Abstract
Background
Individuals with anxiety disorders show both excessive and blunted vagally mediated heart rate variability (vmHRV) reactivity to stress. Scholars have suggested that differences in cognitive control could explain such heterogeneity, but this proposition has not been tested. The present study hence investigated the moderating effect of executive functions, particularly inhibitory control, on the relationship between anxiety symptoms and vmHRV reactivity.
Methods
We evaluated anxiety symptoms (a diagnostic interview with parents) and executive functions (parent-reported questionnaire) in 262 six-year-olds from a community sample. vmHRV responses to neutral tasks and stressors were analyzed using latent growth curve modeling.
Results
Results supported a moderating effect of inhibitory control; children with more anxiety symptoms and enhanced inhibitory control showed a blunted decrease in vmHRV in response to stressors. In contrast, counterparts with impaired inhibitory control evinced an excessive decrease in vmHRV. Children with no anxiety symptoms did not differ in vmHRV reactivity, independent of the level of inhibitory control.
Conclusions
The results could indicate that anxious children with enhanced inhibitory control successfully utilized a cognitive avoidance strategy (i.e. verbal worry) to inhibit expected autonomic arousal in response to threat. Clinical implications are discussed.
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This research was funded by the Research Council of Norway, Grant Number ES611813 and 228685, a grant from the Liaison Committee between Central Norway RHA and NTNU. The funding sources had no role in the study design, in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data, in the writing of the report, or in the decision to submit the article for publication.
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Tonje Grønning Andersen, Charlotte Fiskum, Karl Henry Jacobsen, Stian Lydersen, and Lars Wichstrøm declare that they have no conflict of interest.
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Andersen, T.G., Fiskum, C., Jacobsen, K.H. et al. Inhibitory Control Moderates the Effect of Anxiety on Vagally Mediated Heart Rate Variability: Findings from a Community Sample of Young School-Aged Children. Cogn Ther Res 45, 663–678 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10608-020-10184-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10608-020-10184-3