title: Atypical autonomic regulation, auditory processing, and affect recognition in women with HIV.
abstract: This study examined the effect of HIV on visceromotor (i.e., heart rate and heart rate variability) and somatomotor (i.e., auditory processing and affect recognition) components of a Social Engagement System defined by the Polyvagal Theory (Porges, 1995) that links vagal regulation of the heart with brainstem regulation of the striated muscles of the face and head. Relative to at risk HIV-seronegative women, HIV-seropositive women had less heart rate variability (i.e., respiratory sinus arrhythmia) and had poorer performance on auditory processing and affect recognition tasks. CD4 was negatively correlated with the accuracy to detect specific emotions. The observed indices of atypical autonomic and behavioral regulation may contribute to greater difficulties in social behavior and social communication between HIV-infected women and other individuals in their social network.
authors.affiliation: Brain-Body Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL 27599-7160, USA. kheilman@psych.uic.edu
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Heilman
authors.forename: E R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Harden
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: S W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Porges
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001146:Arrhythmia, Sinus / Q000209:etiology; D001306:Auditory Pathways / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011930:Reaction Time; D021641:Recognition, Psychology / Q000502:physiology*; D012119:Respiration; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D014825:Vocabulary; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Affect recognition; Auditory processing; HIV; Heart rate; Heart rate variability; Polyvagal Theory; Respiratory sinus arrhythmia; Women