Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Emotion Regulation via the Autonomic Nervous System in Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

  • Published:
Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Despite growing interest in conceptualizing ADHD as involving disrupted emotion regulation, few studies have examined the physiological mechanisms related to emotion regulation in children with this disorder. This study examined parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous system reactivity via measures of respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and cardiac pre-ejection period (PEP) in children with ADHD (n = 32) and typically developing controls (n = 34), using a novel emotion task with four conditions: negative induction, negative suppression, positive induction, and positive suppression of affect. Both groups showed strong task-response effects in RSA. However, typically developing children showed systematic variation in parasympathetic activity (RSA) depending on both emotion valence (more activation for negative emotion, reduced activation for positive emotion) and task demand (more activation for suppression than induction). In contrast, children with ADHD displayed a stable pattern of elevated parasympathetic activity (RSA) across all task conditions compared to baseline. No group differences in sympathetic activity (PEP) were observed. It is concluded ADHD in childhood is associated with abnormal parasympathetic mechanisms involved in emotion regulation.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed.). Washington: Author.

    Google Scholar 

  • American Psychological Association. (2002). Ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct. American Psychologist, 57, 1060–1073.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barkley, R. A. (1997). ADHD and the nature of self-control. New York: Guilford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barkley, R. A., & Fischer, M. (2010). The unique contribution of emotional impulsiveness to impairment in major life activities in hyperactive children as adults. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 49, 503–513.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Beauchaine, T. P. (2001). Vagal tone, development, and Gray’s motivational theory: toward an integrated model of autonomic nervous system functioning in psychopathology. Development and Psychopathology, 13, 183–214.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Beauchaine, T. P., Katkin, E. S., Strassberg, Z., & Snarr, J. (2001). Disinhibitory psychopathology in male adolescents: discriminating conduct disorder from attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder through concurrent assessment of multiple autonomic states. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 110, 610–624.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Beauchaine, T. P., Gatzke-Kopp, L., & Mead, H. K. (2007). Polyvagal Theory and developmental psychopathology: emotion dysregulation and conduct problems from preschool to adolescence. Biological Psychology, 74, 174–184.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Berntson, G. G., Cacioppo, J. T., & Quigley, K. S. (1993a). Cardiac psychophysiology and autonomic space in humans: empirical perspectives and conceptual implications. Psychological Bulletin, 114, 296–322.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Berntson, G. G., Cacioppo, J. T., & Quigley, K. S. (1993b). Respiratory sinus arrhythmia: autonomic origins, physiological mechanisms, and psychophysiological implications. Psychophysiology, 30, 183–196.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Berntson, G. G., Cacioppo, J. T., Binkley, P. F., Uchino, B. N., Quigley, K. S., & Fieldstone, A. (1994). Autonomic cardiac control. III. Psychological stress and cardiac response in autonomic space as revealed by pharmacological blockades. Psychophysiology, 31, 599–608.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Berntson, G. G., Bigger, J. T., Jr., Eckberg, D. L., Grossman, P., Kaufmann, P. G., Malik, M., et al. (1997). Heart rate variability: origins, methods, and interpretive caveats. Psychophysiology, 34, 623–648.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Berntson, G. G., Lozano, D. L., Chen, Y. J., & Cacioppo, J. T. (2004). Where to Q in PEP. Psychophysiology, 41, 333–337.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Boyce, W. T., Quas, J., Alkon, A., Smider, N. A., Essex, M. J., & Kupfer, D. J. (2001). Autonomic reactivity and psychopathology in middle childhood. British Journal of Psychiatry, 179, 144–150.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bradley, M. M., & Lang, P. J. (1994). Measuring emotion: the self-assessment manikin and the semantic differential. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Expression in Psychiatry, 25, 49–59.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burleson, M. H., Poehlmann, K. M., Hawkley, L. C., Ernst, J. M., Berntson, G. G., Malarkey, W. B., et al. (2003). Neuroendocrine and cardiovascular reactivity to stress in mid-aged and older women: long-term temporal consistency of individual differences. Psychophysiology, 40, 358–369.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cacioppo, J. T., Berntson, G. G., Binkley, P. F., Quigley, K. S., Uchino, B. N., & Fieldstone, A. (1994). Autonomic cardiac control. II. Noninvasive indices and basal response as revealed by autonomic blockades. Psychophysiology, 31, 586–598.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cadesky, E. B., Mota, V. L., & Schachar, R. J. (2000). Beyond words: how do children with ADHD and/or conduct problems process nonverbal information about affect? Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 39, 1160–1167.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Calkins, S. D. (1997). Cardiac vagal tone indices of temperamental reactivity and behavioral regulation in young children. Developmental Psychobiology, 31, 125–135.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chronis-Tuscano, A., Molina, B. S. G., Pelham, W. E., Applegate, B., Dahlke, A., Overmyer, M., et al. (2010). Very early predictors of adolescent depression and suicide attempts in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Archives of General Psychiatry, 67, 1044–1051.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, J. (1992). A power primer. Psychological Bulletin, 112, 155–159.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Conners, K. C. (2008). Conners 3rd edition manual. New York: Multi-Health Systems, Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crowell, S. E., Beauchaine, T. P., Gatzke-Kopp, L., Sylvers, P., Mead, H., & Chipman-Chacon, J. (2006). Autonomic correlates of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and oppositional defiant disorder in preschool children. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 115, 174–178.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • DuPaul, G. J., Power, T. J., Anastopoulos, A. D., & Reid, R. (1998). ADHD rating scale-IV: Checklists, norms, & clinical interpretation. New York: Guilford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eisenberg, N., Guthrie, I. K., Fabes, R. A., Reiser, M., Murphy, B. C., Holgren, R., et al. (1997). The relations of regulation and emotionality to resiliency and competent social functioning in elementary school children. Child Development, 68, 295–311.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Elia, J., Ambrosini, P., & Berrettini, W. (2008). ADHD characteristics: I. Concurrent co-morbidity patterns in children & adolescents. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health, 2, 15.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • El-Sheikh, M., Kouros, C. D., Erath, S., Cummings, E. M., Keller, P., & Staton, L. (2009). Marital conflict and children’s externalizing behavior: interactions between parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous system activity. Monographs of the Society for Research on Child Development, 74, 1–78.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fabes, R. A., Eisenberg, N., Karbon, M., Troyer, D., & Switzer, G. (1994). The relations of children’s emotion regulation to their vicarious emotional responses and comforting behaviors. Child Development, 65, 1678–1693.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Faul, F., Erdrelder, E., Lang, A. G., & Buchner, A. (2007). G*Power 3: a flexible statistical power analysis program for the social, behavioral, and biomedical sciences. Behavior Research Methods, 112, 155–159.

    Google Scholar 

  • Goldin, P. R., McRae, K., Ramel, W., & Gross, J. J. (2008). The neural bases of emotion regulation: reappraisal and suppression of negative emotion. Biological Psychiatry, 63, 577–586.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Goodman, R. (2001). Psychometric properties of the strengths and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ). Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 40, 1337–1345.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gross, J. J. (1998). Antecedent- and response-focused emotion regulation: divergent consequences for experience, expression, and physiology. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 74, 224–237.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gross, J. J. (2007). Handbook of emotion regulation. New York: Guilford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gross, J. J., & Levenson, R. W. (1993). Emotional suppression: physiology, self-report, and expressive behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 64, 970–986.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gross, J. J., & Levenson, R. W. (1997). Hiding feelings: the acute effects of inhibiting negative and positive emotion. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 106, 95–103.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Herpertz, S. C., Mueller, B., Qunaibi, M., Lichterfeld, C., Konrad, K., & Herpertz-Dahlmann, B. (2005). Response to emotional stimuli in boys with conduct disorder. American Journal of Psychiatry, 162, 1100–1107.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Jennings, J. R., van der Molen, M. W., & Somsen, R. J. (1998). Changes in heart beat timing: reactivity, resetting, or perturbation? Biologial Psychology, 47, 227–241.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kagan, J., & Snidman, N. (1991). Temperamental factors in human development. American Psychologist, 46, 856–862.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kelsey, R. M., Ornduff, S. R., & Alpert, B. S. (2007). Reliability of cardiovascular reactivity to stress: internal consistency. Psychophysiology, 44, 216–225.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lahey, B. B., Hart, E., Pliska, S., Applegate, B., & McBurnett, R. (1993). Neuropsychological correlates of conduct disorder: a rationale and review of research. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 22, 141–153.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lang, P. J., Bradley, M. M., & Cuthbert, B. N. (1999). International affective picture system (IAPS): Technical manual and affective ratings. Gainsville: University of Florida.

    Google Scholar 

  • Maedgen, J. W., & Carlson, C. L. (2000). Social functioning and emotional regulation in the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder subtypes. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 29, 30–42.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Marsh, P., Beauchaine, T. P., & Williams, B. (2008). Dissociation of sad facial expressions and autonomic nervous system responding in boys with disruptive behavior disorders. Psychophysiology, 45, 100–110.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Martel, M. M. (2009). Research review: a new perspective on attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: emotion dysregulation and trait models. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 50, 1042–1051.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Martel, M. M., & Nigg, J. T. (2006). Child ADHD and personality/temperament traits of reactive and effortful control, resiliency, and emotionality. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 47, 1175–1183.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mead, H. K., Beauchaine, T. P., Brenner, S. L., Crowell, S. E., Gatzke-Kopp, L., & Marsh, P. (2004). Autonomic response patterns to reward and negative mood induction among children with conduct disorder, depression, and both psychiatric conditions. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society for Psychophysiological Research, Santa Fe, NM.

