title: Oppositionality and sympathetic skin response in adolescents: specific associations with the headstrong/hurtful dimension.
abstract: Oppositionality encompasses distinct dimensions, and few studies have investigated the validity of such distinctions from a pathophysiological perspective. Our aim was to investigate the association between sympathetic skin responses (SSR) and distinct oppositional dimensions in a community sample of adolescents. Forty adolescents aged 13.84±1.46 years participated in this study. Oppositionality was measured by externalizing behavior and bullying scores (dependent variables), while SSR was recorded by electrical changes at the skin level (independent variables). Results showed that increased SSRs were associated with oppositionality; however, these associations were specific to the headstrong/hurtful dimension. Further exploratory analyses demonstrated that increased SSRs were associated with several types of headstrong/hurtful behaviors and underscore the importance of the first aversive stimuli to differentiate groups with low and high headstrong/hurtful behaviors. There were no differences between groups regarding time until habituation. This study provides insights about how dysfunctions in autonomic balance may contribute to the emergence of oppositional behavior among adolescents.
authors.affiliation: Postgraduate Program in Medical Sciences: Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), 2400 Ramiro Barcelo Street, 90035-003 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Research Group on Child and Adolescence Behavior (GECIA), Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, 2350 Ramiro Barcelos Street, 90035-903 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. Electronic address: nanuchats@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Nanucha Teixeira da
authors.initials: NT
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Postgraduate Program in Medical Sciences: Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), 2400 Ramiro Barcelo Street, 90035-003 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Department of Internal Medicine, UFRGS, 2400 Ramiro Barcelo Street, 90035-003 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schestatsky
authors.affiliation: Postgraduate Program in Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), 2400 Ramiro Barcelo Street, 90035-003 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Pablo Brea
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Winckler
authors.affiliation: Postgraduate Program in Medical Sciences: Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), 2400 Ramiro Barcelo Street, 90035-003 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Giovanni Abrahão
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Salum
authors.affiliation: Research Group on Child and Adolescence Behavior (GECIA), Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, 2350 Ramiro Barcelos Street, 90035-903 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Alana Wypyszynski
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Petroceli
authors.affiliation: Postgraduate Program in Medical Sciences: Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), 2400 Ramiro Barcelo Street, 90035-003 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil; Research Group on Child and Adolescence Behavior (GECIA), Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, 2350 Ramiro Barcelos Street, 90035-903 Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Elizeth Paz da Silva
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Heldt
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000374:Aggression; D019958:Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*; D058445:Bullying; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005712:Galvanic Skin Response / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000502:physiology* / Q000503:physiopathology
keywords: Adolescent; Aggression; Electrodermal response; Oppositional defiant disorder; Sympathetic skin responses