Suurland J, van der Heijden K B, Huijbregts S C J, van Goozen S H M, Swaab H
Department of Clinical Child and Adolescent Studies, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Department of Clinical Child and Adolescent Studies, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.
Biol Psychol. 2017 Sep;128:98-104. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2017.07.005. Epub 2017 Jul 15.
Nonreciprocal action of the parasympathetic (PNS) and sympathetic (SNS) nervous systems, increases susceptibility to emotional and behavioral problems in children exposed to adversity. Little is known about the PNS and SNS in interaction with early adversity during infancy. Yet this is when the physiological systems involved in emotion regulation are emerging and presumably most responsive to environmental influences. We examined whether parasympathetic respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and sympathetic pre-ejection period (PEP) response and recovery at six months, moderate the association between cumulative prenatal risk and physical aggression at 20 months (N=113). Prenatal risk predicted physical aggression, but only in infants exhibiting coactivation of PNS and SNS (i.e., increase in RSA and decrease in PEP) in response to stress. These findings indicate that coactivation of the PNS and SNS in combination with prenatal risk is a biological marker for the development of aggression.
副交感神经系统（PNS）和交感神经系统（SNS）的非互惠作用，会增加处于逆境中的儿童出现情绪和行为问题的易感性。关于婴儿期PNS和SNS与早期逆境相互作用的情况，我们知之甚少。然而，正是在这个时期，参与情绪调节的生理系统开始出现，并且可能对环境影响最为敏感。我们研究了6个月大时副交感神经呼吸性窦性心律不齐（RSA）和交感神经射血前期（PEP）的反应及恢复情况，是否会调节20个月大时累积产前风险与身体攻击行为之间的关联（N = 113）。产前风险可预测身体攻击行为，但仅在对应激表现出PNS和SNS共同激活（即RSA增加和PEP减少）的婴儿中如此。这些发现表明，PNS和SNS的共同激活与产前风险相结合，是攻击行为发展的一个生物学标志。
