Cardiovascular reactivity as a mechanism linking child trauma to adolescent psychopathology.

ABSTRACT: Alterations in physiological reactivity to stress are argued to be central mechanisms linking adverse childhood environmental experiences to internalizing and externalizing psychopathology. Childhood trauma exposure may influence physiological reactivity to stress in distinct ways from other forms of childhood adversity. This study applied a novel theoretical model to investigate the impact of childhood trauma on cardiovascular stress reactivity - the biopsychosocial model of challenge and threat. This model suggests that inefficient cardiovascular responses to stress - a threat as opposed to challenge profile - are characterized by blunted cardiac output (CO) reactivity and increased vascular resistance. We examined whether childhood trauma exposure predicted an indicator of the threat pr

SUBMITTER: Heleniak C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5079268 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature