TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2017//
TI  - Adverse childhood experiences and autonomic regulation in response to acute stress: the role of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems
JO  - Anxiety, stress, and coping
A1  - Winzeler, Katja
A1  - Voellmin, Annette
A1  - Hug, Evelin
A1  - Kirmse, Ursula
A1  - Helmig, Simone
A1  - Princip, Mary
A1  - Cajochen, Christian
A1  - Bader, Klaus
A1  - Wilhelm, Frank H.
SP  - 145
EP  - 154
VL  - 30
IS  - 2
N2  - Background and objectives: After a previous report demonstrated blunted heart rate (HR) reactivity in association with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) [Voellmin, A., Winzeler, K., Hug, E., Wilhelm, F. H., Schaefer, V., Gaab, J., … Bader, K. (2015). Blunted endocrine and cardiovascular reactivity in young healthy women reporting a history of childhood adversity. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 51, 58-67. doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2014.09.008], the present analysis aimed at clarifying the role of the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches of the autonomic nervous system in this relationship.Design and Methods: One hundred eighteen healthy young women provided data on ACEs and underwent psychosocial stress testing. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) and respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA, quantified by high-frequency HR variability) were assessed as measures of sympathetic and parasympathetic cardiovascular activity, respectively. A mediation model was calculated to test the indirect effects of ACEs on HR via SBP and RSA.<br><br>RESULTS: The effect of ACEs on HR reactivity was mediated by SBP reactivity but not by RSA reactivity. ACEs were associated with reduced SBP at rest.<br><br>CONCLUSIONS: ACEs were associated with down-regulation in a measure of sympathetic but no alteration in a measure of parasympathetic cardiovascular stress reactivity in adulthood. Future research will need to clarify whether this indicates risk or resilience.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 1061-5806
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10615806.2016.1238076
ID  - ref1
ER  -