Citation

Suurland J, van der Heijden KB, Huijbregts SCJ, Van Goozen SHM, Swaab H. Biol. Psychol. 2017; 128: 98-104.

Affiliation

Department of Clinical Child and Adolescent Studies, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.biopsycho.2017.07.005

PMID

28720479

Abstract

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.

Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Language: en

Keywords

Aggression; autonomic nervous system; infancy; prenatal risk; stress reactivity