title: Effects of emotion regulation difficulties on the tonic and phasic cardiac autonomic response.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Emotion regulation theory aims to explain the interactions between individuals and the environment. In this context, Emotion Regulation Difficulties (ERD) disrupt the physiological component of emotions through the autonomic nervous system and are involved in several psychopathological states.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We were interested in comparing the influence of a film-elicited emotion procedure on the autonomic nervous system activity of two groups with different levels of emotion regulation difficulties.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 63 women (undergraduate students) ranging from 18 to 27 (20.7 ± 1.99) years old were included. Using the upper and lower quartile of a questionnaire assessing the daily difficulties in regulating emotions, two groups, one with low (LERD) and one with high (HERD) levels of emotion regulation difficulties, were constituted and studied during a film-elicited emotion procedure. Cardiac vagal activity (HF-HRV) was analyzed during three periods: baseline, film-elicited emotion, and recovery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The cardiovascular results showed a decrease in HF-HRV from baseline to elicitation for both groups. Then, from elicitation to recovery, HF-HRV increased for the LERD group, whereas a low HF-HRV level persisted for the HERD group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The HERD group exhibited inappropriate cardiac vagal recovery after a negative emotion elicitation had ended. Cardiac vagal tone took longer to return to its initial state in the HERD group than in the LERD group. Prolonged cardiac vagal suppression might constitute an early marker of emotion regulation difficulties leading to lower cardiac vagal tone.
authors: Univ Lille Nord de France, Lille, France; UDL3, URECA, Villeneuve d'Ascq, France; MESHS Lille Nord de France, Lille, France.
authors: Guillaume
authors: G
authors: Berna
authors: Univ Lille Nord de France, Lille, France; UDL3, URECA, Villeneuve d'Ascq, France.
authors: Laurent
authors: L
authors: Ott
authors: Univ Lille Nord de France, Lille, France; UDL3, URECA, Villeneuve d'Ascq, France; MESHS Lille Nord de France, Lille, France.
authors: Jean-Louis
authors: JL
authors: Nandrino
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000502:physiology*; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D014630:Vagus Nerve / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult