's maladjustment, indicative of nonlinear associations. Negative or unsupportive parental responses to children's emotions are consistently linked with internalizing (IP) and externalizing problems (EP), although few studies have examined how associations vary within families. This study examined within- and between-person associations of children's quadratic baseline RSA, negative maternal emotion socialization, and children's problems over 7 years. RSA was measured in 133 3.5-year-old children (72 female) in predominantly middle- to upper-middle socioeconomic status, Caucasian families. Mothers reported on their emotion socialization practices and their children's adjustment concurrently and 1, 5, and 7 years later. Multilevel structural equation models revealed quadratic associations between baseline RSA and both IP and EP at the between-person level, suggesting that children with moderate RSA had fewer adjustment problems, on average, than children with lower or higher RSA. Across time and between families, children displayed more problems if their mothers reported more negative responses to their children's emotions. Within families, IP were elevated on years when mothers reported higher than usual negative responses, and children with either high or low baseline RSA had more problems on years when mothers reported greater than usual negative responses to their children's emotions. Altogether, these findings suggest that high and low baseline RSA may increase the risk for maladjustment, particularly in the time-varying context of aversive emotion socialization practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using piecewise growth curve trajectory modeling, we investigated kindergartners' physiological responses to receiving critical feedback from an adult during a laboratory drawing task. Further, we tested how children's independent self‐regulated behavior, as well as the quality of parent‐child co‐regulation, related to physiological reactivity to and recovery from this challenge. We used respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) to measure parasympathetic nervous system activity. Participants were 96 children (Mage = 5.6 years, 56% female) and their parents. We used observer ratings to capture children's self‐regulated behavior during the laboratory visit and state‐space grid methodology (an innovative, moment‐to‐moment behavioral coding method) to index observed parent‐child positive co‐regulation during four interaction tasks. First, the quality of dyadic parent‐child co‐regulation was associated significantly with children's RSA reactivity during the dyadic experience of receiving critical feedback from an adult. Specifically, children with higher levels of positive parent‐child co‐regulation exhibited decreases in RSA while receiving critical feedback, which may indicate active engagement or coping with the challenging situation. Second, children's self‐regulated behavior was associated significantly with RSA recovery during a period immediately after the task ended, when children were seated alone. Children with lower levels of observed self‐regulated behavior showed sudden RSA decrease after the critical feedback ceased, suggesting that this post‐task period was physiologically challenging for them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physiological regulation may interact with early experiences such as maltreatment to increase risk for behavior problems. In the current study, we investigate the role of parasympathetic nervous system regulation (respiratory sinus arrhythmia [RSA] at rest and in response to a frustration task) as a moderator of the association between early risk for maltreatment (i.e., involvement with Child Protective Services; CPS) and externalizing behavior problems in middle childhood. CPS involvement was associated with elevated externalizing problems, but only among children with average to high RSA at rest and average to high RSA withdrawal in response to frustration. Effects appeared to be specific to CPS involvement as the association between cumulative risk (i.e., nonmaltreatment experiences of early adversity) and externalizing problems was not significantly moderated by RSA activity. These findings are consistent with the theoretical idea that the consequences of early maltreatment for later externalizing behavior problems depend on children's biological regulation abilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Childhood psychological maltreatment is a risk factor for social anxiety in adulthood. Parent–child separation, as one of the most serious adversities in early life, may exacerbate the risk of psychological maltreatment and influence the interactions between childhood psychological maltreatment and biological sensitivity to stress in relation to social anxiety. However, there has been a dearth of work on this issue. This study investigated the interactive effects between childhood psychological maltreatment and parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) activity on social anxiety in college students by comparing those who experienced parent–child separation versus those who did not. Potential sex differences in the aforementioned associations were tested as an exploratory aim. Data were obtained from 264 college students (M age = 18.45 years, SD = 0.69), including 156 students who experienced parent–child separation and 108 students without this experience. Participants completed measures of childhood psychological maltreatment and social anxiety and reported their parent–child separation experience. The data of PNS activity, measured by respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) reactivity, were obtained during the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) in the lab. Childhood psychological maltreatment was positively associated with college students' social anxiety. RSA reactivity moderated the relationship between childhood psychological maltreatment and college students' social anxiety, and the moderating role of RSA reactivity varied with parent–child separation experience and sex. Parent–child separation experience influenced the biosocial interactions between childhood psychological maltreatment and PNS activity in relation to individuals' social anxiety, and this effect persisted in adulthood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of child mental health problems has been associated with experiences of adversity and dysregulation of stress response systems; however, past research has largely focused on externalizing or internalizing problems (rather than their co-occurrence) and single physiological systems in high-risk adolescent samples. The present study examined whether cumulative family adversity, functioning in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (i.e., cortisol) and the parasympathetic nervous system (i.e., respiratory sinus arrhythmia [RSA]), and their interactions, predicted trajectories of co-occurring externalizing and