Trauma Type, Baseline Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia, and Oppositional Defiant Disorder Dimensions

• In Event: Developmental psychophysiology and developmental psychopathology: Temporal and contextual considerations

Abstract

Previous research shows a relationship between trauma and symptoms of oppositional defiant disorder (ODD; Carliner et al., 2017), which may be specific to interpersonal trauma (Ford et al., 1999). It has been suggested that biologically-based individual differences may act as risk- or protective-factors for the development of externalizing behaviors in the context of adversity (e.g., El-Sheikh et al., 2009). One such biologically-based variable is respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), an index of vagal influence on the heart (Porges, 1995). Baseline RSA is thought to reflect a capacity for self-regulation (Beauchaine & Thayer, 2015). There are no known studies that have examined true trauma exposure, baseline RSA, and ODD in children simultaneously.

The current study aimed to examine the interaction between the trauma type and baseline RSA in the prediction of ODD symptomatology. Irritable and defiant/vindictive dimensions of ODD were modeled separately. It was predicted that in the context of interpersonal trauma, higher ODD symptoms (particularly defiance/vindictive symptoms), would be associated with lower resting RSA. Each trauma type (interpersonal and non-interpersonal) was modeled separately, and gender differences were examined.

The sample included children, 3-7 years-old, with a history of trauma (N=284), and a no trauma control group (N=46). Participants were 61.8% male, 67.6% Black, and 4.5% Latino. Physiological data were not available for 80 children, one child was missing trauma type, and two children were missing ODD variables.

Seventy-one children had experienced interpersonal trauma only, 185 had experienced non-interpersonal trauma only, and 27 children who had experienced both were excluded from analyses. Associations with interpersonal and non-interpersonal trauma were modeled separately. The sample for Model 1 was restricted to those who experienced interpersonal trauma and controls (N=117). Step 1 included interpersonal trauma and baseline RSA as predictors of irritability and defiance/vindictiveness. There was a significant positive effect of interpersonal trauma on irritability and defiance/vindictiveness for males, and on irritability for females. The effect of baseline RSA on irritability was also significant for females. In Step 2 the interaction between RSA and interpersonal trauma significantly predicted defiance/vindictiveness for males only. Model 2 included only those participants who experienced non-interpersonal trauma and controls (N=231). In Step 1, non-interpersonal trauma and baseline RSA were entered as predictors of irritability and defiance/vindictiveness. Results showed non-interpersonal trauma was a significant predictor of irritability and defiance/vindictiveness for males, but not for females. In Step 2, the interaction between RSA and non-interpersonal trauma was not a significant predictor of irritability or defiance/vindictiveness in males or females.

The current study is the first to examine the relationship between true trauma exposure, baseline RSA, and their interaction in predicting dimensions of ODD across gender. Low baseline RSA has been associated with a variety of disorders and maladaptation. Interestingly, when gender and type of trauma were taken into account within a sample of very young children, low baseline RSA was associated with ODD only in the context of females who experienced interpersonal trauma. This provides important knowledge about relatively unexplored aspects of underlying neurobiology and etiology of subtype manifestations of ODD.

Authors

• Amy Mikolajewski, Tulane University School of Medicine
  Presenting Author

• Michael Scheeringa, Tulane University School of Medicine
  Non-Presenting Author