Heart Rate Variability in Children With Internalizing Disorders

Conference Year

January 2022

Abstract

Children with internalizing disorders have different resting physiology than their healthy counterparts, such as lower heart rate variability (HRV), which may help researchers understand biological mechanisms underlying their symptoms. Novelty and mood induction tasks are known to impact child HRV, thus it is unknown when during a laboratory visit is the optimal time to measure resting HRV. In a study of 9 male children, aged 6-8, we compare multiple relaxation periods to determine the optimal period for extracting true resting HRV. We then investigate whether this resting HRV measurement is associated with parent-reported child internalizing symptoms using Child Behavior Checklist.

Primary Faculty Mentor Name

Ellen McGinnis

Secondary Mentor Name

Ryan McGinnis

Graduate Student Mentors

Bryn Loftness

Student Collaborators

Xixi Halvorson-Phelan, Aisling O'Leary, Mia Sorongon

Status

Undergraduate

Student College

College of Arts and Sciences

Program/Major

Neuroscience

Primary Research Category

Social Sciences

Secondary Research Category

Health Sciences

Abstract only.

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Heart Rate Variability in Children With Internalizing Disorders

Children with internalizing disorders have different resting physiology than their healthy counterparts, such as lower heart rate variability (HRV), which may help researchers understand biological mechanisms underlying their symptoms. Novelty and mood induction tasks are known to impact child HRV, thus it is unknown when during a laboratory visit is the optimal time to measure resting HRV. In a study of 9 male children, aged 6-8, we compare multiple relaxation periods to determine the optimal period for extracting true resting HRV. We then investigate whether this resting HRV measurement is associated with parent-reported child internalizing symptoms using Child Behavior Checklist.