internalizing problems among young children. Participants included 338 socioeconomically and racially diverse children (M age = 5.32 years, SD =.32; male = 51.8%) from a community sample. Family adversity (assessed with six measures) and child daily cortisol output and resting RSA were assessed in kindergarten. Parents, teachers, and children reported on children's externalizing and internalizing psychopathology up to three times from kindergarten to grade 1. Latent class growth analyses identified stable trajectories of externalizing and internalizing psychopathology. Trajectories were combined to create groups: co-occurring externalizing and internalizing (13.1%), externalizing-only (14.0%), internalizing-only (11.3%), and low problems (61.3%). Family adversity and resting RSA significantly positively predicted co-occurring group membership. Tests for interactions showed adversity did not significantly interact with physiological indicators to predict group membership. However, the two physiological systems interacted, such that higher and lower daily cortisol predicted internalizing group membership for children with lower and higher resting RSA, respectively. Findings support the importance of considering family context and multiple physiological systems to inform understanding of the development of mental health problems, and their co-occurrence, in early childhood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity is a core and central component of emotion and motivated action. The myriad social and cognitive challenges faced by humans require flexible modulation of ANS activity for different contexts. In this study, simultaneous activity of the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous system was measured using respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and pre-ejection period (PEP), respectively. Samples combined four previous studies (N = 325, 63% female, aged 15–55) in which RSA and PEP were collected continuously during a resting baseline and an acute stressor, the Trier Social Stress Task. The concurrent relation between RSA and PEP responses was modelled in order to determine the extent to which SNS and PNS activity is correlated across the task within and between participants, and whether this correlation was moderated by age, race, sex, or baseline RSA and PEP. Overall, RSA and PEP were reciprocally coupled. However, recovery from a stressor was characterized by coactivation. Individuals also vary in the extent to which their SNS and PNS are reciprocally coupled; women, younger adults, and individuals with higher baseline RSA showed more reciprocal coupling than men, older adults, and those with lower baseline RSA, respectively, reflecting greater coordination of physiological responding in the former groups. • Correlated activity of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems was measured during the Trier Social Stress Task. • Changes in respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and pre-ejection period (PEP) indicated reciprocal activity, overall. • Recovery from a stressor was characterized by coactivation. • Correlations of RSA and PEP were stronger in females than males, and among older adults and those with higher baseline RSA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examined interactions between baseline hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis and parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) activity in relation to executive functions (EF) in a sample (n = 1,005) of children in low wealth, nonurban communities at age 48 months. Salivary cortisol and respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) represented baseline HPA axis and PNS activity, respectively. The interaction between RSA and cortisol predicted EF such that children with either lower RSA and lower cortisol, or higher RSA and higher cortisol had higher EF scores. These findings suggest a potential compensatory relation in which the PNS and HPA axis counterbalance each other to support cognition. Lay abstract: We investigated whether activity of the two main stress physiology systems, the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and the hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenal (HPA) axis, related to children's cognitive performance. Our results indicated that there was an interaction between the HPA axis and ANS in relation to better cognitive performance. These findings suggest that each stress physiology system may flexibly compensate for the other to support children's cognition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maltreated children tend to experience worse health in adulthood. The physiological model of allosteric load helps to explain why maltreated children often experience adverse physical health outcomes including stroke, cancer, and diabetes in adulthood. However, since mental health and health behaviours vary depending on one's social environment, understanding mental health and risky health behaviours among people who experienced childhood maltreatment requires integrating biological and psychosocial analyses. Among older survivors of childhood maltreatment, variation in mental health and health behaviours corresponds to variation in socioemotional adjustment. This variation in socioemotional adjustment corresponds to variation in parasympathetic nervous system functioning as measured by respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA).Clinicians could potentially use RSA as a screening tool to identify maltreated children whose poor socioemotional adjustment puts them at greater risk of adverse health outcomes in adulthood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigated physiological synchrony across mothers, fathers, and adolescents during a conflict discussion. In particular, a multilevel, within-dyad approach was used to parameterize synchrony within the parasympathetic nervous system. Moreover, we examined how domains of conflict within the larger family system influenced the level of synchrony between family members. Participants were 191 families with adolescents (M age = 12.4 years), whose respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) were measured during a triadic family conflict discussion. On the minute-to-minute basis, mothers and adolescents as well as mothers and fathers exhibited positive RSA concurrent synchrony, whereas no such concordance was observed between adolescents and fathers. In addition, the presence of conflict between parents with respect to coparenting moderated the level of mother-adolescent synchrony such that no concordant RSA synchrony emerged between mother and adolescents under high levels of coparenting conflict. In contrast, general interparental conflict did not moderate levels of physiological synchrony among any of the dyads. Findings suggest that mothers may be particularly physiologically in tune with family members in the context of conflict discussions and specific domains of family conflict may influence concordant physiological dynamics. Taken together, this is one of the first studies to examine physiological synchrony during the adolescent period and results suggest this may be an important developmental period for these dynamics. