Associations Between Cardiac Autonomic Activity, Cognitive Development, and Social Communication Skills in Infancy

• In Event: Poster Session 06
  In Poster Session: PS 06 Topic - Biological Processes: Psychophysiology

Abstract

Cardiac autonomic measures, including heart rate (HR) and respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA; the variability in interbeat intervals in the frequency of respiration), have been found to change across early development (e.g., Bar-Haim et al., 2000). In adults, higher RSA can be a marker of functioning (e.g., see Elias & Torres, 2017, for review in relation to cognitive ability), and some work has examined this in infants as well (e.g., Patriquin et al., 2014; Richards & Cameron, 1989). Expanding on past work, the current study examined relations between baseline cardiac autonomic activity, cognitive skills, and social-communication in infants.

The current sample included 23 infants (M = 9.31 months, SD = 2.39 months, Range = 6.13–14.06 months). As part of a larger testing session, HR and respiration were recorded using a Biopac MP150WSW system during a 5-minute baseline period as infants sat on their parent’s lap quietly engaged with silent toys and bubbles. At the end of the session, the Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL; Mullen, 1995), a standardized assessment of developmental functioning, was conducted, and parents completed the Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales (CSBS; Wetherby et al., 2002) to assess social communication.

Using MindWare HRV software, HR data was divided into five 60-second segments, and errors in peak detection were manually edited. HR was calculated as the average across all segments. A respiration frequency range of .24–1.04 Hz was used for RSA (see Bar-Haim et al., 2000), and RSA segments with peak respiration in this range were averaged to calculate RSA. MSEL Early Learning Composite (MSEL-ELC) percentile score was used as a measure of cognitive ability, and CSBS Total percentile score was used as a measure of social-communicative ability.

Overall, results showed that baseline cardiac autonomic activity was significantly associated with MSEL-ELC after partialling out age, with higher cognitive ability correlated with lower HR (r(19)=−.624, p=.002; Figure 1) and higher RSA (r(19)=.491, p=.024; Figure 2). MSEL-ELC and CSBS-Total were also significantly correlated (r(19)=.582, p=.006), but CSBS-Total was not associated with either cardiac measure (ps>.6). A preliminary exploration of how these relations might differ based on age was conducted after dividing the current sample into 6-month-olds (n=9), 9-month-olds (n=8), and 12-month-olds (n=6). The negative relation between HR and MSEL-ELC remained significant for 6-month-olds (p=.013) and was marginal for 12-month-olds (p=.068). In 12-month-olds, RSA also showed a trend towards a positive association with MSEL-ELC (p=.092) and a significant positive association with CSBS-Total (p=.013). Finally, the correlation between MSEL-ELC and CSBS-Total was significant only for 12-month-olds (p=.039).

The current analyses suggest that markers of baseline cardiac ANS functioning are associated with concurrent cognitive ability, even after accounting for potential age effects on HR and RSA. These associations were strongest with HR in 6-month-olds and with RSA in 12-month-olds. Parent-reported social-communication was also associated with cognitive scores and RSA in 12-month-olds. Continued data collection will expand the current sample and allow for a better understanding of why different cardiac measures might be reliable markers of cognitive and social-communicative development at different ages.

Authors

• Sapir Soker-Elimaliah, City University of New York College of Staten Island
  Presenting Author

• Jennifer B Wagner, City University of New York College of Staten Island
  Non-Presenting Author