  • Melnick, S. M., & Hinshaw, S. P. (2000). Emotion regulation and parenting in AD/HD and comparison boys: linkages with social behavior and peer preference. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 28, 73–86.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mezzacappa, E., Tremblay, R. E., Kindlon, D., Saul, J. P., Arseneault, L., Seguin, J., et al. (1997). Anxiety, antisocial behavior, and heart rate regulation in adolescent males. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 38, 457–469.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • MindWare. (2008a). Mind ware heart rate variability V 2.6 system. Gahanna: MindWare Technologies.

    Google Scholar 

  • MindWare. (2008b). Mind ware impedance cardiography V 2.6 system. Gahanna: MindWare Technologies.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nigg, J. T. (2001). Is ADHD a disinhibitory disorder? Psychological Bulletin, 127, 571–598.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nigg, J. T. (2006). Temperament and developmental psychopathology. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 47, 395–422.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nigg, J. T., Goldsmith, H. H., & Sachek, J. (2004). Temperament and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: the development of a multiple pathway model. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 33, 42–53.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nigg, J. T., Hinshaw, S. P., & Huang-Pollack, C. (2006). Disorders of attention and impulse regulation. In D. Cicchetti & D. Cohen (Eds.), Developmental psychopathology (2nd ed., pp. 358–403). New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Porges, S. W. (1995). Orienting in a defensive world: mammalian modifications of our evolutionary heritage. A Polyvagal Theory. Psychophysiology, 32, 301–318.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Puig-Antich, J., & Ryan, N. (1996). Kiddie schedule for affective disorders and schizophrenia. Pittsburgh: Western Psychiatric Institute.

    Google Scholar 

  • Raine, A. (Ed.). (1996). Autonomic nervous system activity and violence. Hillsdale: Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Raine, A., Venables, R., & Mednick, S. (1997). Low resting heart rate at age three years predisposes to aggression at age 11 years: evidence from the Mauritius Child Health Proejct. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 36, 1457–1464.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sloan, R. P., Shapiro, P. A., Bigger, J. T., Jr., Bagiella, E., Steinman, R. C., & Gorman, J. M. (1994). Cardiac autonomic control and hostility in healthy subjects. American Journal of Cardiology, 74, 298–300.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Suess, P. E., Porges, S. W., & Plude, D. J. (1994). Cardiac vagal tone and sustained attention in school-age children. Psychophysiology, 31, 17–22.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Trentacosta, C. J., & Fine, S. E. (2010). Emotion knowledge, social competence, and behaivor problems in childhood and adolescence: a meta-analytic review. Social Development, 19, 1–29.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Walcott, C. M., & Landau, S. (2004). The relation between disinhibition and emotion regulation in boys with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 33, 772–782.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wechsler, D. (2003). Wechsler intelligence scale for children, fourth edition: administration and scoring manual. San Antonio: Psychological Corporation.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wechsler, D. (2005). Wechsler individual achievement test-2nd edition: Examiner’s manual. San Antonio: Psychological Corporation.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wehmeier, P. M., Schacht, A., & Barkley, R. A. (2010). Social and emotional impairment in children and adolescents with ADHD and the impact on quality of life. Journal of Adolescent Health, 46, 209–217.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wender, P. H. (1995). Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in adults. USA: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Willcutt, E. G., Doyle, A. E., Nigg, J. T., Faraone, S. V., & Pennington, B. F. (2005). Validity of the executive function theory of ADHD: meta-analytic review. Biological Psychiatry, 57, 1336–1346.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

Work on this study was supported by R01 MH59105 (PI: Nigg). The authors would like to thank Theodore Beauchaine, Ph.D. for comments on an early version of this manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Psychology Department, University of Oregon, 1227 University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97403, USA

    Erica D. Musser, Jennifer C. Ablow & Jeffery R. Measelle

  2. Psychology Department, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR, 97239, USA

    Erica D. Musser, Colleen F. Schmitt & Joel T. Nigg

  3. Psychology Department, Central Michigan University, 1200 North Franklin Street, Mount Pleasant, MI, 48859, USA

    Richard W. Backs

  4. Department of Psychology, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, 1506/UHN-80R1, Portland, OR, 97239, USA

    Erica D. Musser

Authors
  1. Erica D. Musser
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Richard W. Backs
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Colleen F. Schmitt
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Jennifer C. Ablow
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Jeffery R. Measelle
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Joel T. Nigg
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Erica D. Musser.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Musser, E.D., Backs, R.W., Schmitt, C.F. et al. Emotion Regulation via the Autonomic Nervous System in Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). J Abnorm Child Psychol 39, 841–852 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-011-9499-1

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-011-9499-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation