title: Atypical development of resting respiratory sinus arrhythmia in children at high risk for depression.
abstract: Compromised respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA, i.e., low cardiac vagal control) frequently characterizes clinically depressed adults and also has been detected in infants of depressed mothers; however, its existence has not been established in older at-risk offspring. We investigated developmental patterns of RSA in a sample of 163 5- to 14-year-old children, who were either at high risk for depression (due to having a parent with a childhood-onset mood disorder) or low-risk for depression. We hypothesized that high-risk children have lower resting RSA than do low-risk children, which could reflect atypical developmental trajectories. Children's RSA was assessed during resting baseline periods on multiple occasions, typically 1-year apart. Linear growth modeling indicated a group by age interaction. Low-risk children (but not the high-risk children) exhibited a significantly increasing trajectory in resting RSA with age. Mood disorders in offspring did not account for the Group X Age interaction effect. Our study provides new evidence that children at high risk for depression have an atypical developmental trajectory of RSA across late childhood.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, West Virginia University, 53 Campus Drive, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA. amy.gentzler@mail.wvu.edu
authors.forename: Amy L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Gentzler
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rottenberg
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kovacs
authors.forename: Charles J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: George
authors.forename: Jennifer N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Morey
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D001146:Arrhythmia, Sinus / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D002666:Psychology, Child; D012306:Risk; D012737:Sex Factors