title: Correspondence between Heart Rate Variability and Emotion Dysregulation in Children, Including Children with ADHD.
abstract: Youth and adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) experience academic and social impairment and engage in risky behaviors. Emotion dysregulation (ED) is associated with ADHD and may contribute to these impairments and behaviors. Although many measures of ED exist, little is known about the physiological bases of ED, in the context of ADHD. In a large sample of children (Mage= 9.01 years; 62% male) with (n = 48) and without (n = 56) ADHD, we examined (1) the correspondence between parent-reported ED and heart rate variability (HRV) - a psychophysiological marker of parasympathetic engagement and (2) whether parent-reported ED is predicted by HRV above and beyond ADHD. For both aims, we tested both dichotomous and continuous indices of parent-reported ED. Results indicated (1) a dichotomous index of parent-reported emotion regulation was associated with HRV and (2) this index was predicted by HRV above and beyond ADHD. Together, findings indicate that the correspondence between ED and HRV depends on the specific manifestation of ED that is considered (emotion regulation vs. lability/negativity) and the way in which ED is conceptualized (dichotomous vs. continuous).
authors.affiliation: Ohio University, Athens, OH, 45701, USA. nb243610@ohio.edu.|Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, Institute of Biology, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/c, Budapest, 1117, Hungary. nb243610@ohio.edu.
authors.forename: Nora
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9645-604X
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bunford
authors.affiliation: Ohio University, Athens, OH, 45701, USA.
authors.forename: Steven W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.affiliation: Ohio University, Athens, OH, 45701, USA.
authors.forename: Peggy M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Zoccola
authors.affiliation: Ohio University, Athens, OH, 45701, USA.
authors.forename: Julie Sarno
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Owens
authors.affiliation: University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA.
authors.forename: Kate
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Flory
authors.affiliation: Ohio University, Athens, OH, 45701, USA.
authors.forename: Craig F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Spiel
mesh_terms: D000342:Affective Symptoms / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010275:Parasympathetic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000068356:Self-Control
keywords: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder; Autonomic nervous system; Emotion dysregulation; Emotion regulation; Heart rate variability