Abstract
Emotion regulation (ER) may be an important transdiagnostic factor for understanding mental and behavioral health given its association with several psychiatric disorders, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, there is limited research on ER in ASD, particularly using biomarkers such as respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA). The aim of the current study was to examine RSA among school-aged children with ASD in relation to symptoms of anxiety, executive functioning, and adaptive socialization skills. Results showed decreased RSA in children with ASD (relative to typically developing controls), reflecting decreased parasympathetic nervous system activity. In addition, decreased RSA was associated with increased symptoms of anxiety and lower socialization skills. These findings emphasize the need for interventions targeting emotional and arousal regulation in ASD.
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Acknowledgments
Some of the data described in this manuscript were collected as part of studies funded by the following grants: a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Health (SAP # 4100042728) to R. Schultz; a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Health (SAP # 4100047863) to R. Schultz; a grant from Pfizer, Inc to R. Schultz; and a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, #66727 to R. Schultz. We would like to thank the parents and children who participated in the research. We would also like to thank Sarah Paterson and Lori Le for their help in data collection, analysis, and interpretation.
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Guy, L., Souders, M., Bradstreet, L. et al. Brief Report: Emotion Regulation and Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia in Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Autism Dev Disord 44, 2614–2620 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-014-2124-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-014-2124-8