The symphonic structure of childhood stress reactivity: Patterns of sympathetic, parasympathetic, and adrenocortical responses to psychological challenge

Abstract

Despite widespread recognition that the physiological systems underlying stress reactivity are well coordinated at a neurobiological level, surprisingly little empirical attention has been given to delineating precisely how the systems actually interact with one another when confronted with stress. We examined cross-system response proclivities in anticipation of and following standardized laboratory challenges in 664 4- to 14-year-olds from four independent studies. In each study, measures of stress reactivity within both the locus coeruleus-norepinephrine system (i.e., the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches of the autonomic nervous system) and the corticotrophin releasing hormone system (i.e., the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis) were collected. Latent profile analyses revealed six distinctive patterns that recurred across the samples: moderate reactivity (average cross-system activation; 52%-80% of children across samples), parasympathetic-specific reactivity (2%-36%), anticipatory arousal (4%-9%), multisystem reactivity (7%—14%), hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis specific reactivity (6%-7%), and underarousal (0%-2%). Groups meaningfully differed in socioeconomic status, family adversity, and age. Results highlight the sample-level reliability of children’s neuroendocrine responses to stress and suggest important cross-system regularities that are linked to development and prior experiences and may have implications for subsequent physical and mental morbidity.

Respiratory sinus arrhythmia and heart period in infancy as correlates of later oppositional defiant and callous-unemotional behaviors

“…Although the investigation of physiological responses to stress undoubtedly informs etiological models of psychopathology, there is theoretical and empirical support for the utility of examining the associations between baseline physiological functioning and later behavioral problems. For example, it is likely that patterns of stress responses do not become integrated until after early developmental periods, suggesting that there is some benefit to restricting initial investigations to baseline measures (Quas et al, 2014). Further, investigations into baseline physiological functioning provide important insight into developmental processes because baseline levels are thought to constrain the magnitude of possible stress response (Cacioppo, Uchino, & Berntson, 1994) and the maintenance and development of baseline physiological functioning in early life is, itself, a dynamic process (Porges, 1992).…”

Temporal dynamics of arousal and attention in 12‐month‐old infants

“…In fact, surprisingly little previous research has investigated whether the different peripheral arousal indices conventionally used in human research co-vary with one another (Lacey, 1967;Loewenfeld, 1993;Quas et al, 2014;Sanders, 1983;Taylor & Epstein, 1967). Much research with human participants measures just a single ANS measure, and links it to behaviour, leaving open the question of whether different peripheral arousal systems may be activated to different degrees independently of one another -and of whether each system has its own biological instantiation that In a recent study, Quas and colleagues looked at patterns of covariation in impedence cardiography, respiratory sinus arrhythmia, heart rate and salivary cortisol in 664 4-to 14-yearolds in response to stress reactivity challenges (Quas et al, 2014).…”

“…Much research with human participants measures just a single ANS measure, and links it to behaviour, leaving open the question of whether different peripheral arousal systems may be activated to different degrees independently of one another -and of whether each system has its own biological instantiation that In a recent study, Quas and colleagues looked at patterns of covariation in impedence cardiography, respiratory sinus arrhythmia, heart rate and salivary cortisol in 664 4-to 14-yearolds in response to stress reactivity challenges (Quas et al, 2014). They used latent profile analyses to identify different patterns of covariation of change across measures in different children -differences that they linked to childrens' socioeconomic status, family adversity and age.…”

Sleep Moderates the Association Between Response Inhibition and Self-Regulation in Early Childhood

“…An established literature indicates that cognitive and emotional processes are independent predictors of child functioning in academic and social contexts (Bierman et al, 2008; Blair & Diamond, 2008; Bridgett, Oddi, Laake, Murdock, & Bachmann, 2013; McClelland & Cameron, 2012; Riggs et al, 2006); however, expanding developmental science and theoretical frameworks suggest the importance of studying the predictors of the interconnections across multiple systems (Bauer, Quas, & Boyce, 2002; Bridgett et al, 2013; Quas et al, 2014). Indeed, EF skills are proposed to underlie the capacity to self-regulate in response to stress or challenge (Hofmann et al, 2012).…”

“…Furthermore, the interplay of EF and self-regulation is increasingly recognized as significant for optimal health outcomes, as the poor integration of emotion and cognitive processes is a risk factor for maladjustment and school failure (Eysenck, Derakshan, Santos, & Calvo, 2007) and has been suggested as a potential pathway contributing to developmental psychopathology (Blair & Dennis, 2010). Finally, an established developmental science literature suggests that both intrinsic child characteristics (e.g., age, sex, stress reactivity, temperament; Carlson & Wang, 2007; Hongwanishkul, Happaney, Lee, & Zelazo, 2005; Hughes & Ensor, 2008; Quas et al, 2014; Rothbart, Posner, & Kieras, 2006) and environmental factors (e.g., socioeconomic status, poverty, quality of caregiving; Blair, 2010; Blair & Raver, 2012) play a role in the development of EF skills and self-regulation, as well as in their association. Data from a number of studies indicate that sleep may also influence the interconnections between these developmental processes (Zohar, Tzischinsky, Epstein, & Lavie, 2005; reviewed in Dahl, 1996; Walker & Harvey, 2010).…”