Autonomic Nervous System Activity in Maltreated Youth

• In Event: A Biosocial Perspective: How Biological and Social Factors Interact to Increase Risk for Antisocial Behavior

Abstract

Child maltreatment is thought to be associated with reduced autonomic nervous system reactivity. It is hypothesized that this reduced autonomic nervous system reactivity may be a mechanism that predisposes maltreated children to engage in higher levels of externalizing behavior, though limited research has tested this hypothesis. This paper investigates heart rate, an indicator of autonomic nervous system activity, and maltreatment in a sample of children participating in the Jintan Child Cohort Study. Children completed the Conflict Tactics Scale (53.65% male; mean age = 13.3 years). Heart rate was measured in a sub-sample of these children at rest and in response to a social stress task. After controlling for prior externalizing and internalizing behavior, severe physical punishment by fathers was significantly associated with reduced heart rate reactivity to stress (p < .05) and severe physical abuse by mothers was significantly associated with reduced resting heart rate (p < .05). Results suggest that childhood maltreatment may be linked to reduced autonomic nervous system activity. Follow-up analyses will examine whether heart rate mediates the association between child maltreatment and concurrent externalizing behavior. Findings could have implications for the treatment of externalizing behavior in maltreated youth by identifying a potential biological target for change.

Authors

• Jill Portnoy, University of Massachusetts Lowell

• Naixue Cui, University of Pennsylvania

• Adrian Raine, University of Pennsylvania

• Jianghong Liu, University of Pennsylvania