Patterns of Sympathetic and Parasympathetic Reactivity in a Sample of Children and Adolescents
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
11-2000
Keywords
Sympathetic nervous system, Parasympathetic nervous system, Preejection period, Cardiovascular disease, Children and adolescents, Heart rate variability, Blood pressure, Impedance cardiography
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.1111/1469-8986.3760842
Abstract
We hypothesized that patterns of sympathetic and parasympathetic reactivity observed in adults would be apparent in a sample of children and adolescents and that these patterns would be consistent across tasks. We explored the relationship between these patterns and psychosocial risk factors for cardiovascular disease. We measured preejection period (PEP) and an index of respiratory sinus arrhythmia (mean successive difference [MSD] statistic) during three reactivity tasks. We classified participants into four groups based on increases or decreases in PEP and MSD. Ninety percent of the sample exhibited the same pattern during at least two of the tasks. PEP and MSD demonstrated consistency, suggesting individual response stereotypy. Exhibiting a consistent pattern of decreased PEP and increased MSD was associated with less child- and parent-reported family conflict. These results are discussed in the context of vagal regulation of environmental demands.
Was this content written or created while at USF?
No
Citation / Publisher Attribution
Psychophysiology, v. 37, issue 6, p. 842-849.
Scholar Commons Citation
Salomon, Kristen; Matthews, Karen A.; and Allen, Michael T., "Patterns of Sympathetic and Parasympathetic Reactivity in a Sample of Children and Adolescents" (2000). Psychology Faculty Publications. 1856.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/psy_facpub/1856