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Compassion is positively linked with vagally-mediated heart rate variability (HRV). • The size of the effect is medium and not influenced by publication bias. • The size of the association is mediated by the specific method used to assess HRV. • Results are limited by the high heterogeneity and poor methodological rigor. In recent years, increasing interest has been devoted to the physiological basis of self and other-oriented compassion. Heart rate variability (HRV) represents a promising candidate for such a role, given its association with soothing emotions and context appropriate prefrontal inhibitory control over threat-defensive responses. The aim of this study was to meta-analyze available studies on the association between compassion and HRV. Random-effect models were used. The analysis performed on sixteen studies that met inclusion criteria, yielded a significant association with a medium effect size (g =.54 95% CI [.24,.84], p <.0001). Results were not influenced by publication bias. After an extreme outlier's exclusion, the size of the association was still larger in studies that used time or frequency-domain indices of vagally-mediated HRV compared to those that used peak to trough estimates of respiratory sinus arrhythmia. Results are limited by the small number of studies included in the meta-analysis (n = 16) and are discussed in terms of indications for future research, given that existing data are highly heterogeneous and of poor methodological rigor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigated physiological synchrony in the parasympathetic nervous system among fathers, mothers, and adolescents during a real‐time family interaction, and child characteristics that may moderate the level of physiological synchrony. Our sample consisted of 191 families with adolescents (Mage = 12.4 years) and both of their parents, who participated in a triadic family conflict discussion. During the discussion, respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) was measured for all three family members. Multilevel analysis indicated a significant positive concurrent synchrony between adolescents and their mothers, as well as between fathers and mothers on a minute‐to‐minute basis. No RSA synchrony was found between adolescents and their fathers. Furthermore, adolescent emotional insecurity significantly moderated mother‐adolescent RSA synchrony. Whereas adolescents with low emotional insecurity exhibited positive synchrony with their mothers, no synchrony was observed when adolescent emotional insecurity was high. In conclusion, findings of the present study illuminate the patterns of RSA synchrony among parents and adolescents and highlight a link between adolescent emotional insecurity and attenuated mother‐adolescent physiological synchrony. This report examined the minute‐to‐minute physiological synchrony in a triadic family interaction task. Findings add to the scarce research during adolescence by illuminating the patterns of dyadic synchrony among parents and adolescents. We also advance the literature by documenting the moderating effect of adolescent emotional insecurity on mother‐adolescent synchrony. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. Past research on interpersonal aggression suggests that differential patterns of physiological reactivity during conflict may be driven by individual differences in social cognition. Our findings provide supporting evidence that physiological reactivity interacts with social cognitive processes, as we found that the relation between men's aggressive behavior and their autonomic nervous system activity during dyadic conflict was conditional on their ability to decode and identify facial affect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been a longstanding debate about the link between callous-unemotional traits and fearlessness. However, biological evidence for a relationship in adolescents is lacking. Using two adolescent samples, we measured emotional reactivity and cardiac measures of sympathetic (pre-ejection period) and parasympathetic (respiratory sinus arrhythmia) reactivity during 3D TV and virtual reality fear induction. Study 1 included 62 community adolescents from a stratified sample. Study 2 included 60 adolescents from Emotional and Behavioral Difficulties schools. Results were consistent across both studies. Adolescents with high callous-unemotional traits showed coactivation of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system. Consistent with these results, youths with callous-unemotional traits self-reported that they felt more in control after the fear induction. Thus, in both samples, youth with callous-unemotional traits displayed a physiological and emotional profile suggesting they maintained control during fear induction. Therefore, it is proposed here that a shift in thinking of youth with callous-unemotional traits as fearless to youth with callous-unemotional traits are better able to manage fearful situations, may be more appropriate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is important to establish correlates of sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT) across units of analysis and to better understand how SCT may be conceptualized in models of psychopathology. The current study examined SCT symptoms in relation to automatic nervous system reactivity during social and cognitive stressor tasks. Participants were 61 children ages 8-12 years with a full range of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptom severity. Parents provided ratings of SCT and parents and teachers completed measures that were used to create composite indices of ADHD symptoms. Children were administered standardized peer rejection and impossible puzzle tasks, during which their respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and skin conductance level (SCL) reactivity were recorded. Regression analyses indicated that SCT symptoms were unassociated with RSA reactivity to either task. Greater SCT symptoms were significantly associated with greater SCL reactivity to peer rejection. Greater SCT symptoms were not significantly associated with SCL reactivity to the impossible puzzle task. The pattern of findings was unchanged in sensitivity analyses that controlled for ADHD symptoms, internalizing symptoms, medication status, or sex. This study provides the first evidence that SCT symptoms are associated with sympathetic nervous system reactivity. These findings suggest that SCT symptoms may be associated with greater behavioral inhibition system activation, and reactivity may be especially pronounced in social challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]