Aberrant parasympathetic reactivity to acute psychosocial stress in male patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders.

ABSTRACT: Autonomic dysfunction represents a core domain of the pathophysiology of schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SCZ), with aberrant physiologic arousal underlying maladaptive social and cognitive behaviors. Antagonistic parasympathetic and sympathetic systems support autonomic flexibility to appropriately regulate arousal and respond to environmental challenges, which can be modeled using physiologic measures. SCZ patients consistently show heightened basal stress, however, their parasympathetic reactivity to an acute psychosocial stressor is poorly understood. Heart period (HP-arousal), respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA-parasympathetic vagal activity), and their relationship were measured in SCZ patients (n = 19) and healthy controls (n = 20) at baseline and during psychosocial stress exposure

SUBMITTER: Andersen EH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5984181 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature