title: Hypothalamic pituitary adrenal activity and autonomic nervous system arousal predict developmental trajectories of children's comorbid behavior problems.
abstract: The combined effects of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity and autonomic nervous system (ANS) arousal were examined on developmental trajectories of children's comorbid internalizing and externalizing problems. Participants were 394 urban dwelling, primarily African American, youth (50% male, age 11-12 years). Parent-reported child behavior problems were obtained initially, 3, 6, and 12 months later. Saliva samples (collected at the initial assessment) were assayed for cortisol (HPA) and alpha-amylase (ANS). Cross-domain latent class growth analysis identified a stable comorbid trajectory and four other distinct short-term developmental trajectories of internalizing and externalizing behavior problems. ANS arousal was negatively associated with the probability of stable comorbidity, but only among youth who also had high levels of HPA axis activity. Findings underscore the predictive value of the interaction of HPA axis activity and ANS arousal in differentiating children with stable comorbidity and have important implications for etiological theories and treatment outcome research.
authors.affiliation: Department of Criminology, University of Pennsylvania, Phialdelphia, PA, 19104. ruiyunch@sas.upenn.edu.
authors.forename: Frances R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Criminology, Psychiatry, and Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Phialdelphia, PA.
authors.forename: Adrian
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Raine
authors.affiliation: Center for the Prevention of Youth Behavior Problems, Department of Psychology, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL.
authors.forename: Andrea L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Glenn
authors.affiliation: Institute for Interdisciplinary Salivary Bioscience Research, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ.|The Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, Bloomberg School of Public Health, and School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD.
authors.forename: Douglas A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Granger
mesh_terms: D019958:Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000378:metabolism*; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D019955:Conduct Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000378:metabolism; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000378:metabolism*; D000516:alpha-Amylases / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000516:alpha-Amylases; D006854:Hydrocortisone
keywords: comorbidity development; cortisol; externalizing problems; internalizing problems; salivary alpha-amylase