Sex differences in the associations between vagal reactivity and oppositional defiant disorder symptoms.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Vagal reactivity to stress in children has been associated with future psychiatric outcomes. However, results have been mixed possibly because these effects are in opposite direction in boys and girls. These sex differences are relevant in the context of development of psychopathology, whereby the rates of psychiatric disorders differ by sex. In this study, we aimed to examine the association between vagal reactivity, assessed as a reduction in respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) in response to a challenge, and the development of future oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) symptoms in boys and girls. In addition, we examine the specific associations with ODD symptom dimensions, named irritability and headstrong. We hypothesized that increased vagal reactivity was associate

SUBMITTER: Vidal-Ribas P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5575540 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature