University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6241, USA.
Dev Psychopathol. 2011 Nov;23(4):1059-68. doi: 10.1017/S0954579411000496.
Although allostatic load has been investigated in mood and anxiety disorders, no prior study has investigated developmental change in allostatic load as a precursor to schizotypal personality. This study employed a multilevel developmental framework to examine whether the development of increased allostatic load, as indicated by impaired sympathetic nervous system habituation from ages 3 to 11 years, predisposes to schizotypal personality at age 23 years. Electrodermal activity to six aversive tones was recorded in 995 subjects at age 3 years and again at 11 years. Habituation slopes at both ages were used to create groups who showed a developmental increase in habituation (decreased allostatic load), and those who showed a developmental decrease in habituation (increased allostatic load). Children who showed a developmental increase in allostatic load from ages 3 to 11 years had higher levels of schizotypal personality at 23 years. A breakdown of total schizotypy scores demonstrated specificity of findings to cognitive-perceptual features of schizotypy. Findings are the first to document a developmental abnormality in allostasis in relation to adult schizotypal personality. The relative failure to develop normal habituation to repeated stressors throughout childhood is hypothesized to result in an accumulation of allostatic load and consequently increased positive symptom schizotypy in adulthood.
尽管已有研究探讨了压力负荷在心境和焦虑障碍中的作用，但目前尚无研究调查压力负荷的发展变化是否可作为精神分裂型人格的前兆。本研究采用多层次发展框架，以探讨从 3 岁到 11 岁期间交感神经系统习惯化受损（表明压力负荷增加）是否会导致 23 岁时出现精神分裂型人格。在 995 名研究对象中，在 3 岁和 11 岁时记录了对六种厌恶音调的皮肤电反应。分别用两个年龄段的习惯化斜率来创建两组：一组显示习惯化（压力负荷降低）的发展性增加，另一组显示习惯化（压力负荷增加）的发展性下降。从 3 岁到 11 岁压力负荷发展性增加的儿童，在 23 岁时的精神分裂型人格水平更高。精神分裂型总分的细分显示，研究结果与精神分裂型的认知知觉特征具有特异性。这些发现首次记录了与成年精神分裂型人格相关的压力适应的发展异常。整个童年期对反复应激源的正常习惯化反应相对失败，据推测会导致压力负荷的积累，从而导致成年后阳性症状精神分裂型人格增加。
