Roubinov Danielle, Tein Jenn-Yun, Kogut Katherine, Gunier Robert, Eskenazi Brenda, Alkon Abbey
Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA.
Dev Psychobiol. 2020 Dec 1. doi: 10.1002/dev.22068.
Prior researchers have observed relations between children's autonomic nervous system reactivity and externalizing behavior problems, but rarely considers the role of developmentally regulated changes in children's stress response systems. Using growth mixture modeling, the present study derived profiles of parasympathetic nervous system reactivity (as indicated by respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA)) and sympathetic nervous system reactivity (as indicated by pre-ejection period (PEP)) from low income, primarily Mexican American children measured repeatedly from infancy through age 5 (N = 383) and investigated whether profiles were associated with externalizing problems at age 7. Analyses identified two profiles of RSA reactivity (reactive decreasing and U-shaped reactivity) and three profiles of PEP reactivity (blunted/anticipatory reactivity, reactive decreasing, non-reactive increasing). Compared to children with an RSA profile of reactive decreasing, those with an RSA profile of U-shaped reactivity had marginally higher externalizing problems, however, this difference was not statistically significant. Children who demonstrated a profile of blunted/anticipatory PEP reactivity had significantly higher externalizing problems compared to those with a profile of non-reactive increasing, likely related to the predominantly male composition of the former profile and predominantly female composition of the latter profile. Findings contribute to our understanding of developmental trajectories of ANS reactivity and highlight the utility of a longitudinal framework for understanding the effects of physiological risk factors on later behavior problems.
先前的研究人员已经观察到儿童自主神经系统反应性与外化行为问题之间的关系，但很少考虑儿童应激反应系统中发育调节变化的作用。本研究使用生长混合模型，从低收入的主要为墨西哥裔美国儿童中得出副交感神经系统反应性（以呼吸性窦性心律不齐（RSA）表示）和交感神经系统反应性（以射血前期（PEP）表示）的概况，这些儿童从婴儿期到5岁进行了多次测量（N = 383），并调查了这些概况是否与7岁时的外化问题相关。分析确定了两种RSA反应性概况（反应性下降和U形反应性）和三种PEP反应性概况（迟钝/预期反应性、反应性下降、无反应性增加）。与具有反应性下降RSA概况的儿童相比，具有U形反应性RSA概况的儿童外化问题略高，然而，这种差异没有统计学意义。与具有无反应性增加概况的儿童相比，表现出迟钝/预期PEP反应性概况的儿童外化问题显著更高，这可能与前者概况中男性占主导、后者概况中女性占主导有关。研究结果有助于我们理解自主神经系统反应性的发展轨迹，并强调纵向框架在理解生理风险因素对后期行为问题影响方面的实用性。
